| Ed Paniagua Interview |
I chatted with Eduardo Paniagua of Puya from his home in Puerto Rico before he set off for the Ozzfest tour. Ed is the drummer for Puya, along with Ramon Ortiz (guitar), Harold Hopkins (bass), and Sergio Cubelo (vocals). Their newest album, Fundamental, is on MCA records. Puya's sound is a mix of metal and salsa. A pretty odd combination but it works. One recent show in Columbia, South America, had the obligatory mosh pit with a twist -- the girls were standing at the edge of the pit dancing. Puya sings lyrics in both Spanish and English, and boasts a mean horn section. Ed said "check out Puya -- don't be afraid to listen to something different." Check out their official website at www.puya.net.
Please give me a brief background of the band.
We knew each other because we were in different bands in the late 80's, in the local scene, and then in 1990 or '91 we started to form the band. At first it was just instrumental. It was Ramon, the guitar player, Harold the bass player, and me. We had no singer for a while, that's how we got around the island at the beginning, and then we found Sergio for lead vocals. In '93, we moved to Fort Lauderdale and lived there for like four years, playing clubs and stuff. We signed with an independent label and put out a CD, but it was very lame distribution. Later on we went to LA to work with the producer Bob Ezrin. We did demos in his studio for a while and he helped us get our record deal. He has been a key person for us in all of this. One of the key things that happened was the night that we played at the Latin Music Conference in Miami in 1993, it was an industry type gathering. That's where we met our manager, Marusa Reyes, and our producer, Gustavo Santaolalla, saw us play for the first time.
What does Puya mean?
In Puerto Rico, it's slang for strong black coffee, like straight up with no sugar. A puya is basically any sharp-edged object or anything that's pointy. It's something that wakes you up or something that stings or cuts.
What has the response been to Fundamental?
It's been amazing. You don't know what to expect, especially with the language thing. It's been a big advantage being on an American label, we're getting a lot of exposure. If we had been on a Latino label it would've been a lot less accessible for people. We've been getting a great reaction from the crowds at our shows. Most importantly, for me, we're playing with bands that we've been fans of for so many years, and we're gaining their respect.
Who are some of those musical influences that you've been touring with?
Sepultura, Fear Factory, Biohazard. We opened for KISS right here in Puerto Rico which was amazing. In your home town, there's nothing that tops that. One time we opened for Slayer. We went on the road with Hatebreed for a few weeks -- I wasn't very familiar with their material, but I was just blown away, they are just an incredible band.
Do you have a horn section when you tour?
Sometimes we bring the horns on tour. We will for the Ozzfest. We like to have them whenever we can.
It's very interesting that the songs are in both languages. What makes you write in one language or the other, and how do you determine which language to use in the various parts of the song?
There's really no rule to that. You don't plan it. You just go along and whatever comes out naturally is what you use...We get emails from kids saying that they're learning Spanish!
Can you tell me a little bit about your drum kit and gear?
Right now I'm using a Premier drum set. I'm not endorsed by them, but I've just had the drums for a long time. I do have a Paiste cymbal endorsement. It's a basic five-piece set with cowbells, and a few crashes. It's not a very complicated set. Aside from that, we have our percussionist on stage too. He always sets up right next to me and has the congas, timbalas, bongos, and all the percussion stuff. Every time we play together it gets tighter and tighter. It's a dream playing with a percussion player, it's amazing the things you come up with sometimes. Also, all the guys in the band play hand percussion instruments. So everyone plays percussion at some point in the show.
As far as influences go, can you name some drummers who have influenced you?
Stewart Copeland from The Police has been a big influence. Some others are Lars Ulrich, Neil Peart, and Terry Bozzio. I like to listen to all different types of music.
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