Para muchos, the high school years mark some of the best time of their lives. It is after all in high school that we surround our selves with long lasting friendships and we undoubtedly begin to figure out what we want to do with our lives- high school might seem like a dream galore. At some point in our lives we all have wished to be rock stars; however not all of us have the talent or the drive to follow that path, pero hay unos cuantos que hacen todo lo posible to fulfill their wishes. Un ejemplo de esto can be found in the majority of the members of “Upground”. An East L.A. based band that began as an after school garage band.
Cabe mencionar que siete de los ocho miembros de “Upground” atended Garfield High School. And while they are still relatively young, they don’t show the kind of immaturity and mediocrity that usually goes hand in hand with youthful bands. They do possess however the drive and the energy that twenty-somethings are known to hold.
While they have been tagged under the ska genre, it’s hard to define “Upground” as solely ska. This musical style is indeed a predominant part of who they are as a band; nonetheless, they venture into other styles like reggae, rock, cumbia and other Latin-tinged sounds.
In 2006 “Upground” got their big break after winning “Sprint Battle of the Bands”. Not only did they land a contract with the label PEERMUSIC, but they were able to generate enough buzz to turn heads their way, score impressive gigs as opening acts for bands such as: The Killers, Los Lobos, and Ozomatli, among others.
Also in 2006, “Upground” released their debut album “Feel the Vibe”, whose single “Oye Chica” received a decent amount of local radio airplay, and the video helped boost their career even more so by being picked up by both national and international music video channels.
“Upground” are currently working on a new EP set to be released in early 2009.
Upground is:
Adolfo Mercado Jr. (Drums)
Danny Estrada (Vocals & Guitar)
Chris “Bolillo” Manjarrez (Bass)
Everado García (Vocals & Trumpet)
Chris De Los Santos (Tenor Sax & Keyboards)
Eric Carrillo (Alto Sax & Timbales)
Joseph Quiñonez (Trombone)
Aaron Perez (Alto Sax)
For more Upground, check them out at:
