In New Orleans one of the our greatest attributes is the variety of cultures that combine to form our musical melting pot. On any given night, one can find Blues, Funk, Jazz, Folk, Latin, Hip-Hop, Soul, and as of recently more modern mixtures like Neo Soul, Indie Rock and Latin Funk just to name a few. This Saturday February 12th, 2011 the band Hola Hi from Florida will be in New Orleans Upstairs at the Blue Nile with an opening acoustic band Courtade (led by Latin rock promoter and Latin Radio DJ Eduardo Courtade) beginning at 10p.m. with the main act performing at 11 p.m. The group comprised of a husband and wife team will soothe your soul and make you want to wiggle in your seat simultaneously to the sounds of Latin Indie Pop Funk, a vibration not heard too often in New Orleans. Although we are saturated with top notch music here in the N-O-L-A,I also believe we are constantly opening the door to new styles and contributions.
Hola Hi belongs to the more non traditional styles of music heard on Frenchman Street and as such are part of an exciting Latin sound which typically is native to States like New York, California, Florida and Texas. Latin music has all the same variations in genres as English dominated music in that we have funk, alternative, rock, reggae, ska, pop, hip-hop, country, as well as the Latin standards like Salsa and Merengue. Hola Hi combines their experiences as a multicultural band bringing in elements from genres of music native to the two forces in the band, Angelina who is Dominicana (Dominican republic) and Paul who is from right here in New Orleans. One tidbit I found Interested was the name of the band, Hola Hi,which is a greeting often heard in South Florida combining English and Spanish into one phrase.
I asked the Band a few questions to help us get to know the Latin Indie Group Hola Hi more intimately, the interview follows below:
Martha Alguera: Can you tell me a little bit about the origins of the band?
Angelina (Hola Hi): The band started in 2009 in south florida although the real start was back in Louisiana where we met. We were both in a band called Palo Viejo, I was the singer and Paul was the guitarist. When we moved to Florida we started to experiment with new sounds and a new project was born, Hola Hi. Going further back, I'm originally from the Dominican Republic and came to the US to study at LSU while Paul is originally from New Orleans a proud graduate of Eleanor McMain High School)
MA: Can you please let our readers know the members of the band.
HH:Angelina is the vocalist, bassist, co-composer, and co-conspirator of the group. Paul is the guitarist, multiinstrumentalist, co-composer and co-conspirator. The rest of the live band is made up of good friends that we have met in our journeys.
MA:Can you describe to me ,in your words, what your style of music is?
HH: We describe our sound as indie pop dumspta funk. We use a lot of backbeats and upbeat rhythms that reference our love of New Orleans brass bands but the vocals are pure unadulterated pop, pulling from Juan Luis Guerra and Stevie Wonder, amongst others.
MA: Who are some of the Band's biggest influences?
HH: The list is long and distinguished but our main influences would have to be Juan Luis Guerra, Stevie Wonder, Rebirth Brass Band, and The Clash
MA: You are releasing an album this coming month in Feb, correct? What is your main goal for this album?
HH: We have worked extremely long and hard on this album so for us just releasing the cd is a victory!!! We hope that the listeners can connect with the stories we tell in our songs and find a little of themselves in our words.
MA: What are your long term goals for this group?
HH: To play for as long as we can and enjoy the journey along the way. To find ways of growing and creating new experiences every day. This is an endeavor of love and hope and it's difficult to look too far into the future with such things. It's been said that in order to be done right, both love and cooking must be done with reckless abandon.
MA:. Can you describe to me the process of the creation of a song in your group? Is there one primordial writer/composer. Do you write the lyrics first and then the music or vice versa.
HH: We've done it both ways. For example, 'Aire de Primavera' was begun by Angelina with a catchy melody and a concept of new love that grows like new sprouts on a dying plant, reviving it once again. The music was written to suit the vibe she was getting at. Conversely, the song 'Viaje al Horizonte' came about as music first and then Angelina composed the melody and lyrics to the concept of hope for impossible dreams to be realized which is what the music inspired in her. Each manner provides unique challenges and outcomes. To your second question, Angelina typically writes the melodies and lyrics and I (Paul) compose the music.
MA: Is your music only in Spanish?
HH: For now, the songs are only recorded in Spanish, however we have all the songs in English and plan on recording them in the spring. At its core that's the concept of the name Hola Hi. Bilingual, bringing our two cultures together under one roof.
MA: You have a show in New Orleans on Feb12th, who will be playing with you then? Any special guests?
HH: We'll have several local musicians sitting in with us, Michael Barr on guitar, Drew Greene on drums, and Josh Harvey on keys and trumpet. We plan to have a few surprise guests dropping by but we can't reveal who right now. We have a special guest opening the show, Courtade a great band and great people you should definitely check out.
MA: How does playing music make you feel? Please describe as best you can
HH : (PAUL) Playing music for me is the creation of harmony and order in a chaotic environment. It is a release and an opiate. It always surprises me with another unexpected twist or turn. And the energy you get from connecting with an audience and you're all there in the moment, it's indescribable.
(ANGELINA): Playing music makes me feel alive and electrified! It's therapy which at times fills my heart with joyous elation and at others helps me reflect on and ease fear and pain.
Hola Hi can be reached for booking at holahi@gmail.com
The Band's website is www.holahi.com
