In bed with Maradona

In bed with Maradona

Remember Rafven from Fuji Rock 2009?

They came unknown, played every stage they could get their feet on, and left as arguably the festival’s highlight. This year, labelmates Onda Vaga will attempt the same feat. They’re scheduled for 6 shows, from the Orange Court to the tiny Naeba Shokudo. Chances are you’ll see them whether you want to or not.

They hail from Argentina, but they formed on a beach in Uruguay in 2007. The official story is that they grabbed whatever instruments were lying around, started jamming, and never really stopped. When a venue boss asked the boys their name, they made one up on the spot and kept it. It translates literally as vague wave, but I believe it means something more like free-and-easy style. Or it might not.

I emailed the band’s trumpeter, Marcelo Blanco, last week to pick his mind. Here’s what he said:

Most people string together half a dozen genres when they try to define your sound. How would you describe it?

Pop acoustic coral psycho party rumba reggae.

Cumbia and rumba are prominent, neither all of which are Big in Japan yet, so will audiences here “get” your sound in the same way the Buenos Aires crowd might?

I like to think so. Maybe there´s gonna be a deeper subconscious relationship (in Argentina) because of the language, but music is as universal as love.

You’ve had an unusually organic rise. Was there a point when you realised it was working and you were an act that could fly round the world playing festivals?

It really surprised us too. Our rise happened almost without publicity, just the music and the spreading words and comments of people who like it. We are very thankful for that. And it´s amazing now that we can sing along with Japan.


If you could go onstage and play with any of the other Fuji Rock acts this
year, which one would you choose?

Radiohead or Jack White

Onda Vaga have issued two albums to date, but next Wednesday sees the release of “Moshi moshi: Best album for Japan”, complete with karaoke versions of some tracks.

Listen to a clip here.

Or learn to singalong via the katakana subtitles here: