{"id":1834569,"date":"2026-03-19T12:20:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T09:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1834569"},"modified":"2026-03-19T12:20:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T09:20:00","slug":"rawayana-how-a-venezuelan-pop-band-became-political-exiles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1834569","title":{"rendered":"Rawayana: How a Venezuelan pop band became political exiles"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1074\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441243.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article class=\"main-article standard \">\n<div class=\"article-main-content article-wrapper has-media-but-its-an-image\" data-status=\"loaded\" data-primary-article=\"true\" data-url=\"\/music\/article\/69875\/1\/rawayana-the-venezuelan-tropical-pop-band-exiled-by-maduro\" data-article-id=\"69875\">\n<header class=\"article-header has-landscape-image no-media\">\n<div class=\"wrapper dg-max-width\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<figure class=\"main-img has-figcaption\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"1.5\" data-template=\"Standard Article\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"maxresdefault (5)\" class=\"img\" height=\"716\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1074\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441243.jpg\" width=\"1074\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"inner\"><span class=\"credit\">Rawayana, Akapellah <span class=\"nowrap\">&#8211; \u201cVeneka\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"meta\">\n<div class=\"inner\"><time datetime=\"2026-03-19T12:20:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"19 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"19\">19,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"titles\">\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<div class=\"sections\"><a class=\"category vertical - music\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a><br \/>\n\/<br \/>\n<a class=\"series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/q-and-a\">Q+A<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"standard-tag-container\"><a class=\"standard-category\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\">Music<\/a> \/<br \/>\n<a class=\"standard-series\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/q-and-a\">Q+A<\/a><\/div>\n<h1 class=\"title\"><span>Rawayana: How a Venezuelan pop band became <span class=\"nowrap\">political exiles<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<div class=\"standfirst\">\n<h2>We catch up with Grammy-award winning artist and frontman Alberto Montenegro about life in exile and Venezuelan identity in the wake of <span class=\"nowrap\">Maduro\u2019s kidnapping<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-03-19T12:20:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"19 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"19\">19,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-03-19T12:20:00+00:00\" class=\"timestamp\" title=\"19 March 2026\"><span class=\"month\">March<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"day\" data-day=\"19\">19,<\/span>\u00a0<br \/>\n<span class=\"year\">2026<\/span><\/time><\/p>\n<div class=\"providers\">\n<div class=\"contributors\"><span class=\"contributor\" data-contributor-role=\"Text\"><span class=\"contributor-role\">Text<\/span><a class=\"contributor-name\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/user\/OscarAdame\">Oscar Adame Galeano<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-body-container\">\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>The blow hit hard. It was incomprehensible, yet entirely predictable. In December 2024, Venezuelan president Nicol\u00e1s Maduro accused Caracas four-piece Rawayana of a \u201chumiliating outburst against Venezuelan women.\u201d The psych-tropical pop band, until then an explosion of rhythm and colourful pride for Venezuelans, were officially barred from returning to their country.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The stadiums they were scheduled to play a few weeks later \u2013 ten completely sold-out shows across Venezuela \u2013 were dropped from the tour. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Rawayana\/status\/1864120740246687868\"><span>On social media<\/span><\/a><span>, the band wrote: \u201cUntil further notice, this is how we say goodbye to our country,\u201d thanking their fans and everyone who worked to make the concerts happen. \u201cNow it\u2019s time for us to conquer the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The trigger for all this? A Venezuelan raptor-house song titled \u201cVeneka,\u201d which had no direct political connotation. It wasn\u2019t a protest; it wasn\u2019t a manifesto. Like all their songs, it was a celebration of their country\u2019s culture, with the reclamation of the \u201cVeneka\u201d slur, often used against Venezuelan women migrants in other Latin American countries, at its core. \u201cTheir goal was to prevent people from enjoying the concerts,\u201d Alberto Montenegro, frontman of Rawayana, tells Dazed, speaking in exile from the Dominican Republic. \u201cThey had no problem with \u2018Veneka.