We’ve Run Away To Join The (Homo) Circo

Circo is one of the most funky and original bands we’ve heard in a long time. Plus, it’s great music to have sex to (we know cuz some of us have sex.) Their new album, released this week, is called Cursi (Campy). We caught up with Fofe, the lead singer, to talk about groupies, homophobia, and appearing naked on the Internet:

Guanabee: You have a very distinct sound. How would you describe your music to somebody who has never heard Circo (besides Puerto Rican homo throbbing)?
Fofe: Our music is hard to describe. I would say it has elements of Rock, Alternative, Fusion and Electronic. It’s music that invites you to dance and shake your ass.

Guanabee: Right, so Puerto Rican homo throbbing it is. Speaking of PR, has its struggle to define itself politically and culturally seeped into your songs at all?
Fofe: There’s a definite Latin America, Puerto Rico and Caribbean influence in our lyrics. Particularly in heartfelt music like the songs of the boleristas. There’s seduction, the use of the metaphors, and even references to Santeria like in the song La Sospecha.

Guanabee: We use Santeria in our work, too. Like when we sprinkled chicken’s blood all over our keyboard so our publisher would stop asking us for more features. But we digress. For many bands from Puerto Rico the biggest goal is to be successful in the US. How do you define success?
Fofe: For me success is when you’ve had the opportunity to travel and share the stage with people like Erykah Badu, Duran Duran, Fito Paez, Café Tacvba. Those are the kinds of enriching experiences that not everybody gets to have.

Guanabee: You must have had a lot of wild experiences. We heard one story about an incident that happened in Puerto Rico in 2001 where the audience started throwing bottles and stones at the stage when you were playing. People in the audience thought it was a reaction to what they perceived was your sexuality.
Fofe: I just think they’re stupid people who don’t understand the way we express ourselves. They would have to drag me offstage with tear gas because we’re performing for our fans, not homophobes.

Guanabee: Speaking of closeted folks, how do you guys feel about Ricky Martin?
Fofe: He is a great artist, incredibly disciplined, although I don’t really listen to his music because it’s not really the music that I like.

Guanabee: Yeah. For us Ricky Martin is like Playboy. We’re not really there for the “articles”, just the pictures. Speaking of hotties, you’re all very hot guys. How do you handle all those boys and girls trying to get into your pants?
Fofe: [Laughs] I wish there were so many as you think, both boys and girls. There’s really not that many.

Guanabee: Um, we personally find that hard to believe. Especially with certain naked videos of you on the internet…
Fofe: There is one video that’s out there on the Internet for a song called Mala Yerba from my previous band (El Manjar de los Dioses). I’m naked but I kinda like the way I look in the video.

Guanabee: You look hot in that video in an “I totally haven’t taken my meds” kind of way. On that note, any parting words for your fans on letting it all hang out?
Fofe: Feel free to celebrate your cursiness! If you want a lesson on how to be cursi, just cook dinner for your lover wearing only underpants and an apron. Drink champagne and go to bed with lots of strawberries. You’ll have a happy ending.