Selena's influence remains strong in Grupo Metal's new sound
SAN ANTONIO - There is no denying their roots.
Raised in Texas, Grupo Metal's members Carlito Miranda and Chris Perez still enjoy the sounds they grew up with. Carlito Miranda's dad was a famous Tejano singer, Carlos Miranda, who influenced his love of music.
"It was Chicano music back in the '70s and '80s as well, but around the Little Joe era and stuff from Joe Bravo. My dad was an artist for Freddie Records and had many hits with that. I was kind of born into the music industry unwillingly. They would take me out of the dances and put me on the table, so I was kind of forced to go to all these dances, you know. But I fell in love with the music," said Miranda.
Chris Perez, known as a rocker, joined Selena y Los Dinos right as the band was blowing up. Miranda and Chris were already friends when A.B. Quintanilla asked Miranda to open for Selena's band.
Miranda says they loved groups like Metallica and AC/DC, " We had a love for rock, you know, '80s rock, and that's kind of where the friendship began."
In the hearts of these two Tejanos, the Rock 'n' Roll they grew up with now influences their sound—not only in English but also in Spanish, with influences from rock groups like Maná, La Ley, and Enanitos Verdes.
I think it's a pretty good combination of the music that we love to do. Part of our past and our history, which is Tejano music, will always be a part of who I am. I know Carlos feels the same. We'll always consider ourselves Tejano musicians, no matter what style we're playing, because we're from Texas. But the metal music is, in my opinion, a cool fusion of what we're about—the rock elements and aspects, you know, with cumbia rhythm patterns. We just combine a lot of Latin influences with the rock that we like to do," says Chris Perez.
Grupo Metal is the mixture of the best of two worlds born here in Texas.
"And that's kind of how it works: you mix all that stuff, and you get Grupo Metal. You know, you mix Maná with Juanes, Santana, and even some Van Halen, AC/DC. We mix all our influences together into metal. It's pretty cool how it worked out."
For Perez, who is Selena's widower, the changing times also mean adjusting their music for a new audience that consumes music in a totally different way than through records or CDs. Now, it's all about YouTube and streaming services.
"Things are moving so fast, and I'm a fan of it. I'm really interested to see where things are going. I don't want to stay stagnant and be that guy who says, 'Oh, back in the day, we used to do it this way.' I want to keep experimenting"
The sounds of these changing times are ones Perez believes Selena would have loved to hear.
I asked, "What do you think Selena would say about this type of music now?" Chris replied:
Oh, what we're doing? Yeah, she'd love it. I wouldn't even hesitate to answer that. She would love it, not only because it's good, but also because she was a very supportive person with her family, her friends, and with me being married to her. So, I think she would have loved it.
The band's single "Volare" talks about the struggles kids are living through and an angel who lifts them up like a guardian angel for protection. Miranda and Perez say the cumbia rock sound is one that the Queen of Tejano would have loved, as she herself was crossing over at the height of her career.
"Yeah, I mean, she would have loved it. I owe it to her, in a way, because the name Grupo Metal came from that. A lot of people didn't know where it came from, and I never wanted to be that guy who would say, 'Let me name-drop.' But the facts of life are what they are, you know what I mean? You can't deny that. With this particular project, if she were to hear it, I agree. I think she would love it," said Miranda of his friend.
Grupo Metal now sees itself as a sort of ambassador for what Texas and Tejanos are truly about—a sweet melting pot of cultures.
"We are a result of who we are—rock lovers, Tejanos, Mexicanos, you know? I feel that we represent Texas."
To see the interview in its entirety or listen to the group's song "Volare" you can.