\u2019 That was just the excuse.\u201d<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThe real problem is that we started to be seen as a threat,\u201d Montenegro continues. \u201cOur concerts are massive gatherings of young people in a politically charged environment, and they wanted to control our message. I received threats through various channels telling me not to go [to Venezuela], that if I spoke about certain things, there would be problems.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"mjJ8nM_YoYs\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mjJ8nM_YoYs\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Until that moment, Rawayana had largely been seen as a joyful celebration of Venezuelan culture. But as Venezuela\u2019s crisis deepened, bringing economic collapse, the largest exodus in Latin American history and growing restrictions on dissent, the reality of the country inevitably seeped into Montenegro\u2019s words. \u201cI fight for my country, seeking to represent what we truly are,\u201d he explains. \u201cI fight so that they don&#8217;t steal our identity, something I believe many have tried to do both inside and outside of Venezuela. \u2018Veneka\u2019 is a humorous song, but it was important because of the dignity it showed at a time when an election had just been stolen. Our music tries to resist these blows to our dignity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>While the controversy continued to escalate, however, Rawayana\u2019s international reputation rose. In February 2025, the group won its first Grammy for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album for <\/span><em><span>\u00bfQui\u00e9n Trae Las Cornetas? (Who Brings the Trumpets?) <\/span><\/em><span>\u00a0and, a year later, they released their first album with elements of direct political protest: <\/span><em><span>\u00bfD\u00f3nde Ser\u00e1 El After?<\/span><\/em><span> (<\/span><em><span>Where is the Afterparty?)<\/span><\/em><span>, an upbeat tropical dance record which uses satire to channel the exhaustion of a generation navigating Venezuela\u2019s political repression and economic collapse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The album\u2019s opening track, \u201cSi Te Pica Es Porque Eres T\u00fa\u201d (<\/span><em><span>\u201cIf It Itches, It\u2019s Because of You\u201d)<\/span><\/em><span>, released two days before Maduro\u2019s capture by US military forces, begins with the seemingly prophetic line: \u201c<em>Rawa wishes you a happy new year, and may those sons of bitches finally leave<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"1ca52169-e14a-48b9-a833-b40900c6eb1d\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1366\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441242.jpeg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.67\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Alberto Montenegro, Rawayana \" class=\"img\" height=\"2048\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441242.jpeg\" width=\"1366\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">Alberto Montenegro, <span class=\"nowrap\">Rawayana frontman<\/span><\/span><span class=\"credit\">Photography Camille Lepen<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Below, we catch up with Rawayana frontman Alberto Montenegro about life in exile and Venezuelan identity in the wake of Maduro\u2019s kidnapping.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>How did you react when you found out about Maduro\u2019s capture?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Montenegro:<\/strong><span> It\u2019s insane to see a foreign force enter your country and do something like that. It\u2019s like when you\u2019re kidnapped; you don\u2019t have a good solution. You have a better or a worse solution, but there\u2019s no good solution.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>I feel like we have a bad solution and we still don\u2019t know the consequences. We don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen. It seems like everything will make sense now, but it also forces us to stare straight into the wolf\u2019s den. The feeling was one of surprise. The wolf arrived. And now what\u2019s going to happen?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>And then \u2018Si Te Pica Es Porque Eres T\u00fa\u2019 went viral&#8230;<\/strong><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Montenegro: <\/strong><span>I just looked at the songs we had just released and thought, \u2018Damn, what have I gotten myself into? What can I say?\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u2018Si Te Pica Es Porque Eres T\u00fa\u2019 is born from a national sentiment. I thought about that when I wrote it: \u2018This is a national feeling, and that\u2019s why it will be powerful.\u2019 And I believe that in the future, there will be a group that thinks differently than I do who will also be able to sing that song. That\u2019s why I released it, because it resonates with the whole world. We all want the people we don\u2019t want around to stay out of our lives. The crazy thing is that it happened right after its premiere; it does feel like we manifested it.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>We must build something new, because if we go back to the past, we\u2019ll inevitably return to what we\u2019re experiencing now.