Working 9 to 5 is not an option for most people in this day and age. In fact, it can be said that it is becoming a thing of the past with people working overtime in the office or at home. But the Madrid based, nine-member band Canteca de Macao is suggesting that we all take a second to stop and reflect on our lives, emphasizing that the “rat race” that people are falling into is gradually taking away the truly valuable things in life.

“Nunca es tarde (Never Too Late) calls for people to stop to take time to reflect; [it’s] never too late to be honest, never too late to start all over again,” says Canteca de Macao, referring to their message behind their newly released album.

Formed 10 years ago, the band infused with a combination of jazz, flamenco, ska and American rock, amongst numerous other styles, is coming back to New York City once again in hope of bringing vivacity and Latin flavor to the 2012 Flamenco Festival.  With a repertoire of new songs from their latest album released earlier this month, as well as innovative street performances inclusive of a juggler, their performance on Sunday at le Poisson Rouge will surely have even the most busy New Yorkers dancing to the rhythm of their hearts.

Hoping to elicit an early dose of joyfulness and contemplation, Canteca de Macao took a brief moment to share their thoughts with GALO on their upcoming performance as well as their stance on the ACTA agreement.

GALO: Your first time performing in New York City was two years ago. Now you are performing here again, and this time, as part of the 2012 Flamenco Festival. How do you perceive your performance on Sunday to that first time – any nervousness? Or are you overjoyed to be a part of a cultural fusion of both the melting pot of New Yorkers and the diverse sounds heard throughout the celebration of Flamenco and Spanish music?

Canteca de Macao: This second time we are not as nervous as in 2010. That time, we were the only ones in the festival who weren’t playing or performing pure flamenco and that was something different in the Flamenco Festival that year, and we felt it as a huge responsibility. Two years later, the focus of the festival has shifted to fusions of flamenco. It seems like we did something right that first time.

GALO: Two other Spanish bands are performing that same weekend – Muchachito Bombo Infierno and La Shica. Are there any musicians you yourself are hoping to see during your participation in the festival (perhaps the aforementioned)?

CDM: We’d love to see them both, but we’re afraid we won’t have any leisure time while we are in NYC. But we definitely recommend everyone to go and check them out; both La Shica and Muchachito have amazing shows in which their outstanding music is just a part of a much bigger sensory experience where you’ll also find dance, painting, etc… Don’t miss them!

GALO: Your performances are very energetic and full of surprises, with alternating male and female performers and even a juggler (Zulo) taking part in the action! Why is the substance and spontaneity of the performance just as important to you as a band as your music – does it derive from the fact that you are often referred to as “street performers” by the media, and therefore, a certain type of communication with the fans is crucial to the definition of the band?

CDM: Actually, it’s simply the way it happened. We started playing for fun, in the streets, parks, at our university campuses or at friends’ parties. What happened there then moved on to become a staged performance. We love playing music, so we play anytime, anywhere.

GALO: Your band’s name derives from a play on the words “cocoa butter.”

CDM: There isn’t a lot more to it, it was just a play on words. We’re Bocoa Cutter, and we’re dyslexic. 

GALO: Your upcoming performance falls in line with the release of your fourth album Nunca es tarde/Never Too Late. What were your inspirations behind this album and its name, and what key differences can be found on this album in comparison to your other three releases?

CDM: The album’s name reflects the outstanding moment the band is going through. We’ve put our hands on the steering wheel that drives our project, we’ve produced this album and we’re really proud of the outcome. It’s, first of all, an optimistic name; Never Too Late…to take control of your life.

Undoubtedly, we’re at the best point of our career. In this album, we’ve changed the solo sound from flute to trumpet. Enrique Rodríguez (aka Enriquito) and his trumpet feel at home playing flamenco as well as Latin sounds. And some new musicians have joined the band recently, giving it a more ‘pro’ sound: Rodrigo Díaz (aka El Niño) playing percussions, Julian Olivares playing electric guitar, Spanish guitar and tres cubano, and Yago Salorio at the bass.

In short, Never Too Late is a very complete album. It is arranged with lyrics that reach the soul and music that makes you travel and feel. Rock, jazz, flamenco, blues, salsa, and cumbia are some styles that dominate this album.

GALO: Your music video for “Canteca de Macao” from your album Nuncas es Tarde is quite innovative with the band playing in what looks to be a store at first and then resembles more so a dressing room. Where did this idea originate from and what is the song/video about?

CDM: The song speaks of how nowadays we all live such hectic lives that we can’t even think of what makes us happy and what doesn’t. We walk on a straight line and we never consider stepping down. Nunca es tarde calls for people to stop to take time to reflect; never too late to be honest, never too late to start all over again.

The video was the result of brainstorming between the band and the director, Juanfer Andrés, together with the Tocalasam crew, the film production company behind it. It represents the undressing of the soul, looking for sincerity, and then that new look, as the re-birth of a phoenix.

GALO: I noticed your recent album is available for full download for free on the Internet via your Web site. This is quite unusual for bands to do, especially ones of your stature. Why did you choose to provide fans with such an option, and will the download be available all year round or just for a limited time? Did the decision correlate with the ACTA protests happening around the world?

CDM: Offering our music for free on the Internet is something we’ve been doing since our first demo, back in 2004. All of our albums can be downloaded from our site for free the very same moment the album hits the stores, or even before, as happened with Nunca es tarde. We believe in the right to universal access to culture, and releasing music on the Internet has close to zero costs for us and allows our music to reach every corner of the planet.

When we signed a record deal with Warner Music we set this as our one and only fixed term of the contract, setting a milestone in our career and on free music. Never before was an album released by one of the major labels that was also immediately and legally available for free online.

Nevertheless, we don’t believe everything should be always free, and we try to educate our audience on how much work, effort, and money there is behind a record or a show, and that the money for that has got to come from somewhere. In exchange for free music downloads, we require that our fans do social actions in exchange, such as share or Tweet what they’re downloading, become a fan on Facebook, register on cantecademacao.net, etc.

On top of that, this album has been entirely funded by our fans, who made it possible through a crowd funding campaign on Lanzanos.com (a Spanish equivalent of Kickstarter) that raised 23255€ (around $30,000), setting a record in Spain for this kind of initiative, and becoming one of the most successful crowd funding projects for music worldwide.

GALO: While we are on the subject, as musicians, how do you view the ACTA protests and the agreement itself. If the ACTA were to be administered, how would it affect you particularly? 

CDM: In Spain, we have our very own ACTA, named “Sinde-Wert Act” after the ministers who promoted it. While claiming to be conceived as a means to end online piracy, it is far from solving the problem, and what it really creates is a climate of legal uncertainty around online activity, which feels close to censorship and prevents startups from deploying the full potential of the Internet for the music industry — that sacred cow on the way to the slaughterhouse in desperate need of solutions, not mafia-like protection. The Internet cannot cease to be neutral. It just can’t happen, and everyone needs to be conscious of it and fight for their digital rights.

GALO: After Sunday’s performance you will be flying to various other cities across the U.S. inclusive of Austin, Texas and Chicago, Illinois, before flying back to Spain where you will be performing the remainder of this tour. What are your plans after the tour ends?

CDM: Keep on playing, composing, performing, and living music 24/7 and 366 [days] while trying to make our world a better place.

Canteca de Macao will be performing at 10 p.m. on March 11 at le Poisson Rouge located at 158 Bleecker Street, New York 10012. For ticket sales please visit http://lepoissonrouge.com or call 212-353-3474.

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