If you follow Nuyorican poet and musician Bonafide Rojas’ work, then you’re in the know about his rock band The Mona Passage. After the release of their first EP When The City Sleeps Pt. 1 in August 2016, the group recently released what seems to be the first two singles for their next project. With “We Are Who We Are” and “The Fighters,” The Mona Passage manages to touch on the subject of resistance while demonstrating some of their rock influences.
(art used for both singles as found on The Mona Passage’s Soundcloud page)
In the hard rock and alternative rock influenced, “We Are Who We Are,” The Mona Passage touches on the theme of resistance while also constantly mentioning and exploring the theme of identity. The single is an adrenaline rush that will have listeners shouting at the top of their lungs against whoever wants to control their lives. The shouting vocals by the band’s singer, El Yabey and the guitar solo that plays throughout the second half of the track, are further evidence of the rebellious message being expressed.
(picture of the band as found on The Mona Passage’s Facebook page)
On the other hand, “The Fighters” is a softer song as far as the music goes. However, the lyrics and the ambient created by the musicians give it a darker feel. In a way, the song feels like the type of tune one would play to motivative a group of people before they start acting on their words. I could certainly see “The Fighters” being played by a group of protesters before going on a march, a group of soldiers before being taken to the field, or even a group of athletes before a game. Yet, when closely listening to the lyrics, one can tell that these have a heavy message with them where the people are being encouraged to take back what is theirs in this time of chaos. Where “We Are Who We Are” demonstrated alternative rock influences, “The Fighters” demonstrates elements of spoken word, classic and post-rock.
(art featuring guitarist and vocalist Bonafide Rojas as found in The Mona Passage’s Facebook page)
The Mona Passage’s When The City Sleeps Pt. 1 demonstrated many of their alternative, hard and progressive rock influences. These two latest singles expand on that, while also exploring themes which are extremely relevant to current times, identity, and resistance. Hopefully, “The Fighters” and “We Are Who We Are” are an introduction to the overall theme of what will be the band’s sophomore project.
Listen to “We Are Who We Are” and “The Fighters” on Soundcloud