DRK EUROPEAN TOUR 2015

HERE WE GOOOOO!

Doctor Krapula together with Colectivo Jaguar and musician Manu Chao with La Ventura, announce a concert for the Amazon rainforest .

*** Musicians, organizations and ethnic groups raise their voices on March 7th at Leticia, in southern Colombia, to make a call for protecting the jungle, local seeds and the biodiversity of the Amazon rainforest 

*** The group plans to write a manifesto that will be sent to governments and authorities who are directly involved in decisions that impact and affect this important region of the world.

The Colombian band Doctor Krapula, French musician Manu Chao and La Ventura will lead the concert that Colectivo Jaguar –composed by musicians, activists and indigenous communities at the Amazon region- will perform a show in the town of Leticia, located in the border between Colombia, Peru and Brazil, to alert the world of the urgent need to protect cultural, forestry and water reserves Amazonas. Mexican musician Ruben Albarran (Café Tacuba ), Pachucote Roco ( Maldita Vecindad), Chilean musician Moyenei Valdes and colombian composer Chucho Merchan are joining this calling as part of this collective that seeks to turn the eyes of the world to this area, considered "the heart, lung and kidney "of the planet .

The Alternative Nobel Prize Vandana Shiva, member of Colectivo Jaguar, would also join the festival in Leticia to make her voice heard, in favour of  this region, which covers an area of 6 million square kilometers, divided between Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador , Guyana, Venezuela and Suriname. 

Organised by Jaguar Collective and Terra Nova Foundation, with the collaboration of Re Buena Onda Productions, this cultural and music gathering will continue the project AMA- ZONA (2014), an album conceived by Dr. Krápula, which gathered over 25 artists, journalists, organizations and  ethnic groups like Tikuna, Kokama, Yagua ethnic and Uitoto, in order to sing to the jungle, to report uncontrolled logging, alerting about the imminent danger of destruction and reporting the consequences of using transgenic seeds for both land and peasants, and indigenous people of the area. 

After completion of the concert, the group will lead a tour around the Amazon area, aiming to share and visit several communities, to film a documentary and to write a manifesto that will be sent to governments and authorities directly involved in decisions that impact and affect this important region of the world. The manifesto also requires the relevant governments to officially recognize the Rights of Nature. This is one of Colectivo Jaguar’s actions for 2015 in Colombia and other countries, including Mexico, an effort to invite other colleagues musicians, organizations, activists and civil society to join this global movement for the Amazon reinforest.

For more information, please visit: http://ama-zonas.net/ 

Contact: infocolectivojaguar@gmail.com 

Twitter: @ColectivoJaguar 

Facebook: Colectivo Jaguar 

Press Contact: Elsa García

prensacolectivojaguar@gmail.com

Doctor Krapula launches a new International Illustration Contest!

If you like drawing, this brand new contest is for you! 

See how you can participate at www.doctorkrapulacomics.com

NEWS! Dr. Krapula gets 2 Latin Grammy Nominations.

LIVE at VIVE LATINO 2014

By TELEHIT HD, Mexico - March 2014

ROCKERS UNITE THEIR VOICES FOR THE AMAZON

BY NATALIA CANO
ASSOCIATED PRESS

First it was in favor of the sacred Huichol territory of Wirikuta in Mexico. Now a set of rockers headed by the Colombian band Doctor Krapula joins voices to alert the world about the importance of preserving forest, water and cultural reserve in the Amazon.

Under the name of ‘Colectivo Jaguar’, the French-Spanish Manu Chao, Mexican Ruben Albarran, Celso Piña, Alfonso André and Roco Pachukote; the Chilean Moyenei; Colombian Andrea Echeverri and Hector Buitrago, from Aterciopelados; Argentine Gustavo Cordera and Emiliano Bracciari and the Spanish Pulpul, from Ska-P are some of the participants in the album "Ama-zonas", a project to create environmental awareness among the public through music .

