Los de Abajo - LDA v. The Lunatics (RealWorld)

There’s a great little book published in 1987 called Cut & Mix. In it, author Dick Hebdige charts the trans-Atlantic / cross-cultural Caribbean/UK exchange that sparked the great ska revival of the late 70s and early 80s. If Hebdige were to revise his text today he’d be obliged to add at least one chapter on ska in the Latin world, and Los de Abajo would be at the centre of that story. Like the best of the 2 Tone bands, most importantly The Specials, Mexico City’s LDA are artists with deep convictions who embed lyrics with political wallop inside the most disarmingly danceable tunes. The lunatics in question are both the forces they rage against, and the collaborators who rage with them – including Temple of Sound, Dennis ‘Badbone’ Rollins (Jamaica Jazz) and, most notably, ex-Specials / Fun Boy Three member Neville Staples. El manicomio está en manos de los locos. Indeed.