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Rage Against the Machine - The Battle of Mexico City
Rage Against the Machine has always been an anomaly for the music
industry. How do you classify their music? It's an aggressive musical fusion of
rock, hip-hop, funk, and punk with a strong message. The best word to describe
the pioneers of the mixture of rock and hip-hop is "Revolutionary". Rage uses
their music as an instrument to address social and political issues. Their
latest release a DVD/VHS titled "The Battle of Mexico City" is not any different
from their previous efforts. "The Battle of Mexico City" was filmed at the
Sports Pavilion in Mexico City (Modern day Tenochtitlan), Mexico on October 27,
1999. This historic night of rock history, Mexico City witness one of the
greatest musical and political highlights in Rage's history.
The video kicks off with Zack de la Rocha storming the stage, followed by the rest of the band. The sold out crowd is already caught in a frenzy, even before the music starts. Zack’s first words to the crowd are "Buenas Noches, somos Rabia Contra la Maquina de Los Angeles, California". The crowd breaks in the chant of “RAGE, RAGE, RAGE, RAGE!” The tension is felt, even viewing from a televisions set. Zack de la Rocha grabs the microphone, the crowd explodes. He starts to "Testify" against Media Giants, with the crowd jumping up and down in unison to their music. Rage then sets if off with another grenade "Guerilla Radio", a song dedicated to the underground, non-commercial radio stations. Rage’s next song "People of the Sun" really connects with the soul of every person in the audience. The song is a dedication to our Maya and Mexica ancestors and the modern day people of the sun, the indigenous. The video continues with explosion after another: "Calm Like a Bomb", "Sleep Now In The Fire, and "Born of a Broken Man". The climax of the show takes place during the song "Know Your Enemy". The over-hype crowd chants back "All of which are American Dreams". The adrenaline of the crowd was captured well in the video. The grand finale “Freedom”, where Zack screams "Freedom" from the top of his lungs to the bottom of his heart, pierces through the minds of revolutionaries everywhere.
This DVD is more than a great concert, it's an interactive medium. It features documentary style footage of the effect of NAFTA on Mexico, the struggle of the indigenous people of Chiapas, the EZLN movement, and the student protest of the UNAM (who protest the raising of university tuition). Included are bonus interviews with Noam Chomsky, one of the great political minds on US foreign policy regarding its effects on Mexico, and with Subcomandante Marcos, one of the leaders of EZLN movement in Southern Mexico. In the backgrounds of the Lacandon Jungle of Chiapas, Marcos spoke with eloquence against the giant communication media companies describing how these companies are creating their own virtual reality by misusing their global power to control the media. It takes a "Revolutionary" group like Rage Against The Machine to use these same global companies to give a voice to the voiceless. With the convergence of music, videos, photos, and the Internet, the “Battle of Mexico City” is a blue print on how Interactive mediums are the latest tools of War in the Information Age.
In celebration of land and spirit,
Sal Rojas
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