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Do you think things are going to change now?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Montenegro: <\/strong><span>I\u2019m always optimistic and I believe we\u2019re learning many lessons as a society. Honestly, I don\u2019t know much about many things, but all I feel is that these years of disaster and absurdity have been for learning and maturing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Sometimes there\u2019s this idea that we want to go back to how things were before Chavismo [Maduro\u2019s brand of politics], but the reality is that the problem started long before, and I\u2019m not optimistic about chasing nostalgia. I think we must build something new, because if we go back to a past that was supposedly good, we\u2019ll inevitably return to what we\u2019re experiencing now.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"jUPlem752X8\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jUPlem752X8\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>I\u2019ve been living in Ireland for a couple of years, and something I\u2019ve noticed is that I feel much more Mexican when I\u2019m away.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Montenegro: <\/strong><span>I feel the same way, but I think that there comes a point when you must make a decision, especially if you live in exile: Do I want to live in the nostalgia of not being able to return or do I want to live in the moment and look ahead? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This album title is a question directed towards the future: where will the after party be? It\u2019s an exercise in trying to look ahead. I don\u2019t want to be trapped in nostalgia my whole life; I want to live in the present. <\/span><span>Today I\u2019m in the Dominican Republic, on a beautiful beach, and tomorrow I don\u2019t know where I\u2019ll be, but I know that if I live learning every day, tomorrow everything will be alright and the after-party will be great.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>[In Venezuela] we dance our sorrows, we sing about our grief. I think that\u2019s part of us, beyond it being a deliberate act of resistance, it\u2019s who we are.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>What do you think makes Venezuelan culture unique? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Montenegro: <\/strong><span>I\u2019m impressed by our ability to laugh at everything, even to the point of irresponsibility. But there\u2019s a beauty in that. <\/span><span>While we are experiencing a profound social conflict with our self-esteem, our sense of humour has somehow allowed us to look ahead without much drama. This may have its downsides, but if we approach it from a positive perspective, nothing can hold us back if we\u2019re laughing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>For Venezuelans, nothing is so dramatic; everything makes us laugh. We laugh at ourselves. We say, \u2018Damn, there\u2019s no electricity, no water, no food\u2019. But then we say, \u2018Let\u2019s grab that mango and have a good time.\u2019 We have the power to stay positive, and that has helped me a lot during the most difficult moments of my life.<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>My family and I were once kidnapped. They were robbing us, holding guns to our heads, and my mother started telling jokes to the kidnappers. They were laughing along with her. I think it\u2019s a beautiful thing, and it helps us become leaders in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>The album is very political, but it\u2019s also joyful. Is that typical of someone from Venezuela? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Montenegro: <\/strong><span>A couple of days ago I was singing \u2018El Ni\u00e1gara en Bicicleta\u2019 with Juan Luis Guerra, doing an introspective exercise about our personalities, those of us who live near the Caribbean Sea.\u00a0<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It\u2019s crazy to think that people dance to songs like that, but it\u2019s natural. We dance our sorrows, we sing about our grief. I think that\u2019s part of us, beyond it being a deliberate act of resistance; it\u2019s who we are.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u00bfD\u00f3nde Ser\u00e1 El After? <em>is out now.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! 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data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Olivia Dean and Lola Young\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-2-3000-1995\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441441.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Photos from the Universal Music\u2019s BRIT Awards afterparty in Manchester<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69888\/1\/precious-renee-tucker-solange-approved-pianist-going-viral-on-tiktok\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Precious Renee Tucker\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-2-2069-1376\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441342.png\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Precious Renee Tucker, the Solange-approved pianist going viral on TikTok<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"swiper-slide list-element\">\n<div class=\"scard-latest__section\">\n<div class=\"card-latest__wrapper\"><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69841\/1\/effie-south-korea-hyperpop-rap-k-pop\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"DC291_P2_DasomHan_YumiChoi_03\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-1-1350-898\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/0\/1440602.