Los De Abajo

Taking their name from a classic novel about the Mexican revolution, Los De Abajo formed in Mexico City in the 1990s with the intention of exploring the ska-punk sound so popular at the time. But the group found itself veering in a slightly more political and less artistically constrained direction, melding reggae, cumbia, ska and rock into their sound in a way that ostracized record labels who didn't fully understand their extravagant, multimedia live shows or their politics. So they returned to their DIY ethic, playing at lots of political events and self-producing their albums. When they sent a tape to Luaka Bop, the label immediately flew down to Mexico City to hang out with them and within a week they were signed.