QUITAPENAS are an Afro-Latin combo created in California in 2011 that borrows aesthetics from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s to craft tropical dance music. This commitment to spreading joy and allowing audiences to forget their hardships is where the name QUITAPENAS comes from (“to remove worries”).
The band was founded by first-generation children of immigrants who honor genres from the Latin diaspora. Two of them — Danny Gomez (guitar/vocals) and Hector "Toto" Chavez (bass/sax/vocals) — generously shared some insights to the evolution of the band, reflecting on their time as friends and the past 10+ years together in music.
Through digital crate-digging, they’ve found inspiration in sounds from Angola, Colombia, the Caribbean and more. But their digging goes deeper than most, as they explore the origins and rich context of the sounds and instruments they learn from. That extra effort shines in the lyricism and musical composition of QUITAPENAS, whose music reminds us that gathering together in joy can also be an act of resistance in moments of hardship.
Enjoy the interview via the player at the top of the page, and make sure to catch the group’s celebratory sounds at Latino Arts Inc. on Friday, March 6.
