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(In September 1968, Los Dug Dug's came to New York City to make a valiant, but ultimately futile, attempt to conquer America. Not too long after they arrived, BOUM magazine sent its international correspondent, Lourdes Jauregui, to interview them in the lobby of Brooklyn's famous Margaret Hotel. While their plan to crack the US market may have failed, Los Dug Dug's made at least one very smart move in the process: they left Mexico City just in time to avoid witnessing the horrors of the massacre at Tlatelolco and the atmosphere surrounding the city's hosting of the Summer Olympics in October.)
NEW YORK: I live in this city, where I am a stewardess. I spend a lot of time in South America and Europe, I spent my holidays in Boston. So I didn't know there was a Mexican band succeeding in New York: Los Dug Dug's.
After I came from Rome, I began to explore the psychedelic world, and I came across a review of Los Dug Dugs' performance. There was a detailed analysis of each interpretation, and it mentioned that the people from New York were surprised that there is no other Mexican group doing good shows here.
I went to see them at the Hotel Margaret, 97 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn. That morning I met Jorge ("The Sheep") de la Torre, the singer of the band, in the lobby. The rest of the band was at the restaurant. Genaro Garcia was writing a letter to one of his girls; the drummer, Jorge Lujan (Carcacho), was reading family letters, while Gustavo Garayzar and Armando Nava (the musical director) were drinking huge glasses of milk. After their breakfast, we went to the lobby and did the interview.
BOUM: Do you know our magazine?
ARMANDO: Yes. Some friends from Mexico came and they brought it over. It went out to the public while we were here, I think it's great.
BORREGA: Tell Barcelo to write to us. We already wrote and we sent him some pictures, he is a great friend of ours.
BOUM: I'll do that. What do you think of the current scene?
CARCACHO: I am convinced there are many good bands in Mexico making modern music.
ARMANDO: Even though in Mexico they won't believe this, one of our main goals is to open the doors for other Mexican bands, since several are good and with international potential.
GUSTAVO: We know that Los Rockin' Devils are coming, and we're sure they'll do well because their music is different.
BOUM: What type of music do you play in your shows?
CARCACHO: Psychedelic music & popular melodies but with our own arrangements, as well as our own music.
BOUM: Do they know those songs in Mexico?
ARMANDO: Yes and no.
BOUM: How is that?
BORREGA: We played some back at the Pista de Hielo but people did not know they were ours. They thought they were international songs.
BOUM: Which covers do you prefer to play?
GENARO: Whatever is current. The San Francisco and Motown sounds are stale by now. We like Blue Cheer and Cream a lot, though the Beatles are still the kings!
BOUM: Who have you seen and met here?
ARMANDO: We spoke with Bob Dylan, he is a great guy.
BORREGA: We listened to the Raiders but we didn't like them. We don't like the Byrds either.
BOUM: How long have you been in New York?
ARMANDO: Since the end of September.
BOUM: Do you have any new pictures?
BORREGA: They just took some, but we haven't received them yet. As soon as we have them we will send them to Barcelo.
BOUM: Okay! Thank you very much!
CARCACHO: We send our greetings to all our friends in Mexico!
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