"This album wants to raise awareness, so, with the help of all these people who put their voice, their instruments, their talent and their poetry into this album, we believe that many people will come and learn a little more about the Amazon “ as Mario Muñoz "Subcantante “, Doctor Krápula’s vocalist, told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

"I hope that this project can inform all possible public about the risks and threats that runs in this region of South America which is considered the heart, lung and kidney of the world," added the Colombian singer.

The album was released in late July and last week started playing the first single, "Seinekvn" ("Mother Earth" in the Ikun language of the people Arhuaco living in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, in northern Colombia), which Doctor Krápula recorded with Manu Chao. The musical theme represents the return of former Mano Negra to Latin America, land that has not walked in years, at least for a concert.

“It was about eight years ago that we first spoke of the Amazon with Manu Chao. In 2005, we made a trip to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, and there we began a process of rapprochement with the natives which resulted in an ecological project called “Abre Sierra ", for which we recorded "Seineken “ said Nicolas Cabrera, Doctor Krapula’s drummer. `Seinekvn' is a new version of the song re-recorded for ‘Ama-zonas' with Manu Chao. “

Ruben Albarran, lead singer of the band Café Tacuba, who has stood out for his environmental activism, was one of the musicians who joined the cause promoted by Doctor Krápula’s project for which he lent his voice to the title track of the album, "Ama-zonas" and “Serpiente Guacamayo" one of the 26 songs included in the album.

“ We Latin Americans, unfortunately, are bound by that situation (ecological disasters)," Albarran said. "The patrimony of the Amazon rainforest is not inexhaustible. As musicians, but mainly as humans, we are concerned about it, and we use what we have, music, to create a little awareness, aiming to create some resistance to this disaster that we are living in our region. "

Moreover singer Andrea Echeverri and bassist Hector Buitrago recorded the songs "Rio" and “Salva la Selva”. "With ‘Ama-zonas', Doctor Krápula is following up the project `Abre Sierra', in which we joined, about ten years ago, together with a group of Colombian musicians who act in defense of our indigenous communities, in favor of their culture, of their wisdom, of their traditional medicine. That brought about several campaigns and this was the inspiration for other initiatives such as the Wirikuta project in Mexico, "Buitrago said.

Unlike other albums that support social causes, "Ama-Zonas" is distributed for free. The only digital platform that put on sale the 26 songs on the album is iTunes, whose collected funds will be donated to the Terra Nova Foundation, an organization working for the culture and defense of the Amazon.

"The fundamental basis of this project is that we do not collect money for anything, because sometimes the money you collect smeared hands, or gives rise to many people to think that you are smearing you hands. Thus this record does not collect funds, but collects consciences, it activates them, it touches them “ said Doctor Krápula’s vocalist.

According to Muñoz, the "Ama-Zonas" project will have a second stage involving the creation of a library-boat floating down the Amazon, which would go from village to village sharing experiences, and collecting useful information to preserve the area.

The Amazon was declared in 2011 as one of the seven natural wonders of the world. It has an area of 6 million square kilometers, divided among Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana, Venezuela and Surinam.

"Ama-Zonas" was performed live a few days ago, during the 20th anniversary of the legendary Rock al Parque festival in Colombia. It will be in October when Doctor Karápula visits the United States to continue the promotion of this project. Before that, the Bogota quintet will stop in Mexico, where they will present the album at the Viva El Planeta Festival to be held on October 11 at the Jose Cuervo Salon in Mexico City.

 © 2014 The Associated Press.

Can Rock Music Change the World?

By 'Fumettista Esplosivo' Fabrizio de Fabriitis - Italy

The answer is that WE believe that ART in general has this power. But there is also a Planetary Conscience Movement growing on this belief, formed by everyday people and intellectuals alike, people that are connecting for the same purpose: becoming a change activator. 

Among them, there is a group of international artists, led by the Colombian Rock band 'DOCTOR KRAPULA', that strongly believes in the upcoming change and in the power of Music as social catalyst: 25 musicians, who on April 26 will launch a new album entitled 'AMA-ZONAS, hope of the Humanity '.

