Aqui With La Ley
Grammy-Winning Rock En Español group La Ley speaks with qvMagazine about music, QVs, spirituality, and more. Exclusive qvPhotos & Interview by Luther Orrick-Guzman

LEAD VOCALIST Beto Cuevas, percussionist Mauricio Claveria, and guitarist Pedro Frugone make up Chile's hottest mega Rock en Español group, La Ley. Currently, the band is on an adrenaline-charged world tour, having already made stops in the U.S., Mexico, Central America, and South America. And now they're headed out to Europe.

The success of their latest CD, "Uno," has given the band exposure they never dreamed possible. Mauricio explains, "It's been a fabulous experience this year (2000)-especially since it's our 12th year together as a band. I think that after so many years, our music has reached such a large number of people and that makes us very happy. Also, the recognition and two Latin Grammy nominations for 'Aquí' have been very inspiring. Our conviction has increased. We have more determination than ever."

The "Uno" album was produced by Humberto Gatica and '80s dance guru Aldo Nova. It's an album that the group is very proud of. Beto explains, "The beauty of 'Uno' is the simplicity of it-the songs and the melodies. Songs like 'Aquí' and 'Once in a Lifetime' are simple songs played with four chords. I believe (with 'Uno') we learned that making something simpler is sometimes more difficult, and I think the simplicity has been a point of evolution with this album. We're happy that it's a more mature album, and more importantly, an album that opens the path to many avenues."

Pedro, with his Police-era Sting meets Billy Idol meets David Bowie blonde hair, loves the energy of his fans-especially when the group tours. "I really enjoy playing live and making contact with the audience," he says. "The audience always keeps it fun and interesting-it's never a routine."

With so many hours together, one might wonder if the guys ever get into any fights. When asked about this, the band laughs. Then Beto explains, "We'll occasionally fight or disagree on things, but we always end up agreeing on something. We like to move ahead, and it's very important to be happy with our work."
The guys are definitely thrilled with their work. It's been very satisfying for them, especially to be able to write and sing in a variety of styles and languages. In fact, on their latest album, they sing in English on a hidden track entitled, "Once in a Lifetime."

And what about their favorite songs? Do they have any? Pedro says, "I think it's important to note that for me, I don't have a favorite song or album." He then explains, "Each song has something special and that depends on my current state of mind and mood at the time." Beto then states, "To me, songs are like children-we have a special love for all of them. But in my case, I like some songs more than others: 'Fuera De Mi,' for example."

While on stage, La Ley certainly gives a powerful performance that is both visually and sonically dynamic. Mauricio explains, "We like to compliment the visuals with our music. We always like to create some type of a concept, not just have the three of us up there playing our songs. We like a lot of dynamics." He then adds, "I don't necessarily prefer-as one might imagine-playing the fast songs all the time. All the songs have a very special feeling. And believe it or not, playing the slow songs is a lot harder to do than playing the fast ones."

What about QV people? When it comes to discussing the topic of homosexuality, the group speaks with an unprecedented sincerity. Beto reveals, "We're not homophobic-we have many QV friends." He, furthermore, adds, "Everyone has the right to their sexuality, and we are nobody to judge. As heterosexuals, our QV friends respect our sexuality as well. There was a time in Chile when dictatorship came back and there was a new movement of QV clubs. As far as I was concerned, the most fun places to hear the best music-where you'd see the most authentic people and the most free spirited people-were at the QV clubs. Whenever I go home to Chile, I try to go to those places because I always have a great time. We are very open minded and at this day in age, I find it strange when people use the word QV and they freak out and get scared-we're all human beings! We know a great deal of QV people who are super intelligent, very talented, and who we are fortunate to have as a part of our lives."

Mauricio then adds, "It's true. I have one of my closest friends here in Los Angeles who's QV, and he's like a brother to me."

Pedro chimes in, "It's really dumb for people to judge others based on their sexuality. Moral or religious values have nothing to do with a person's sexuality."

Moving on to another topic, the group has some comments about drug abuse. They adamantly advise against anyone using drugs. Beto explains, "Drugs have had no place in our lives and reaching our goals of fame and success. Drugs kill your brain, kill your body, and cloud your soul. And I think it's important that our younger audience members realize that nobody gets ahead with the help of a little pill. People get ahead with hard work. We have a song entitled "Al Final" which talks about someone with an addiction. It is a cry of solidarity towards many friends, who have been and still are victims of certain afflictions.

In terms of spirituality, Beto says that it's an important concept that the band believes in. He explains spirituality as, "A grouping of souls-a power that is in our everyday lives, but you don't see it." He furthermore explains, "It could be believing that there is a God looking out for us or an angel who takes care of us-an angel we should communicate with and have a certain relationship with."

Beto's then speaks about his personal relationship with his spiritual entity. He says, "I feel my angel all the time. I always talk to him and I feel he protects me. I think that in such a hostile world, in which we live in, we need some protection. It's important to follow an ideal that some call God, others call Buddha-because the goal is to get to a place where we'll all be happy, enjoying ourselves for an eternity."

The other members nod in agreement. Pedro then adds, "It's important to be good to people, too. It doesn't mean that I personally attend a synagogue or go to church every Sunday, but I have to feel happy and to do that, I have to act properly-to relate positively to the things around me."

With La Ley having achieved so many accomplishments this year, one might wonder what's next for the band? "Our goals include getting right back into the studio upon completion of our tour in Europe." says Mauricio.

Beto then adds, "And we'll all be bringing something new to the table again. Our influences are all different, but I would say that the whole New Wave/New Romantic era made an impact on us-and even though we may not imitate what came out of that era, we'll continue to make our songs and music with all our souls . We aren't musical purists and we don't fixate on cultivating one particular sound. We enjoy being completely free to create whatever we like."
La Ley is certainly filled with a lot of goals and dreams, and they are proving to be reaching them. Beto concludes, "Having dreams is very important and you should never let them go. You have to work hard for them and not ever let anyone tell you otherwise or break your dreams. If you reach a certain level of success, as a result of your hard work or dreams, don't stop-maintain those dreams by feeding it with more work and love."

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Albums By La Ley

Doble Opuesto (1992)

La Ley (1993)

Invisible (1995)

Rock En Español (1998)

Vertigo (1998)

Uno (2000)