[Lance Monthly] What is your age, marital status, place of birth, and where did you grow up?
Jesus D. Diaz Garaygordobil I am 34 [and] married. I was born in Escuinapa, Sinaloa, Mexico, on January 22. I grew up there until I was 15, then moved up to Mazatlan, Sinaloa, to attend high school. In 1987, I moved to Mission, South Dakota, for a year and after that I came to Monterrey, where I have lived for 15 years now.
[Lance Monthly] In general, what was it like growing up in your birth family? Was it a large family?
Jesus D. Diaz Garaygordobil My family consists of six people, Dad (died eight years ago), Mom, one brother, and two sisters. It is a very tight, united family (as most families are in Mexico). Every time we have some vacations, we "run" into each other. That's the way it has been all my life. Although I have tons of friends, I keep coming back to my family (including nephews, who are almost my age!). Also, my parents' families are very large, so I have a great number of cousins. Surprisingly, I keep close contact with 90% of them (that's about 30!).
[Lance Monthly] What genre of rock is your favorite and what artists do you listen to often?
Jesus D. Diaz Garaygordobil This [is] a rather difficult question. My favorite music is prog rock, but I listen to a lot of metal, psychedelic, folk, fusion, indie, post and space rock. I am not into meanstream, rap, r&b, and sacharin pop. There is also a movement called "nueva cancion" that is mostly politicaly charged, folkish "cantautor" music that I listen to a lot. My favorite bands are old Genesis, Rush, Floyd, Zeppelin, Porcupine tree, Flaming Lips, Sigur Ros, Mogwai, Radiohead, The Who, Premiata Forneria Marconi, and way too many more. For more detailed information about my tastes, you can visit this link where it shows my "musical profile" so to speak: http://eufonia.net/html/anfitriones.html.
[Lance Monthly] You said you were an exchange student in the U.S. What was your major, and what university did you attend in the U.S.?
Jesus D. Diaz Garaygordobil I went to Todd County High School in Mission, South Dakota, for my senior year. I have two high school diplomas, one Mexican and one American. I lived in a Sioux reservation called Rosebud, although with an American-Irish family.
[Lance Monthly] What is your present occupation?
Jesus D. Diaz Garaygordobil I am CIO or IT Manager for a private hospital-school called Hospital San José Tec de Monterrey (probably the best in our country).
[Lance Monthly] Did you ever have any interest in traditional Mexican music in the mariachi and conjunto norteno style? In addition, have you checked out the music by the traditional Mexican-American artists from the Southwest U.S.?
Jesus D. Diaz Garaygordobil Of course, I am a bit fond of our traditional music, but always as a nationalistic kind of thing. I am not into it. Music-wise, the mariachi music is a very accomplished one in terms of style and all around playing (all the band members are multi instrumentalists and exchange their roles from song to song). Yes, I have checked [out] the Mexican-American artists, but since I have nothing good to say about them, I will not say anything at all. :)
[Lance Monthly] How much control does the Mexican government have in the type of music that is broadcasted in your country?
Jesus D. Diaz Garaygordobil The Mexican government does not interfere in the type of music that is broadcasted in Mexico. However, there are certain radio and T.V. stations that are sponsored by the government and they promote classical music most of the time, which is of course very, very good. We also have a government organization called "Conaculta" (National Board for Culture) that is also very supportive of all events related to art.
[Lance Monthly] Are you a musician?
Jesus D. Diaz Garaygordobil I once tried to play drums, but failed miserably. I always considered myself a "frustrated musician." I still play once in a while with my friends just for fun.
[Lance Monthly] Do you occasionally listen to surf-guitar instrumental music? I know there are some die-hard fans of this genre in your country.
Jesus D. Diaz Garaygordobil To be honest, this is my first exposure to surf guitar-instrumental rock as a type of music. [Interviewer’s note: Jesus is referring to The Knights’ "In Progression."] Of course, I've heard the Beach Boys, but that doesn't count, does it? :)
[Lance Monthly] You are presently affiliated with a rock station. Can you elaborate on this? When did that come about, what is your position there, how large of a listening audience does it reach, and how popular is it?
Jesus D. Diaz Garaygordobil Yes, we are currently associated with a radio station here in Monterrey, Mexico. 94.9 FM XHTEC is the college radio for the biggest (and best) private university in the whole country. "Eufonia," our radio show, is the only one that has been aired for three years (since the radio station began its transmissions). The Eufonia Staff has three members. If you would like to know more about us and our radio show, I suggest you visit the following links: http://eufonia.net/html/anfitriones.html , http://eufonia.net/html/disclaimer.html , http://eufonia.net/html/legal.html#english
[Lance Monthly] It's difficult for me to categorize the popular mainstream music as that of rock 'n' roll, with all of the manufactured artists that are dominating the commercial stations' playlists of today. One could almost say that rock is dead as far as mainstream exposure is concerned. Jesus, do you see it this way, and what is your take on the future of rock?
Jesus D. Diaz Garaygordobil I think that rock as [a] movement and even as a way of life is pretty much alive. Thanks to advances in technology, it is easy for an independent artist to record his music and keep it available, even though [it might] only [be] in the underground scene. This is a labor of love and the way to get it out there is by "word of mouth." As a radio host, I have received several hundreds of demos/promos and I must say that there are quite a few extraordinary bands waiting to be discovered, such as French TV, Donovan's brain, Aemen and many, many more. I think we have a bright future, but all the people involved (fans, promoters, artists) will have to struggle a bit to surface among all the disposable heros.
