It's hard to believe, but director James Cameron's blockbuster film Avatar just turned one year old last Saturday. The birthday of the highest-grossing movie in cinematic history has coincided with talk of confirmed sequels to come. But before any new Avatar films hit the silver screen, rapper Victor-E of the Los Angeles mexindigenous hip-hop group El Vuh has just released a new song and music video explaining his take on the first installment of the series.
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“Avatar the Song” is just one of many interpretative takes inspired by the popular film to emerge this year. In another example, this February protesters along the West Bank in Palestine dressed up as the Na'vi people to align their cause with Avatar.
This also isn't the first time El Vuh's MC's have taken to the mic to comment on indigenous issues portrayed in major motion pictures. Before “Avatar the Song,” the group tackled Mel Gibson's Apocalypto with harsh lyrics. No word yet, however, from Victor-E if his latest offering will be included in the group's soon-to-be released four-song Autumn Equinox Winter Solstice EP.
In the meantime, the underground hip-hop group opened for Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah at a sold-out show at the Roxy last month, and they have another video out for their first single “Ciudad Celestial” off of their forthcoming EP featuring Rocco from the famed Mexican rock-ska band Maldita Vecindad. An official release date has yet to be announced. Winter Solstice is available now on El Vuh's website.
Gabriel San Román is from Anacrime. He’s a journalist, subversive historian and the tallest Mexican in OC. He also once stood falsely accused of writing articles on Turkish politics in exchange for free food from DönerG’s!