Interview with Bundem Squad from Barcelona, Spain.

Intro

Bundem Squad:

Noe Softdiamond 24  from Spain

Laura Roc 28  from Spain  

Laura Maydana 24  from Argentina. 

All currently living and working out of Barcelona, Spain.

1) How and when did you get started?

We started in 2009 with different members, until we ended up with our current configuration of  Laura Roc, Maydana Dancer and Noe Softdiamond.

2) Can you tell us about the Dancehall/Reggae scene/culture in Spain?(big soundsystem, popular artist, festivals/parties etc...)

Since a young age we started with Reggae music, cause back then this was the only Jamaican music available in Barcelona, Dancehall music came later, with chunes like ¨Willie Bounce-Elephant Man¨, or ¨ Wacky Deep-Ding Dong & Voicemail¨ and other commercial artists that used to appear on TV or in the hip hop scene like ¨Like Glue-Sean Paul¨.

Actually there was a likkle scene, growing up. When we talk about the scene, we talk about our city and community, cause this are the places that we usually go and link with the sounds and artists. Catalunya receives a lot of international influences, there are a lot of reasons – we’re close to Europe, many artists come here and pass by the city and the reggae party's, thanks to the good sounds and promoters that we have.

We have many sounds formed by international members like Luv Messenger from Italy and Germany, other countries where dancehall music is more evolved than Spain. There are different cultural influences ingrained here too, like the many different African cultures.

New local artists are starting to be known in our city and Spain, influenced by Jamaican Culture and, Patois. There are artists like Roberto Sánchez, Lasai, Irie Souljah, that give us the Jamaican flavour in them styles, singing  good reggae music in English. We have other artists in the rest of Spain that sing reggae music in Spanish, but they have more support in other places of Spain, not in Catalunya, cause here people like the artists that sing in english and from Reggae and Dub culture. Furthermore, the party scene in Barcelona is lucky that every day there is a reggae party, every kind of reggae party. Also, the promoters of Barcelona bring us artists like Aidonia, Konshens or Busy Signal, althought, in the rest of Spain tings aren´t like this, except for maybe Madrid.

We've also hosted festivals like ¨La Gata¨ in Zaragoza, ¨ Nowa Reggae¨ Vilanova - Barcelona, ¨Reggae Balboa Festival¨ from Ponferrada ' Castilla y León, and for the third year, the Rototom Sunsplash.

3) Can you tell us about some shows/perfomances you've been involved with? Also is there anything coming up?

Actually we're always dancing in the party, with the people and friends helping to promote special events such as: concerts, anniversaries, opening parties...- we just do a likkle show for the enjoyment of people. 

Our last show was in the ¨Spanish Town¨ party, for the 5th anniversary of Luv Messenger, with Good Vibration Sound from Austria and other sounds from Barcelona like Black Up Sound.  We have a new video being released any day now as well.

4) Where do you see yourself 3-5 years from now?

Really.. We hope to create a totally international image and expand first to Europe and the rest of the world, making links with other artists for collaborations, masterclass and generally, for being part of the big international scene of Dancehall. Can not have borders!

5) It's two minutes before you go on stage, tell us whats goin through your mind at this time, how do feel? Do you have any rituals before you perform?

Adrenalin! Pure and simple! 

Nerves, hopin that show gonna be allright. As for ritual, we get the hands together and scream the vybes of the moment.

TO ALL, EVER!!!

6) Can you give us brief description of typical day for you? And a performance or show day?

The three of us work, our times are completely different, so we try to practise together whenever possible, for this reason, before we were dancers we were friends, otherwise this couldn´t be possible.  For our meetings and trainings we use our house and when we’re not training, we’re looking all the new tings, new steps, new riddims, new videos and international tings generally.

Also, since long time, we customize our clothes to use it in our shows and videos.

And on performance day we meet early, we do full routine rehersal, then relax before dinner. After dinner we do a dress rehersal then...we go to the party!!

7) What are some shows/contests/artists/dancers you'd like to work/perform with?

We would love to do a  Elephant Man or RDX concert,  those artists are well known for being the creators of many dancehall steps and they have a lot of chunes that speak about it. It would be great to perform with them to any of the Dance chunes.

We would also like to participate in dance Jamaican TV contests like HypeTV, In The Dance, Danceja or Dynamite and the next European Link up.

8) Three words or phrases that best describe you?

Consistent, Fresh and Original.

9) Your favorite/most satisfying thing about being a dancer? 

We really feel and love Dancehall, and we have the need to express ourselves. This is that make us feel free. We always try to surprise people and innovate, always try to do something new!

10) Have you performed in Jamaica? If yes tell us about it, if not do you plan on going soon?

We haven’t gone yet, but really we don´t want to hurry! At the moment we're making an international name and also preparing, properly to be on a good level when we go.

Some Fun Questions:

1) Favorite 3 Artists right now?

Konshens, Charly Black and Spice.

2) Favorite 3 Soundsystems right now? 

Pow Pow Movement - Germany

One love Sound -Italy

Luv Messenger Sound-Barcelona.

3) Have you ever heard of any sounds or dancers from the Canada/Toronto Dancehall Scene?

We know about Dancehall Queen Simone, that won the Canadian DHQ Contest of 2001-2002 and was second in the DHQ Contest of Jamaica.

Sounds of Canada, sorry, but we don´t know about anyone besides your sound Toronto's Urban Reggae Force - T.U.R.F. Soundsytem.

4) What's playin in your car, MP3 Player or Ipod right now?

Dancehall of course, but not the only ting, NO!

In our free time we listen to all kinds of music like reggae, hip hop, electro or dubstep and another musical fusions like rumba, this is one of the reasons for our versatility during dance time and also our vision.

5) Favorite Jamaican Dish/Food?

Jerk Chicken, the betta chicken!