Juan More
Written by: Cait Elizabeth - February 2020
Edited by: Travis Ryan
Introductions
Juan More makes music that speaks to the common thread of humanity while preserving the tapestry of world influences. Braiding together these threads has always been second nature for Juan, who grew up playing punk and ska tunes in El Salvador with his band Adhesivo. He started focusing on world music and latin rock when he moved to the Unites States at age 19, forming a new project under the name CHELEMAN. “I’ve always been attracted to African Caribbean rhythms since I started doing music," Juan explains. Rock, reggae, salsa, Cumbia, and dancehall have all found a place in Juan’s sound over the years.
The CHELEMAN project spawned two albums: Como Duele La Verdad and $ueño Americano. Both can be found on nearly all streaming services. Juan wrote, composed, and recorded everything on his own, but a lack of promotional know-how made the venture a short-lived one. Eventually CHELEMAN became Mercurio Reina, which involved more experienced supporting musicians. The lineup included his youngest brother on bass, who also played with famed Latin reggae heavyweights King Chango. Mercurio Reina stayed together for six years, opening for giant Latin reggae bands that toured in NY, releasing Primera Estacion, and becoming close friends along the way.
After taking a break from music to handle some family matters, Juan started slipping back into the music community. Inspired by local bands like IRIEspect, Aqua Cherry, and Samurai Pizza Cats, he began performing again on Cinco de Mayo 2019. “I started playing rhythm guitar with IRIEspect in Long Beach NY,” he said, adding that “they gave me the opportunity and I'm happy to be with them. All of them are great musicians and friends.”
Juan has also been working on a new solo project that’s expected to be finished by summer 2020. The first single, “Who Runs The Show?”, was mixed and mastered by our pal John Paul Aceto from Ride Waves Productions. Collecting influences from around the world like stamps on a passport, Juan has been focused on incorporating more roots reggae, dub, dancehall, and “other bits of spices” to this latest solo endeavor.
Inspiration & Influences
Juan’s music covers a variety of topics that can often be heavier than the dance beats the lyrics float above. “The music I do could have romanticism, protest, spiritualism, etc.” His love of music was a direct result of growing up listening to his parents’ favorites. His father was a fan of the heroes of rock ‘n’ roll: Johnny Cash, The Beatles, Queen, and Pink Floyd. His mother’s tastes skewed more towards Cumbia and Latin tunes. His deep love for global music has always been part of his life and features predominantly in everything he does.
Support & Subscribe
“If you are a musician you are free to listen and create whatever music you like, there will always be good and bad criticism anywhere, listen to both cause not matter how bad the critics are there is always something good that you can get from it.”
