Diandra Interviews Piñata Protest: Bringing A Necio Sound To Better Your Life

When I first heard the name Piñata Protest, I thought of a colorful children’s toy exploding candy over hate and prejudice. In a way, that could be a solid description of what these Tex Mex Punk Rockers sound like. They add a fun to punk’s rage that make it more than about bashing angst as much as bashing through to enlivening sentiments. After all, you want to heal your anger, eventually, and lead singer Alvaro Del Norte promises that, on June 21, Brooklyn Bazaar will be feeling way happier thanks to their show.

Diandra: With a name like Piñata Protest, how would you define protest, and how do you see music as a symbol of that definition?

Alvaro: We like to think of “protest” as our way of opening up people’s minds to another way of thinking about music, cultures, borders and where they all intersect. Music has always been a symbol of change or the creating of a new culture. 

Diandra Through the years and meeting fans, has the band’s name grown in meaning for you?

 Alvaro: Yes—- it’s come to mean much more than just the catchy and silly sounding name it was initially intended to be. Look up “Piñata Protest politician” and you’ll find our favorite interpretation of the phrase. 

Diandra: What would you say your newest record, Necio Nights, displays in terms of how you have grown as artists and persons?

Alvaro: This record that captures our definitive sound. It displays where we’ve come from and where we’re going. 

Diandra: Name a night in your life when you could say, “Esa noche fun bien necio!” Did that night influence the title?

Alvaro: ¡Por supuesto! There are many examples of those kinds of nights but the title also comes from a lyric in the song “California Girl. 

Diandra; How would you say your performance style  has changed in embodying this album to a live audience? What can the Brooklyn crowd expect for your show on June 21? 

Alvaro: Our live show has grown and evolved over the years to be a lot more interactive and engaging. We can’t say too much about what to expect but lets just say that people will need to make a serious life decision about what kind of salsa they like on their tacos during the show. 

Diandra: You are a proud punk-rock, Tex Mex group in a time when our community is being socially and politically attacked. How do you feel your music both represents and encourages our culture’s resilience?

Alvaro: I feel that using the accordion, an instrument prominent in Mexican music is a great way of showing that, especially in a scene which is dominated by white, English singing bands.The accordion adds a sort of nostalgia for those who grew up with Tex-Mex culture and adds a very distinct sound the piano or guitar could never capture. 

Diandra: Being a tex-mex punk-rock group, who are a few artists that you wish, of both scenes, you could do a record with? And what would you call that record?

Alvaro: Los Tigres Del Norte and Los Crudos. We’d call it “No Pos Ta’ Cabron…”

Diandra: How do you think the music industry has grown, for better or worse, in terms inclusivity and diversity?
Alvaro: It’s gotten better with inclusivity and diversity but there’s still a lot of work to do. 

To Buy Necio Nights, Learn More About Piñata Protest, Or Buy Tickets To Their Tour Click Here.