Located here in the DMV Ocho de Bastos is recognized for combining Latin and rock to form their unique sound. They consist of five friends who have grown to refer to each other as family.
The band got their start performing at a small restaurant located in Bethesda, MD. Since then, they have been featured in major Hispanic TV, radio shows, festivals, and they’ve even traveled outside of the country to perform. Besides all of that thy’ve performed in concerts with artists such as Los Enanitos, Los Auténticos Decadentes, Jencarlos Canela, Zoé, and more.
Currently, Ocho de Bastos is promoting their new single “Volver Con Vos” which has been having positive reviews from the Hispanic community. As far as the future, they are looking forward to further success, and put emphasize on thanking their wonderful fans for the much appreciated support.
We were happy for the chance to interview the band. They were such a humble, funny, and talented group of men.
é: Who inspired you all to start a band?
Ocho de Bastos: Daniel, who’s part of the band, came up with the idea. He noticed this area was in demand of Latin American music.
é: What do you hope people feel after listening to your music?
Ocho de Bastos: We want them to have a flashback of their home with their family in whichever country they come from. Along with happiness, excitement, and overall positive energy.
é: How is it working together as a group? Do personalities ever clash?
Ocho de Bastos: Of course we all have different personalities, but we’re a family. Actually, often we refer to ourselves as married, in a creative sense, of course.
é: Can you pinpoint the most exciting part of this journey thus far?
Ocho de Bastos: Recording our first Album. It was such a rewarding moment for us.
é: What is one thing people may not know about you?
Ocho de Bastos: We work hard. This to us is more than just creating music and performing; we love each other, which means working together to form creative music, which the fans will appreciate. Every one of us has a special set of skills that would not function without the other members of the band.
é: What is one of your greatest experiences?
Ocho de Bastos: Performing live on stage, there’s nothing like that feeling.
é: What is one of your biggest challenges?
Ocho de Bastos: People mixing up our names, our role in the band, or even both actually. It’s understandable though; we don’t take it personally at all.
é: How are you different from every other band out there?
Ocho de Bastos: We’re flexible and adjust ourselves according to our situations. Also, our music is different – it touches people, and our fans can relate to it.
é: What advise do you have for anyone out there looking to one day start their own band?
Ocho de Bastos: It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, commitment, and energy. You need to be structured and organized. It would also be an asset if you opened up your mind creatively in order for all of the individual ideas to flow in the group.
You can find our more about the band at Ochodebastos.com.
By Yvonne Mugure
