LOS HOLLYWOOD NEWS LETTER
Written by Christina E. Rodriguez PHOTOS: alBerto Trevino
|
11 November 2009
Even
before she met Gustavo Mojica in 2002, Ide Flores had already decided
that she wanted to start a band. Word had already gotten around San
Diego that this girl, who also played guitar, had quite a voice. Seven
years and two bands later, the drummer and vocalist are still together,
making music with passion and ambition with the help of musical
mastermind and guitarist Marcos Mondregon, who is in Mexico for the
time being.
With
the addition of 24-year-old Jesus “Chuy” Garcia nine months ago, Los
Hollywood is beginning to make some noise in the U.S. Latin alternative
scene, their music transcending any language barriers. “It’s very hard
for us to speak one language,” explains Gustavo, 27. “Todo el tiempo
andamos mezclando de español a ingles and that’s how we talk, that’s
how we think and that’s the music we write.”
“We’re bilingual and our influences are everywhere,” says Ide, 25,
who goes by Heidy. “I think we’re very open-minded for rock en español,
for pop. Not a lot of bands are that open-minded.”
“We love the Beatles, we love Led Zeppelin, but we don’t sound like
them,” adds Heidy. “Los Hollywood is so different, that you can’t say
that it’s alternative or pop or punk. If you listen to each song, it
has its own personality and we don’t define ourselves with anything in
particular.”
The young band won the MySpace Latino Battle of the Bands in 2008
and performed at MySpace Latino’s one year anniversary celebration in
Miami. Los Hollywood has performed alongside Los Amigos Invisibles in
Austin, Texas; they were also invited to play at the Latin Alternative
Music Conference in New York and most recently at Rumba in Chicago.
It isn’t every day that a band that has only released an EP gains
such nationwide acclaim. “Chuy” expected a slower start, however he has
no complaints. “I came in and was like, OK, they have an EP and they’re
just starting,” he remembers. “Then I’m like, ‘What the hell? Am I
going on an airplane?’”
Although the band is from San Diego, Los Hollywood is beginning to
adapt to its name. “We work a lot in L.A.,” says Heidy. “L.A. is our
second home. It’s got to be. We are Los Hollywood,” adds Gustavo with a
smile.
The concept of the name came one night when Gustavo couldn’t sleep.
“What better name than Hollywood?” says Gustavo. “Who doesn’t know
Hollywood? And I called them up and said, Los Hollywood. ‘Los,’ de
nuestra parte Latina, and ‘Hollywood.’ No matter where you are,
Hollywood is pretty much everything.”
BIt’s
hard to ignore the excitement over the next album when in Los
Hollywood’s presence. Although they attempt to not really talk about
it, the subject is unavoidable. “The second album is going to be super
cool,” smiles Heidy. According to the singer, this next album will only
be released physically in Mexico and Puerto Rico, but will be available
digitally through iTunes for the rest of the world.
“The next album is going to say, ‘Here we come’ and give them no other option but to take us,” says Gustavo assuredly.
A native from Guerrero, Mexico, Gustavo feels that he represents the
Latino experience here in the United States. “I’m an immigrant and I
love my people and I love Latinos. I love all Latinos,” he says. “It’s
like, we can do it, why can’t you? We’re trying to get everything we
can and to show people that we’re [here]. And for those who think it’s
not possible, someone has to do it. So, why not us?”
LOS HOLLYWOOD IS SCHEDULED TO BE ON LATINATION
The
LatiNation segment on Los Hollywood has been scheduled to air the
weekend of November 14th-15th . The show, hosted
by Desi Sanchez and Jose Mangin, can be seen in over 100 cities nationwide. To
find local airing days and times, go to www.LatiNation.tv/wheretowatch/ or
check TVGuide.com for local listing
information.
For
your convenience, you’ll find below a brief summary of the episode that
you may use to forward to your friends and family and/or post on your website,
My Space Page, Facebook, etc. Please direct anyone to www.LatiNation.tv for
more information on the show. If you’d like to use our logo for
promotional artwork, you may download it at http://www.americanlatino.tv/images/marketing/id_logos/latination_logo.gif
LOS HOLLYWOOD!!!!! ON THIS MONTH'S ISSUE OF PEOPLE (THE REVIEW)
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