music. I’m curious to what led you to have the skills that you do and to play the music that you do.


ARTIST FEATURE: ANDINO SUNS are trying to do, but from our perspective here.


AD: What I find about the Chilenos who immigrated here is that they are the poets, the songwriters, the (artists) – that when a fascist regime comes in they are the ones who get the boot. You look at talent like Cristian, Danny Fernandez, etc.


CM: The other thing about playing Chilean music is that it’s very closely tied to what our parents went through. At that time the movement was personified through Andino music, so when we were growing up our parents would listen to nothing but that music. When we would get together there was music like salsa, but really most of the songs were just pan flute, charango, quena, and so you’d see our uncles and aunts and some of our parents playing these instruments and writing songs themselves. Back in those days, when I first started strumming a guitar it was in a Chilean folk band. We all grew up playing that kind of music. It feels like we know it well; we were born into it.


AD: But if we were to go to Chile and they listened to our music they would say “this isn’t Chilean music.”


CM: They’d be like, “What the f…? This is blasphemy.” We’ve stirred it up for sure.


AD: For example, we don’t follow traditional Cueca patterns. We’ll do the rhythm but not follow the pattern of a dance, and so Chileans would probably say “That’s not Chilean,” but we’re just like “We’re Canadians. That’s what happens.”


AP: It’s pretty much the same thing for me. It was pumped into me as a kid – that appreciation for the arts. I danced all my life too. That, along with seeing my dad playing guitar (while I was) growing up, because he used to play a lot and sing a lot with other people in the community. It felt like if you weren’t doing it too you were left out.


AD: You felt odd at Chilean functions if you didn’t play music or you didn’t play soccer.


AP: Or if you didn’t know the national anthem. AD: (jokingly) I still don’t know it. Don’t tell anyone. SM: Are there Chilean artists that you look to?


CM: There’s tons and tons of new music. When we’re on the road to somewhere we’re always listening to new music. There’s guys like Nano Stern, bringing in fusion. Juana Fe is another band, fairly new and it’s like prog-folk. It sounds like the perfect party that you could have in Chile. It really reflects the culture in a huge way. I think that’s also what we


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SM: What are some other artists that you listen to? What are some non-world music artists that you listen to or that inspire you? Road trip music.


AD: What we listen to in the van. A lot of Rage Against the Machine.


AP: A lot… AD: And Red Hot Chili Pepper’s ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magic.’ CM: We know those by heart.


AP: I’m the most indie guy out of the group for sure. I listen to that on the side because these guys will get on me. But stuff like Mac DeMarco. I do listen to a lot of world music as well. Lhasa de Sela, she’s one of my favourite artists. I’ve listened to her for years.


CP: A lot of Tool. Meshuggah. AP: Some Pink Floyd. Anderson .Paak. SM: I don’t think this is the answer I was expecting. AD: There’s a lot of metal heads in the band.


There are a million and one reasons to play music, each one as valid as the next. As my time winds down with Andino Suns they take control of the conversation and I’m suddenly reminded of some of the most inspiring reasons. As they speak amongst themselves about reaching a balance in and out of the band, Moya speaks to the role music plays in his life stating, “I can’t sit still. Ever. It made me struggle in school. I could never pay attention. But if you put a guitar in front of me then suddenly I’m sitting focused. Or a paint- brush. Now finally I’m finding that in the kitchen, with a knife. Now I can stay focused. If I didn’t have music I don’t know where I’d be.”


Davalos is quick to rattle off a long list of reasons that he started, including being a rich rockstar, before he settled on one defining reason. “We do it because it’s fun. That’s the only reason.” The band is quick to qualify that the fun ex- tends from rehearsals to the stage. If you’ve seen them per- form live you know the fun they speak of is contagious and it’s a major reason why crowds love them. They speak about their music with the same sincerity and messages contained within the Andean folk songs that led them to form a band - looking toward the future with joy, hope, and passion.


For more on the Andino Suns, check out their website, www.andinosuns.com.


SASKMUSIC THE SESSION - FEBRUARY 2017, VOL 30.1 29


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