Many consider recording and touring a business, but Manuel “Skribe” Garcia, singer and songwriter with the hip-hop group Kinto Sol, says it’s much more than that.
“Even though it’s a big business, we still don’t look at it like that,” Garcia said, “because a lot of things that have happened to us make us think that music is magic and power. And power is given to you so you can share it in a positive way.”
Kinto Sol, three brothers based in Milwaukee (the others are Javier and Eduardo), is touring behind its fourth CD, “Los Hijos del Maiz (“Children of the Corn”).
The group, together for four years and originally from Iramuco in the Mexican state of Guanajuato, is emerging out of the relatively new urban Latino field. The field is huge, with room for Latin rappers including Chingo Bling, crunk star Pitbull and pop R&B acts Frankie J and Baby Bash.
The members of Kinto Sol stand out in the hard-core field because they are tattoo-free and rarely use four-letter words in their lyrics. And instead of urban tales of violence, guns and drugs, their songs are about struggle, hope and inspiration.
The group’s new single, “Naci Para Quererte,” is a midtempo dance tune, fueled by gorgeous horns and harmonies, with a message of romantic devotion.
But that doesn’t mean they are not political.
The title track details a generations-long struggle for political and economic equality. The video for the single made it to MTV TR3’s “Sucker Free Latino” playlist.
“That song is about what’s really happening with our people, from people that live in the United States, to people in our motherland, Mexico,” Garcia said.
“Things are really bad for people in Mexico who have little resources,” he said. “Many of them depend on foodstuff basics, like flour and corn, the tortilla, and prices keep rising.
“Of course, these are problems that have been brewing for a while.”
Another song, “Los que Luchamos” (“Those of Us Who Struggle”), a driving, percussion-heavy tune, describes the need for solidarity to establish influential power.
“We had this song for two years, so we have been feeling the pressure building,” Garcia said. “With all the marchas [immigration marches] that’s been protesting the illegal immigration issues and all these harsh laws that they’re trying to push towards our people, we felt the time was right for this song.
“I feel that we’re the voice of a lot of people. I feel it’s only right to say and do what we believe in. This is something I support because it’s only right. We all come to this country to look for a better life, and I don’t think nobody would leave their own land, where they’re born, just to leave.”