Along with the Alternative Nobel Prize VANDANA SHIVA, the Foundations' TERRA NOVA 'and' BOMBEA ', this collective, among which – being others actually all worthy of note – are starring names as SKA-P, CAFé Tacvba, LOS AUTENTICOS DECADENTES, ATERCIOPELADOS, LA MALDITA VECINDAD and CELSO PINA, wants to bring the attention of the international public on the problems and causes that are destroying the last rainforest. 

Moreover, their album is an ‘IKARI’, which means 'healing song', but is also a powerful message to the world and a call to each one of us to meet and aknowledge an ancestral culture that not only must not die, but that also may help us restore the natural balance of the Planet and should stand as an example on how we could live in armony with eachother and our Mother Nature .

The album will be distributed free of charge. Stay tuned! 

In Italy, during the H2O AfterShow on Aug. 6, 2013 the band meets Chiara Maesano for an interview.

The Band Speaks About Their Last European Tour

By Jorge Esteban Benavides Noguera

Leticia was the starting point for Doctor Krapula's Planet Tour 2013 . In June they were in the United States and the rest of the season was reserved for Europe, especially Germany, where the group from Bogotà gave more than 20 concerts. "Although the Germans did not understand the lyrics of our songs, they understood our message and proposal in general," says the band.

The international public response:
"People know that Colombia has a great musical potential and we feel that they both enjoy the sounds of our country and the rest of Latin America. We add this to our proposal, and the people reaction is amazing: it turns into a party that they and we enjoy together. People also connect with our lyrics that denounce problems that are common throughout Latin America, and propose positive messages of change and awareness with which many people feel identified ".

A bitter moment in the tour:
"There was a concert in a town of Germany, in which we played outdoor in a beautiful park, but no one paid attention, only a small group of 'Nazi' throught us the sole of a boot, which bothered us much, and after having made them the claim, they behaved more respectfully, but the concert was beyond repair. "

Germany in the words of Doctor Krapula:

" It is one of the countries that have treated us better. The people are very open minded, very environmentally conscious and are keen to know the Latin American culture. A country in which we like touring because the circuit is very organized, full of festivals and musical events ranging almost from Monday to Friday. Moreover, travelling by car is very relaxing, there is no toll, no speed limit, and you can go to villages and cities without having to travel long distances ".

Source: http://www.cartelurbano.com/content/sonidos-colombianos-que-giraron-por-el-mundo

The Hits: SOMOS

We are the sun, the wind, the sea

We are the earth standing up today.

We are the sun (we are the sun), the wind, the sea (the wind, the sea)

We are the earth standing up today

We are the sun (we are the sun), the wind, the sea (the wind, the sea)

We are my people standing up today!

Democracy of lies, independence those from above

The jungle is raw material for the business in U.S.A and China

Native and rural blood stains of red our seeds

With their oil spills kill the seas.

We are the sun, the wind, the sea

We are the earth standing up today.

We are the sun, the wind, the sea

We are my people standing up today!

We are the sun (we are the sun), the wind, the sea (the wind, the sea)

We are the earth standing up today

We are the sun (we are the sun), the wind, the sea (the wind, the sea)

We are my people standing up today!

200 years of independence, 500 years of darkness you'd say

Revolutions of nobles and paper

Those from below don't have anything to eat

Take everything without permission, the water, the gold and our children.

We are the sun (we are the sun), the wind, the sea (the wind, the sea)

We are the earth standing up today

We are the sun (we are the sun), the wind, the sea (the wind, the sea)

We are my people standing up today!

We are the sun, the wind, the sea

We are the earth standing up today.

We are the sun, the wind, the sea

We are my people standing up today!

People of sun, of wind and sea

We are the earth standing up today

People of sun, of wind and sea

We are my people standing up today

We are the sun!

2009 - DRK is in the US promoting his new album: SAGRADO CORAZON

Austin, Texas

The Colombian band with a most likely international career comes from the crowded streets and long rural roads of Colombia, a place where people overcomes obstacles and strikes a chord by betting on love, hope, partying and resistance: Dr. Krapula. A group that has become the voice of hundreds of thousands of people, the voice of a generation, with 3 albums that have broken through to commercial radio with the same strength as vallenato and cumbia, and with the same exposure as international rock figures. With the approval of all public sectors and mass media, Dr. Krapula is the rock of the people, with a variety of latin rhythms such as merengue, salsa, batucada, reggae, punk and ska.

