Sao Paulo, Brazil’s QUESTIONS have teamed up with me once again to premiere their newest video for the song “Discord”. It documents their recent European tour and sums up the band’s 14 years of existence. I couldn’t be more proud of how far they have come and how amazing their journey remains. See the video below and scroll down to read an exclusive commentary from the band!
Questions, 14 years. Inevitably, we feel the need to think about what we have done so far and what moves us to continue.
As friends that grew up on the same neighborhood, when we were teenagers we were very unsatisfied with the options we had, living on the suburbs of São Paulo, Brasil. Opportunities of education, work and future seemed too small, too boring.
Friendship first and then the music, especially what happened in the underground in the late ’80s, were the main factors that have brought us together and aroused the desire to leave, to meet other horizons.Questions took shape in 2000 with the intention of spreading to the world the values that we learned on the streets, inspired by punk/hardcore bands, which made their thing without expecting anything from anyone. “Do It Yourself ” from day one, the only thing that guided and still guide us is to do what we feel as a band. We wanted to reach all the possible spots.
Europe has always been a dream and a goal. It took us seven years to achieve it, and since then we keep coming back. Eastern countries and Russia, another dream we pursued until we accomplished it. And we keep coming back.
There are many special moments that we lived with this band. Experiences that we will keep forever as the proof that we can struggle to create the life we want for ourselves, as impossible as it may seem.
Since 2000 there are four albums released on CD, two 7 inches, double vinyl, a CD single, a k-7 tape, a documentary on VHS, participations in compilations, countless videos, four tours in Europe and three in Russia, shows throughout Brazil, we build friendships with our main influences (Iggor and Max Cavalera , Freddy Madball and Hoya, Roger, Stigma, Joe and Agnostic Front, Pete and Sick of it all, Clement of the Inocentes, classic punk band from Brazil) and played at major festivals like Fluff (Czech Rep.), Ieper (Belgium) and also on a celebration of 30 years of the “Beginning of the End of the World” . This was the first punk festival in Brazil and Latin America. Held in the early 80s, it was and still is today considered one of the largest, most influential festivals that ever happened. A landmark for Punk in the world and an unprecedented honor for us.
Looking back and seeing all this, a mix of satisfaction and the willingness to do more.
In recent years, with the experiences of these tours in Eastern Europe and Russia, unfortunately we realized that fascist movements and intolerance emerge there (and everywhere). We feel increasingly uncomfortable with this, even we went through some unpleasant moments. It certainly has to do with the fact that we are mixed race Brazilians coming from the suburbs of São Paulo.
We believe in freedom and respect among human beings of all colors and genders. Being black does not hurt your character, being gay does not hurt your character… what does is the bad character that any human being might have, regardless of color, race or sexual orientation! And we think that the role of the hardcore movement, the one we believe in, is to include and welcome people who feel outraged by these problems of intolerance. And together we fight for something decent and try to end this evil plaguing not only the movement, but also outside it. This spirit led to identify ourselves with hardcore, that’s why we’ll keep fighting .
Questions complete 14 years! We are out there to make new friends, play, have fun… and mostly to fight against any kind of intolerance.
Questions – SPHC – Positive Hardcore from Brazil !
Go here to read my full interview with QUESTIONS, conducted right before the tour!
