2 September 2009
By Jonathan Jackson, Photography by Oliver Best, Flor Marenco
Josue Monroy stands in the small living room of his family’s home with a liter of beer in his hand and an expression of excitement on his face. Talking about music always gets the 26-year-old excited. Well, actually, pretty much everything seems to get him excited. As the front man for one of Managua’s most unique bands, it’s this unbridled enthusiasm and energy that help the group stand out among their peers. With live shows filled with unconventional twists, from special guests on the violin or saxophone, to songs where the audience handles the chorus, Monroy & Surmenage constantly take experimentation to a higher level.
The beer poured into several glasses, Monroy hands me one. As a Che poster keeps watch over the room and The Simpsons plays without sound on the TV, the other members of the Surmenage trickle in. Monroy may have his name up front, but it’s apparent from the comradery that all are in this together. The Surmenage is a family he tells me, from everyone in the band all the way down to the manager, Tini, and their sound engineer, Chiricano.
The appearances and demeanors of each member are as varied as their musical backgrounds. There’s Noel “Chipi” Portocarrero, the lively bass player, who always seems to be around a joke, Mauricio “Cueriux” Conrado, the lanky drummer who barely says a word, Cristian “Soso” Jimenez, the short bald keyboard player with a wicked sense of humor, and Lénin Ortiz, the longhaired, understated lead guitarist.
Family has always been important to Monroy, and without his own family this extended family couldn’t exist.
“When I told my father that I wanted to have a musical career, my parents decided to support me unconditionally, and they have helped me economically, because we can’t live from concerts,” says Monroy. “I work with my father in his company and he gives me the time to practice when I need it. Without the help of my family I would never have been able to do it.”
His father’s illness was also the inspiration for the band’s name. Surmenage is a French word describing a type of chronic fatigue syndrome. It’s an accumulation of stress that results in a debilitating physical and mental state.
“He had so much stress that he was in bed a day, a week without being able to move,” Monroy says of his father. “It’s when you work a lot and you feel it… your body reacts and you collapse. Surmenage is also a mix of emotions, very euphoric to the extreme, or very depressing to the extreme.”
Monroy took the name Surmenage and embraced it, using it to reference the accumulation of backgrounds, styles and personalities that are brought together within the band and as a way to represent a cure of sorts from the illness itself.
When the Surmenage comes together, with everyone bringing a distinct style to the mix, the result is an epic, layered soundscape; a little indie, a little alternative, a little folksy, with a psychedelic touch for good measure.
“I’m the one who brings the song and if the band doesn’t like it, I die!” Monroy says with a laugh. “So, I work on it a little more, I ask Lénin, I ask Soso, they are the ones who know about melodies. And I keep asking because if the Surmenage is not there 100%, or at least a 90%, we have to continue working on it.”
While Monroy may not possess the strongest or most distinct voice, he has the persona and emotion that many artists lack to truly connect with his audience. Devoted followers of the band have even been dubbed ‘Surmenagos,‘ and every show the band plays in Managua is sure to be full of them.
“Surmenagos are everyone that helps the group and supports it,” says Chipi. “They take pictures, put videos on YouTube, they have created blogs. Without them there wouldn’t be as much energy. These are people that have given much help without requesting anything.”
They also have started a tradition at the live shows of singing key parts of several songs, replacing the voice of Monroy in these moments. It is to the point where the crowd is almost anticipating the end of the concert because that is when the popular songs such as ‘Tren Paranóico’ and ‘Este Lugar’ are typically performed.
“People know when it’s the time to sing. They share their energy with the band,” says Chipi.
“It’s more rewarding because they aren’t songs we have recorded,” continues Lénin. “We have songs on the radio and although they are heard a lot there, they are not our most popular songs live.”
The band has been touring Managua in celebration of their second anniversary together, but there are plans to expand to other cities nationally as they move closer to the release of their first album, tentatively titled, ‘The Uff Master.’ With the disc out, Monroy dreams of promoting it with a tour through Central America.
“Surmenage has never gone outside Nicaragua as a band, when that happens I’d shit out of happiness. Finally!” he says with a wide-eyed, half-crazed look.
He knows better than anyone though that a lot of hard work has to take place before that happens. The band is scheduled to begin recording in the fall at DJ Revuelta Sonora’s studio and in the meantime they are practicing as much as possible, fine-tuning their songs and promoting the band. But working hard has never been something Monroy and his family Surmenage have shied away from, especially not when it comes to music. For them there is no other way. When asked what he would be if not a musician, for the first time, all the excitement leaves Monroy’s face and he stares ahead blankly, saying nothing, at the same time saying everything.
can’t wait for the album!