Remi Álvarez - Lafahmisi (2019)

Remi Álvarez Trío was formed in 2008 to begin to build a project with a musical concept that is located within free jazz. "Basically this is a free jazz trio like style. You can call him avant garde or whatever. The main influence of trio are the musicians who emerged in the late fifties and sixties who were experimenting with the same swing, with the tempos and with the harmonies. The melodic and rhythmic concepts stopped being so rigid to give it a variety with much greater freedom "said Remi Álvarez.

For his part, Arturo Báez recalled the start of the project. "I played with Remi Álvarez since before having the trio with Gustavo Nandayapa. We were trying with other musicians, the assembly was even bigger. For different reasons we left Remí Álvarez and me. At that time I met Gustavo Nandayapa and it seemed to me that he could be the ideal drummer and finally he was.

Gustavo Nandayapa stressed that the project has evolved musically to the extent of perceiving that the same repertoire that was recorded now sounds very different from how they played at that time. "We have also changed because we are in many parallel projects that have influenced the interplay of each one. The interesting thing about this project is that it has always been preserved as if it were the only one that you have, it is always a priority. "

All the songs were composed by Remi Álvarez who revealed that it is very difficult to highlight a song but that "Lafahmisi" is done to him, for how they constructed not only the melody but in the arrangement, very interesting. Gustavo Nandayapa highlighted the piece "Contained Intensity" because the name has a lot to do with the interpretation of the theme. "His nature allowed me to suggest timbrally what I would like to do to adequately accompany both musicians."

Arturo Báez said he likes all the material but there are moments that he likes more and one of them is "Terminal 4" because it is a piece that rhythmically is a little bit closer to us. Here we can interact more using different resources of our musical roots since Gustavo Nandayapa is from Chiapas, I am from Michoacán and Remi Álvarez is from Mexico City ".

When asked about the free jazz scene in the Federal District, Arturo Báez commented that as a style, with the influences that Remi underlined, there is not much really. "Maybe it's us and the Chocolate Smoke Gang of which we are also a part. Rather, what has emerged has been free improvisation that does not necessarily have to be free jazz. It may have influences of the latter, of European free improvisation or contemporary music. Of that every time there have been more musicians that appear in forums as the Jazzorca ".

Regarding the audience, Remi Álvarez said that if the music they do, based on improvisation that turns into very fresh creativity that arises at the moment, does not like people, they would not continue doing it. "This music awakens consciences. You have to know how to fight very strong battles because it goes against the system, what is established in the mass media and institutions. Arturo Báez commented that although many musicians out of fear or pleasure do not enter free jazz or free improvisation "what we have realized is that the public has no prejudice regarding the music we make. Prejudice comes rather from other sides. "

To finish Gustavo Nandayapa demanded more diffusion not only to this album but in general to the style of jazz, free jazz and free improvisation of Mexico so that there are more spaces, to make these styles develop and reach a greater number of people. Remi Álvarez invited the promoters not to be scared with the genre. "It is strong because it reflects what we live in these times. We can not be touching what we do not feel. You have to give the public other things and this is one of the projects that deserves well worth giving to the people of Mexico. "