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">K-pop disruptor Effie: \u2018Conservatives usually hate my music\u2019 <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69838\/1\/spring-2026-favelas-7-young-brazilians-speak-on-the-future-of-baile-funk\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"DC291_U3_SB_Speakerbox_Paulo_Almeida_09\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/0-1-903-600\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/0\/1440597.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">On the funk line: 7 young Brazilians speak on the future of baile funk <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><a class=\"card-latest\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69829\/1\/tems-da-zed-quiz-brits-interview-happiness-hennessy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"card-latest__img-wrapper\"><span class=\"image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"landscape\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Tems for Dazed winter 2022 3\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/480\/142-0-756-503\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1330\/4\/1334212.jpg\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"card-latest__content\">\n<h3 class=\"card-latest__title\">Tems knows the true secret to happiness<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline\" data-newsletter hidden>\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article-body wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>The blow hit hard. It was incomprehensible, yet entirely predictable. In December 2024, Venezuelan president Nicol\u00e1s Maduro accused Caracas four-piece Rawayana of a \u201chumiliating outburst against Venezuelan women.\u201d The psych-tropical pop band, until then an explosion of rhythm and colourful pride for Venezuelans, were officially barred from returning to their country.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The stadiums they were scheduled to play a few weeks later \u2013 ten completely sold-out shows across Venezuela \u2013 were dropped from the tour. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Rawayana\/status\/1864120740246687868\"><span>On social media<\/span><\/a><span>, the band wrote: \u201cUntil further notice, this is how we say goodbye to our country,\u201d thanking their fans and everyone who worked to make the concerts happen. \u201cNow it\u2019s time for us to conquer the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The trigger for all this? A Venezuelan raptor-house song titled \u201cVeneka,\u201d which had no direct political connotation. It wasn\u2019t a protest; it wasn\u2019t a manifesto. Like all their songs, it was a celebration of their country\u2019s culture, with the reclamation of the \u201cVeneka\u201d slur, often used against Venezuelan women migrants in other Latin American countries, at its core. \u201cTheir goal was to prevent people from enjoying the concerts,\u201d Alberto Montenegro, frontman of Rawayana, tells Dazed, speaking in exile from the Dominican Republic. \u201cThey had no problem with \u2018Veneka.\u2019 That was just the excuse.\u201d<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThe real problem is that we started to be seen as a threat,\u201d Montenegro continues. \u201cOur concerts are massive gatherings of young people in a politically charged environment, and they wanted to control our message. I received threats through various channels telling me not to go [to Venezuela], that if I spoke about certain things, there would be problems.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"mjJ8nM_YoYs\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mjJ8nM_YoYs\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Until that moment, Rawayana had largely been seen as a joyful celebration of Venezuelan culture. But as Venezuela\u2019s crisis deepened, bringing economic collapse, the largest exodus in Latin American history and growing restrictions on dissent, the reality of the country inevitably seeped into Montenegro\u2019s words. \u201cI fight for my country, seeking to represent what we truly are,\u201d he explains. \u201cI fight so that they don&#8217;t steal our identity, something I believe many have tried to do both inside and outside of Venezuela. \u2018Veneka\u2019 is a humorous song, but it was important because of the dignity it showed at a time when an election had just been stolen. Our music tries to resist these blows to our dignity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>While the controversy continued to escalate, however, Rawayana\u2019s international reputation rose. In February 2025, the group won its first Grammy for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album for <\/span><em><span>\u00bfQui\u00e9n Trae Las Cornetas? (Who Brings the Trumpets?) <\/span><\/em><span>\u00a0and, a year later, they released their first album with elements of direct political protest: <\/span><em><span>\u00bfD\u00f3nde Ser\u00e1 El After?