Because of their innovative and alternative character, the band obtained 2 nominations at the MTV Latinos 2007 and a nomination for Best Artist or Local Band (of Colombia) in the Premios Principales 2007, organized by Cadena 40 Principales, being the only international act to be nominated. Dr. Krapula's music allows dancing and reflection. The band (with over 500 shows in Colombia ) is backed by a real and honest effort. With more than 10 years in the industry, their music entered the 'big leagues' regardless of the revolutionary character found in their lyrics, winner of 2 NUESTRA TIERRA Awards for Song of The Year and Rock Band of the Year (NUESTRA TIERRA Awards are the only Colombian Awards where all media, radio and international record labels and artists themselves vote for their most representative and established talent). For 2008, the band from Bogota wrote and recorded a new album that represents their thoughts and struggles. In a joint venture with Sony BMG Music Entertainment Colombia and Day One Entertainment (a talent development company based in Miami, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Argentina and Chile), Dr. Krapula has made one of the most anticipated albums of the year in Colombia's Latin music charts a reality. The album [Sagrado Corazon] was produced and engineered by Pablo Arraya a bolivian, whose past credits include, [among many others] Lenny Kravitz It's Time For A Love Revolution.

Under the premise that life is experienced differently in different places but deep inside is the same, Dr. Krapula offers a new production full of commitment and struggle, an album that gathers three years of songs that reflect their evolution and efforts to create a cleaner environment for the relationship between society and music. The foundations and social activities that the band has developed in their country led them to headline the Concierto Por El Acuerdo Humanitario (Concert for Humanitarian Agreement) a festival with over 150,000 attendees whose sole purpose was to achieve the liberation of all kidnapped victims, wherever they may be. The global issue that Dr. Krapula maintains as a recurring theme (environmentalist, political, spiritual and with an anecdotic authenticity that connects men and women with a planet that screams for help), is chanted by millions of followers both in and out of stadiums and venues where the band has shared the stage with other international artists such as Manu Chao, Radiobemba, Orishas, The Skatalites, The Wailers, Calle 13, Los Rabanes, Bersuit Vergarabat, Julieta Venegas, Smash Mouth and The Black Eyed Peas.

Fonte: Speakeasy

AMA-ZONAS, join us!

"El momento llego!" At last the moment has come to introduce you to AMA-ZONAS, the new project guided by DRK together with international artists and local associations struggling for the Amazon territory, its ancestral culture and its people. Above you can see the project's trailer, but we suggest you have a look at the blog that you can find here at the right hand side.

AMA-ZONAS is an artistic project, since the outcome will be an album, but is also a committment to support the struggle of the indigenous and their right to self-determination and freedom. Presently, the biggest menace to freedom is the greed of gold miners, canadian miners that are trying to build a port in the community of Nazareth in order to get deeper into the forest and exploit more and more soil. Through AMA-ZONAS and the people who internationally are supporting it, Doctor Krapula is raising his voice to alert us all, to grow global concience about what is happening and finally get solidarity.

Together we can do something to save the very air we breathe...AMA-ZONAS is not something related to someone far away, is something that is part of our lives. All.

2013

Doctor Krapula reveals his very soul...

-Mario (vocals): "we created the concept of Doctor Krápula which is: make people dance but also think. Strong music, strong message."

-Germán (guitar): "DR.K for me is a place where any idea or thought fits in, whether spiritual or trivial. It's a place where 5 people with different ways of thinking get together through music and that's how I like to see DR.K, it's as I want to see a country or a planet: a place where everybody co-exists and we're all happy, relaxed and music is our vehicle."

-Mario (vocals): "DR.K is my life, my school, my university. It's been my classroom and this is my stake to life in order to leave a meaningful grain of sand in Latin American society. It's my bet."

-Niko (drums): "DR.K for me is everything. DR.K is the air I breathe everyday. The clean air we want to breathe. It's the food I eat; it's the hope I keep everyday to grow as a person, as a human being, as a father, as a musician, as an artist, as a citizen."

