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A voice for indigenous people

This year's Juno winner for best World Music Album of the Year, Quique Escamilla uses his talent to sing about social issues.
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Quique Escamilla delivers commentary on some of the darkest situations in his native Mexico and other places where indigenous people are disenfranchised.

In soft, romantic sounds or feverishly high dance music, Quique Escamilla sings about life – often a life of struggle.

“It’s more than just music for entertainment, it’s important to contribute,” says the artist who won World Music Album of the Year at this year’s Juno’s and was proclaimed World Solo Artist of the Year at the 2014 Canadian Folk Music Awards.

“That’s why I use music as an instrument to give a commentary… I am not preaching to people that don’t agree, I put the story out and see if people connect.”

Escamilla, who grew up in his native Mexico, remembers well the sight of military helicopters flying over his home.

In 1994, the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was signed between Mexico, Canada and the U.S.

In response, the Zapatista  National Liberation Army (EZLN) was formed in the state of Chiapas to defend indigenous rights.

“The uprising was against what the country did with Canada and the U.S. that gave them a lot of freedom to go and extract resources and do a lot of mining,” says Escamilla of previously unexploited farmland.

At the beginning of the uprising, he says many members of the movement  were killed.

“They were seen as guerillas and they were bombed,” Escamilla says, noting that, as a teenager and still living in Mexico, he could hear the planes, see helicopters flying over and trucks filled with soldiers.

In a passion-fueled voice, Escamilla says he connects to this powerful story that must be told.

Escamilla sometimes wears a balaclava to emphasize the indigenous struggle that resulted from NAFTA.

“Why is it that I do take it to that level, knowing that most people don’t know about the conflict?” he asks. “It is my responsibility to tell the story in a precise and neutral way – the real story - and its cost to the indigenous people in Mexico.”

But Escamilla is quick to point out that indigenous peoples in Canada and the U.S. continue to be ill-treated by their governments.

“It’s the whole continent, from north and south,” he says. “I am passionate about it because it is something real, not only in Mexico.”

Escamilla says most of his songs are inspired by true stories, repeated stories, compilations of stories, stories from Canada, the U.S. and Colombia – all combined into one powerful story.

Escamilla also takes issue with immigration policies and why many poor and disenfranchised Mexicans are willing to put their lives on the line to get to a place where they have a means to support their families and hope for the future.

“It’s a human thing, something we have to rethink,” he says. “We need to come up with ideas to help solve the problem in a fair, humane way.”

On a musical note, Escamilla grew up listening to diverse genres – western popular and heavy rock as teenager that gave him a sense of power.

“That’s the energy I started connecting with initially, then I moved on to softer, blues, jazz, African and  Latin American,” he says. “I an not really tied to one particular style. I love music in all its flavours as much as I like diversity in life.”

Escamilla builds a soundtrack for the lyrics, maintaining “the music is the ground for the story” by which he tries to make the message more easily digested.

“I have a foundation of the folklore of Mexico to remind my own people that our own music is beautiful and we shouldn’t forget it,” he says, noting he has successfully updated traditional Huapango music with modern instrumentation.

Escamilla performs on the Boogie Bar’n stage Saturday, Aug. 14 at 3:15 p.m. and Sunday at 12:30 p.m. He makes a Mainstage appearance at 7:20 p.m. Sunday.