Rhapsody Song of the Day
Song: Mexican Radio
Album: Sassy
Artist: Kinky
Selected by: Sarah Bardeen
Date: May 5, 2008
One hundred and forty-six years ago today, General Ignacio Zaragoza's motley crew defeated the vastly superior French army at Puebla, and Mexico as we know it was on its way to being born. We could celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a traditional ranchera -- "Mexico Lindo y Querido" or something along those lines -- but we think Kinky's madness-inducing remake of Wall of Voodoo's '80s classic gets closer to the heart of contemporary Mexico than anything we've heard lately. It's a furious piece of work, wheeling along at breakneck speed and crashing into accordions, chickens and synthesizers in a way that evokes the country's magic and its contradictions: Mexico is simultaneously modern and stubbornly rural, border-crossing but deeply rooted in place, insular and cosmopolitan ... and always multilingual. Kinky turns this song's inherent kitsch into a brilliant visceral statement on communication, translation and a lot more. It also, quite simply, rocks. Happy Cinco de Mayo!
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