Chicano Batman: They are vengeance, they are the night

The cover of Chicano Batman’s 2010 debut, featuring its iconic logo

Chicano Batman is a newer-generation, soulful Latino band from East Los Angeles, California. East LA is a culturally rich urban area for many communities, especially Chicanos and Latinos. Its band members are Bardo Martinez (lead vocals/keyboard/guitar), Eduardo Arenas (bass guitar/vocals), Gabriel Villa (drums), and  Carlos Arevalo (guitar/keyboard). The band members share similar cultural backgrounds as they are all of Latino descent. Namely, Martinez is half Colombian and half Mexican, Arenas is Mexican-American, Villa is Columbian, and Arevalo is of Salvadoran and Mexican descent. Their music encapsulates their unique lived-experiences and draws inspiration from their Latin predecessors, soul, rock, jazz, and more. 

Bardo Martinez, lead singer, spoke on the inception of Chicano Batman’s branding in a video where he brings up the convergence between the pop-cultural and political significance of the band’s name and logo. DC Comics’ Batman logo, according to Martinez, closely resembles that of the United Farm Workers’ (UFW) labor union movement. The UFW movement was founded by Cesar E. Chavez and Dolores Huerta on the premise of fighting for farmworkers’ rights. Its symbol is that of an eagle whose black wings are ridged like ancient Aztec pyramids and splayed out like the Batman logo. Chicano Batman’s logo intricately coalesces the superhero connotations of Batman and the UFW by drawing parallels between both entities’ mission to serve as protectors. It is significant to note that Batman, for all intents and purposes of being a superhero, lacks any formal superpowers and, hence, relies on sheer intellect and an unflinching sense of justice. The exact same thing can be said about the individuals involved in the UFW movement, as well as members of the broader Latino community. Despite the lack of formal power, many leaders and community members are everyday superheroes.

Photo courtesy of ArtPower UC San Diego.

Chicano Batman marries the UFW symbol and that of the popular night crusader, emphasizing the formidable strength of migrant farmworkers and their fight for dignity and rights. This gives a voice to marginalized communities and commends the tremendous efforts of Chicano/Latino activists, while also empowering everyone in between. Carlos Arevalo, the band’s guitarist, has solidified this message by saying that, “underrepresented people can be superheroes in their own right….There’s people out here in L.A. that are working hard every day to provide for their family, and that’s a superhero to us.” Additionally, Bardo Martinez explains that their decision to explicitly politicize the band’s image reflects their desire to encapsulate the essence of the Chicano identity. Through their logo, clothing, and music, Chicano Batman holistically embodies their perspective on the Chicano identity. Their style of clothing is dedicated to expressing the multifaceted nature of ever-changing Latino music, but specifically targeting and paying homage to older generations. 

Bardo recognizes bands such as Los Angeles Negros and Los Pasteles Verdes, both prominent in the 1970s, as inspiration for their outfits and recuerdos, or ballads. These ballads are what the band members’ grew up listening to, feeding their desire to replicate these nostalgic tones through their own music. Their dedication to the Chicano identity and addressing prominent issues is reflected through their political lyrics, which emphasize the need for social justice continues to be heightened. In a country whose legacy is that of freedom, many of its inhabitants are constantly fighting against violence and oppression.

What is the cost of freedom in a country that constantly antagonizes its people in order to preserve the capitalist patriarchy? Does freedom, really, come at a cost? The American idiom “freedom isn’t free” derives from the belief that we ought to express appreciation toward the US military due the sacrifices its members make every day to ensure our freedom. To this end, Bardo expresses that, “freedom is a birthright” and that his personal freedom is not the product of the military industrial complex. This is the central message in Chicano Batman’s album Freedom is Free (2017). This album’s narrative argues that freedom lies within oneself. The song “Freedom is Free” directly contests the widespread idiom which defines freedom as something that must be fought for and obtained. The lyrics “Freedom is free, and you can’t take that away from me. You’ve got your guns up on display, but you can’t control how I feel, no way. Freedom is free” represent how powerful our individual will is when we separate ourselves from the shackles of the glorified Western military state. At the end of the day, life flows all around us and Chicano Batman captures that beautiful essence of freedom. Another song, “La Jura”, discusses the issue of police violence. Eduardo Arenas (bass guitar/vocals) shares the story of  his childhood friend, who was shot a total of 8 times in the back by police. The police allegedly planted a gun on the victim. The lyrics, “Yo no entiendo por que los que deben proteger hacen lo opuesto, matan inocente” translates to “I do not understand why those who ought to protect do the opposite, they kill the innocent.” These lyrics parallel the song title, as la jura directly translates to “an oath”, in  reference to the police’s oath to protect and serve. However, reality reveals that police are often antagonists in Black and Brown communities. Freedom is Free (2017) was the first album where Chicano Batman explicitly made political statements. It came at a time where there was a lot of fear and pain in the Latino community, as Donald Trump was the sitting President. Though social injustices have remained consistent for the Latino community, Chicano Batman chose to debut their frustrations at a time plagued by unease.

I think that Chicano Batman’s creativity and soulfulness amplify the essence of being human living in a Western, capitalist, military state. Freedom is the gleam of hope we, as individuals, have complete control of. Its value cannot be fully represented through words, but Freedom is Free (2017),  through its vibrant sounds and impactful lyrics, does just that. I, for one, appreciate the intentionality behind their image and discography. Chicano Batman is a Latino band that represents our identity through music in such a beautifully crafted manner that cannot go unnoticed, nor out of style. Definitely worth the listen!

Article by Jocelyn Vivaldo