Ich verstehen nicht kann“ („I not can understand“ which is the grammatically wrong phrase used by foreigners in Germany) is the title of the second album of one of Colognes leading latin bands. Diversity rather than simple-mindedness is the concept of the band and this is not only realised by the composition of the bandmembers by latin and german musicians. With a mixture of Reggae, Punk, Cumbia and Salsa the green potatoe (in spanish La Papa Verde) conjures a characteristic partylike latin-sound without losing their critical statements to the problems of the foreigners in the german society and language.

The predominant spanish lyrics communicate the uprooted feeling of globalisation unforced but clearly and optimistic with a good dose of self-mockery.

In 2002 the mestizo wave reached the german metropolis, as a chilean, a mexican and a columbian met with four german musicians and let their different cultures bump into each other. Cumbia and Punk, Ska and Rock met the „Wandervogel-Liederbuch“, a songbook with typical german traditional songs. A „Clash of Civilisations“, Mestizo music in best sense.

„Mestizo“ was a bad word some time ago: the crossbreeds, half indios, half spanish were mostly part of the lower social classes, as well in Southamerica as in Spain. Now „Mestizo“ - at least in the global music scene – is a seal of approval for a successful mixture of latinamerican rhythms and punk, rock, reggae and rap. The sizzling capital of the so called mestizo scene is without any doubt Barcelona: Musicians like Manu Chao, Dani „El Mono Loco“ from macaco or Ojos de Brujo have started this fiery and politically explosive mixture of styles: they sing against oppression, war, social injustice – for a better world.

„Somewhere between Les Negresses Vertes and Manu Chao La Papa Verde has found a cuddly space“ (Köllner)

La Papa Verde Fernando Ugarte - Voz, Guitarra Josué Avalos - Voz, Guitarra Augusto Stahlke - Percusión Annette Kolschewski - Acordeón Pablo Giw - Trompeta, Voz Jonas Bareiter - Bajo Benedikt Hesse - Batería