Iñaki Domínguez Madrid
Madrid
Updated Sunday, March 31, 2024-23:57
The
Mambo Kings
are one of the
most famous national graffiti
crews
. Suso33, something like the successor of Muelle, whose name prevailed in the nineties, was one of the founders of the group: «The original Mambo Kings were Sice, Jabo, Eduone, Suso33. Others painted with us or became part of Los Reyes del Mambo: Know, Doing, Abelpix, Psone, Scaner. Know was very involved with Sice and ended up being part of the group. The Mambo Kings emerged from the members of two graffiti groups: the SPC (Sice and Jabo) and the SSB (Eduone and Suso). Know and Sice were the bosses of La Ventilla. "We were more from the Vaguada area in Barrio del Pilar."
The
Mambo Kings
stopped at the so-called "Caracoles Park", which was on Pinos Alta Street in Valdeacederas. “A lot of graffiti writers gathered there,” says Suso33. «There were some good ones there. People gathered from Barrio del Pilar, Cuatro Caminos, Arturo Soria, and Dehesa de la Villa. It was called that because in the past there was a bar whose specialty was snails. The bar closed, but the park kept the name. "It was where we met before going to paint trains and things like that."
Know, another well-known graffiti artist, also became one of the group, as Suso says: «Before the Mambo Kings we were involved in other groups. I was from La Ventilla and Sice was from
Valdeacederas
. I started painting with him, who was Suso's cousin. Sice was the one who put graffiti into my veins. Today he has a company called Decorados Mambo. He is dedicated to making decorations for theaters and events.
Graffiti of the Mambo Kings in Plaza de Castilla.EM
The name of the Mambo Kings was taken from the film of the same name released in 1992. It was an unusual nickname for the time. As Suso tells me: "Then you had to have the courage to defend it." Know tells me that "the name was given when it was my birthday, which is April 1st. Suso, Jabo and others arrived and told me: 'We have thought about forming a group called Los Reyes del Mambo'. "It must have occurred to Sice, Suso or Jabo at that time."
If the film of the same name was released on May 8, 1992, then this street baptism would have taken place on April 1, 1993. The truth is that this group became famous in Madrid immediately. "At that time Los Reyes del Mambo were very, very, very active," says Know. «We made the first murals. We had like a playground that was La
Ventilla
. We could paint wherever we wanted and how we wanted, without any problem. We started a little like this. Within that group there have been great geniuses in their most artistic part. Suso and Spy [el Jabo] were the most creative part. Edu was also a marvel, he was also an incredible artist."
He continues: "The first people I remember doing
street art
were Jabo and Suso. In '95 they were already doing things on the street, interactions with signs, with elements of street furniture... Nobody did that here in Spain. I, On the other hand, it represented the most graffiti-oriented, crudest part. At that time I worked as a courier, I worked with a motorcycle. I moved around all over Madrid. And as I worked I marked the outlines of pieces, I came back, I filled them in. I was a bit the most active part. They, on the other hand, were more normal. I was more of an asshole at that time. I was more of a badass and that caused us to have our disagreements. I didn't speak to them for a few years. Now we are all great friends." .
He continues with the story: "People always had a lot of love and admiration for the Mambo Kings, they were not a conflictive group. It was a group with a special light. That group also changed the world of graffiti a little." Some of the Kings Mambo wanted to make a living with their artistic talents. When Ilegal Shop, a graffiti shop that Suso opened with Jabo, closed, Know associated itself "with people from other worlds, people well known on the street. These people had a store called Babia, which was in Galileo. They sold skate clothes, they had a tattoo shop, Mulero played there because he was a friend of theirs. The Kings of Mambo collaborated with
Mulero
in a joint that opened in the Sierra, the
Infinity
We did a live intervention, while I was DJing. In the store I sold cans of paint. That store became very important. That was in 1994. I now have a tattoo studio in Antequera, Málaga: La Templanza Tattoo, on the street Lucena 54 »
Know
is not the only one who has been able to earn money with his artistic interests.
Suso33
and
Jabo
, to give two examples, today are part of the art world considered legal.
Inaki Dominguez
He is the author of
Macarras interseculares
, edited by Melusina, [you can buy the book here],
Macarrismo
, edited by Akal, [you can buy the book here],
Macarras ibéricos
, edited by Akal, [you can buy the book here], the
The true story of the Moco Panda
. [you can buy the book here] and
San Vicente Ferrer 34
[you can buy the book here].