<\/span><\/em><span> (<\/span><em><span>Where is the Afterparty?)<\/span><\/em><span>, an upbeat tropical dance record which uses satire to channel the exhaustion of a generation navigating Venezuela\u2019s political repression and economic collapse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The album\u2019s opening track, \u201cSi Te Pica Es Porque Eres T\u00fa\u201d (<\/span><em><span>\u201cIf It Itches, It\u2019s Because of You\u201d)<\/span><\/em><span>, released two days before Maduro\u2019s capture by US military forces, begins with the seemingly prophetic line: \u201c<em>Rawa wishes you a happy new year, and may those sons of bitches finally leave<\/em>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure class=\"inline-img expandable dev-view-hide\" data-img=\"1ca52169-e14a-48b9-a833-b40900c6eb1d\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1366\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441242.jpeg\" data-img-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\" data-img-aspect-ratio=\"0.67\"><span class=\"has-css-custom-props image-container\" data-aspect-ratio-type=\"portrait\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Alberto Montenegro, Rawayana \" class=\"img\" height=\"2048\" src=\"https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/786\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441242.jpeg\" width=\"1366\"><\/span><\/span><figcaption class=\"img-caption\"><span class=\"caption\">Alberto Montenegro, <span class=\"nowrap\">Rawayana frontman<\/span><\/span><span class=\"credit\">Photography Camille Lepen<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><span>Below, we catch up with Rawayana frontman Alberto Montenegro about life in exile and Venezuelan identity in the wake of Maduro\u2019s kidnapping.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>How did you react when you found out about Maduro\u2019s capture?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Montenegro:<\/strong><span> It\u2019s insane to see a foreign force enter your country and do something like that. It\u2019s like when you\u2019re kidnapped; you don\u2019t have a good solution. You have a better or a worse solution, but there\u2019s no good solution.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>I feel like we have a bad solution and we still don\u2019t know the consequences. We don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen. It seems like everything will make sense now, but it also forces us to stare straight into the wolf\u2019s den. The feeling was one of surprise. The wolf arrived. And now what\u2019s going to happen?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>And then \u2018Si Te Pica Es Porque Eres T\u00fa\u2019 went viral&#8230;<\/strong><strong><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Montenegro: <\/strong><span>I just looked at the songs we had just released and thought, \u2018Damn, what have I gotten myself into? What can I say?\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u2018Si Te Pica Es Porque Eres T\u00fa\u2019 is born from a national sentiment. I thought about that when I wrote it: \u2018This is a national feeling, and that\u2019s why it will be powerful.\u2019 And I believe that in the future, there will be a group that thinks differently than I do who will also be able to sing that song. That\u2019s why I released it, because it resonates with the whole world. We all want the people we don\u2019t want around to stay out of our lives. The crazy thing is that it happened right after its premiere; it does feel like we manifested it.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>We must build something new, because if we go back to the past, we\u2019ll inevitably return to what we\u2019re experiencing now.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>Do you think things are going to change now?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Montenegro: <\/strong><span>I\u2019m always optimistic and I believe we\u2019re learning many lessons as a society. Honestly, I don\u2019t know much about many things, but all I feel is that these years of disaster and absurdity have been for learning and maturing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Sometimes there\u2019s this idea that we want to go back to how things were before Chavismo [Maduro\u2019s brand of politics], but the reality is that the problem started long before, and I\u2019m not optimistic about chasing nostalgia. I think we must build something new, because if we go back to a past that was supposedly good, we\u2019ll inevitably return to what we\u2019re experiencing now.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"src-youtube video-container embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"media-youtube\" data-id=\"jUPlem752X8\"><span class=\"preserve-aspect-ratio\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allowfullscreen frameborder height=\"422\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jUPlem752X8\" webkitallowfullscreen width=\"750\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-content\" data-embed-type=\"raw-html\">\n<p><strong>I\u2019ve been living in Ireland for a couple of years, and something I\u2019ve noticed is that I feel much more Mexican when I\u2019m away.