-Sergio (keyboards, accordion): "I think DR.K is more like a social movement because everytime we play or everytime that our music is on the radio or when people come to see our performance, they feel identified with our lyrics like La Fuerza del Amor, El Pibe de mi Barrio or Para Todos Todo. They feel related with what we're saying and denouncing and we're also giving them options. It's not only about destroying but  about building and people have joined us in that road of construction."

-David (bass): "DR.K is a miracle because the life of each and everyone of us is a miracle. We've discovered that being together is a blessing and very few people can work in what they really want to in their hearts and I feel that DR.K is the opportunity to be honest with ourselves and be who we want to be, think what we want to think and say what we want to say and especially in a country like Colombia, where each time a leader says something sensible gets killed or where if a syndicalist asks for rights gets killed, that's where DR.K has become a popular power, that's the miracle! Our music, our words belong to people and they have them in their hearts."

-Mario (vocals): "(...)Colombia is getting tired of those groups that look for a leadership through terror. We can't be governed by fear, terror and sadness.

10 years ago, I thought I had to start a project to have something strong to hold on to life and I knew I couldn't do it alone, so I thought I had to find someone who would join me on this road towards a social, political and artistic life project.

Colombia needs a band that says things, that has a position and creates blisters, love and feelings in people."

from the DVD Corazon Bombea, 2010

Doctor Krapula arrives at the Latin Grammy with messages of Unity

The members of Doctor Krapula, known Colombian rock band, which has opened the way with a honest proposal focused on making music with social content that can create awareness in the audience, are quite happy after the Grammy nomination in 2012,  for 'Best Rock Song', thanks to the hit 'Exigimos'.

We talked on the phone with Mario Munoz and German Martinez and they told us about the importance of the nominations and revealed some secrets about the sixth studio album ‘Viva El Planeta’, production that includes 10 songs with rock sound, dedicated to the world, to love and to the people.

How have news of the Latin Grammy nomination taken you?

“By surprise: we were really happy. When they broke the news, we never thought it was for 'Exigimos'. It’s a strong theme that we never considered as an option in the context of the Grammys, however, it made us happy.

How was the success of 'Exigimos' born?

It 'a song that we wrote to make a musical-historical document that summed up the feeling of the whole Latin America in times of protest. As you make a march for the public education, to protect sites from the threat of mines, ask for changes to the government, or against torture to animals, we wanted to collect all these feelings of protest in the streets in a song, looking forward to create the soundtrack of the Latin American struggle.

How do you judge the work of the bands who are with you in the category 'Best Rock Song'?

Even if we do not know most of the artists that are in the category, apart from the 'Cuarteto de Nos', which we consider a great group, we started doing research and discovered the talent of the other groups as 'Los Mesoneros', they are doing a great job.

What are the plans of the band after the participation in the Latin Grammy?

Now we are well into the tour in Colombia and after the ceremony we will begin to make plans for the launch of the new album in Argentina and Mexico. Then we will enter the production process of the next tour in Canada and Europe. If all goes well even play in Japan.

What's new in the album ‘Viva el Planeta’?

We started as a band of Ska and Punk in the neighborhood. Over time we found a distinctive sound and we became a quintet. Our sound leans more on the guitars and keyboards than on wind instruments and percussion arrangements. The more incisive and clear proposal that we make is that we make music with content and social and environmental messages. The music is a complement, we make music that complements the texts, or viceversa are texts that complement the music.

How do you think the band would sound at the side of Shakira?

Although we never had contacts with her in musical terms, we respect and admire her as the great artist she is. It would be interesting to invite her to participate in one of our side-projects. Now for example, we are making a record for the Amazon and it would be nice to count on her entry along with other Latin American artists against mines explotation in the area. For these causes no discrimination shall be made.

What is your contribution to peace in Colombia?

We contribute actively and we’ve done it for years creating music that builds and makes people foster peace with songs offering disarmament dialogue,  a NO against war and respect: this is our tangible contribution to achieve it. Art as an instrument of social construction is very important. We make political music, because ours is a message broadcasted to the masses. In the media we express ourselves publicly in favor of dialogue. In Colombia there have been years of trying to put an end to the war by making more war and we are against it. Now that there are winds of change, we are supporting them through the media and push the institutions to finally put an end to the conflict in our country.