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Montenegro: <\/strong><span>I feel the same way, but I think that there comes a point when you must make a decision, especially if you live in exile: Do I want to live in the nostalgia of not being able to return or do I want to live in the moment and look ahead? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This album title is a question directed towards the future: where will the after party be? It\u2019s an exercise in trying to look ahead. I don\u2019t want to be trapped in nostalgia my whole life; I want to live in the present. <\/span><span>Today I\u2019m in the Dominican Republic, on a beautiful beach, and tomorrow I don\u2019t know where I\u2019ll be, but I know that if I live learning every day, tomorrow everything will be alright and the after-party will be great.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span>[In Venezuela] we dance our sorrows, we sing about our grief. I think that\u2019s part of us, beyond it being a deliberate act of resistance, it\u2019s who we are.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>What do you think makes Venezuelan culture unique? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Montenegro: <\/strong><span>I\u2019m impressed by our ability to laugh at everything, even to the point of irresponsibility. But there\u2019s a beauty in that. <\/span><span>While we are experiencing a profound social conflict with our self-esteem, our sense of humour has somehow allowed us to look ahead without much drama. This may have its downsides, but if we approach it from a positive perspective, nothing can hold us back if we\u2019re laughing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>For Venezuelans, nothing is so dramatic; everything makes us laugh. We laugh at ourselves. We say, \u2018Damn, there\u2019s no electricity, no water, no food\u2019. But then we say, \u2018Let\u2019s grab that mango and have a good time.\u2019 We have the power to stay positive, and that has helped me a lot during the most difficult moments of my life.<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>My family and I were once kidnapped. They were robbing us, holding guns to our heads, and my mother started telling jokes to the kidnappers. They were laughing along with her. I think it\u2019s a beautiful thing, and it helps us become leaders in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>The album is very political, but it\u2019s also joyful. Is that typical of someone from Venezuela? <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Montenegro: <\/strong><span>A couple of days ago I was singing \u2018El Ni\u00e1gara en Bicicleta\u2019 with Juan Luis Guerra, doing an introspective exercise about our personalities, those of us who live near the Caribbean Sea.\u00a0<\/span><span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>It\u2019s crazy to think that people dance to songs like that, but it\u2019s natural. We dance our sorrows, we sing about our grief. I think that\u2019s part of us, beyond it being a deliberate act of resistance; it\u2019s who we are.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u00bfD\u00f3nde Ser\u00e1 El After? <em>is out now.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"newsletter-inline-last\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-small\">\n<div class=\"inner\">\n<h1 class=\"newsletter-title\">Escape the algorithm! Get The Drop<\/h1>\n<div class=\"meta-row\">\n<p class=\"meta\">Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"confirmation\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<p class=\"confirmation-title\">Thank you. You have been subscribed<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/privacy-policy\" class=\"meta-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nPrivacy policy<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.dazeddigital.com\/music\/article\/69875\/1\/rawayana-the-venezuelan-tropical-pop-band-exiled-by-maduro&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images-prod.dazeddigital.com\/1074\/azure\/dazed-prod\/1440\/1\/1441243.jpg&#8221;] Rawayana, Akapellah &#8211; \u201cVeneka\u201d March\u00a0 19,\u00a0 2026 Music \/ Q+A Music \/ Q+A Rawayana: How a Venezuelan pop band became political exiles We catch up with Grammy-award winning artist and frontman Alberto Montenegro about life in exile and Venezuelan identity in the wake of Maduro\u2019s kidnapping March\u00a0 19,\u00a0 2026 March\u00a0 19,\u00a0 2026 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,76],"class_list":["post-1834569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-dazeddigital-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1834569","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1834569"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1834569\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1834569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1834569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1834569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}