 "From Bogota, Colombia all the people of Doctor Krapula united sends greetings to whole Latin America. Hugs, we are connected. " These were the parting words of the boys, who aspire to triumph in the great celebration of Latin music which will take place November 15 in Las Vegas.

Source: Internet - 2012

Doctor Krapula, the punk ‘healers’ attack again!

Houston - Vertigo is the word that defines the Colombian group Doctor Krapula. 

Vertigo is in their songs at the rhythm of intense rock, reggae, cumbia, ska, rap and punk. 

Vertigo is in the lyrics of acid critics to the powerful, the ecological devastation and social inequalities.

In his new album 'Viva el Planeta', Doctor Krapula, faithful to his vertigo, carries on his  denounces that have characterized him since the band’s foundation in 1998 and  that, through his songs, operate as a healing catharsis for young people living in the marginalized neighborhoods of Bogota.

"Doctor Krapula was formed in marginal neighborhoods of Bogota ... and we have always believed in the use of music to raise awareness of others about problems that we have, as the lack of education, lack of access to public transportation, unemployment, lack of  health care ", said in a telephone interview from Bogota David Jaramillo, the bass player.

Social protest

Beside David Jaramillo, the other group members are Mario Munoz (vocals), German Martinez (guitar), Sergio Acosta (keyboards and accordion) and Nicolas ‘Niko’ Cabrera (drums), who have made significant songs for social protest  like 'Mas vale tarde que nunca ',' Mister Danger ',' Mi Sol’,' La Verdadera Lucha ',' Sagrado Corazon 'and the spectacular, fast-paced punk-ska' Somos'.

The themes are contained in records like 'Dele la wuelta al Disco’ (2003) and the masterpiece 'Corazon Bombea Live' (2011).

For his style, Doctor Krapula is on the same line and level of artistic excellence of other rock mestizo-combative groups, as the Mexican Panteon Rococo and the North-american Ozomatli.

In 'Viva el Planeta', which came out last July [in the U.S., ndt], Doctor Krapula presents 10 songs in the key of his eclectic style but, unlike the earlier works, now focus on global environmental problems such as 'Antidoto ',' Solo Soy ',' En la Jugada ',' Buscando el Amor ', and the powerful punk' Exigimos' which is a petition to the governments of the world to protect natural resources.

"The water, at least in Colombia, is at risk of being privatized, sold to the highest bidder, as well as the land of the natives, and plants of the woods and forests. Doctor Krapula’s been raising his voice to complain for a few years, now to give eco to the alarm about the ecological devastation that follows," says Jaramillo.

The recognition

In 2012 Doctor Krapula has been awarded, with 'Viva el Planeta', the nomination to a Latin Grammy. His song 'Exigimos' has been nominated in the category of Best Rock Song; prize which eventually took away the Uruguayan group 'El Cuarteto de Nos' with the song 'Cuando sea grande' during the awards ceremony on November 15 in Las Vegas.

"The truth is that a nomination like this is a great honor and a great recognition, but we're not behind any prize," says Jaramillo.

His guests

In 'Viva el Planeta' accompany Doctor Krapula great guests as the Uruguayan rocker Emiliano Bracciari from the group 'No te va Gustar', the Argentine rocker Jorge Serrano from 'Los Autenticos Decadentes' and the Colombian pop-rock singer Juanes, as guitarist in 'Amanece', a spectacular romantic song of reggae-cumbia-ska.

"Juanes, apart from the aesthetic differences that we may have in respect of what we play, is a great guitarist and a friend who, in turn, is concerned about the ecological devastation ... we invited him to register as a guitarist, nothing more, and he accepted . In fact, he does not appear in the official video, "says Jaramillo.

By DAVID DORANTES - 2012

COMING SOON...

Hi guys...

This blog about DRK is meant to be published for the english speaking countries.

Well, as you see there's not much to see yet, but we're working on it!

Please stay tuned!

So long
M&C