'monky'pseudonym of the Jaujino artist Pedro Rojas Meza, was born in the department of Junín 1961 and came to Lima with the intention of studying to be a mechanic; However, he became the precursor of chicha posters. At that time, the capital of Peru was experiencing the boom of musical groups with The Shapis, Red Painting, Alegría and the mythical Lorenzo Palacios Quispe, Chacalónamong others.
Pedro Rojas Meza, in an interview for The Republic, told what inspired him to create majestic works of the Chicha culture. From his artistic inclinations within a family of farmers to achieving his greatest works alongside famous groups and singers. He discovers more about 'Monky', pioneer of chicha posters.
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—'Monky', how did the idea of making the chicha posters come about?
—My curiosity when I arrived in Lima with my friend Tenicela was that we undertook to gain popularity among the public. Here in Lima, they made some printing-type posters, nothing more, without color, without anything. So we agreed with my friend: 'Hey, why don't we do a printed style?', and since Los Shapis were already in fashion, we started with the Los Shapis posters, but with basic colors: blue, red, yellow , orange, and black background. So we started that and right there we became popular on the posters.
— And did you always have an inclination or this desire to create from an artistic point of view?
— Well, when I was young my notion, my restlessness already dragged painting. I liked to draw landscapes, letters, everything. I have worked I have made memories. I have drawings. I have lyrics (that I made for) restaurants, stores, there in my province in the province of Jauja, in Huancayo, in my town.
In fact, I wanted to have a career in real life and earn my money as they say, right? (Study) electricity, automotive with that hope I arrived in Lima, I said 'it will be easy', but no, I had no luck. I started studying mechanics, but I didn't finish it, I started studying nursing, I didn't finish.
So, just like that, I was making my posters and I was studying, but I went for the posters. Also because I knew how to draw, I began to be stage banners for groups for artists from the tropical to the musicians from the Huarochirana area and also from the vernacular, the huayno.
I worked making banners for almost seven, eight years. It was painted, as it was painted it drew the face, everything. Everyone liked him. Everyone wanted their flag. So what's up? Gigantography arrived, which disappeared banner work.
—When you arrived in Lima for the first time, did you already have a permanent job or somewhere to stay?
—I ran away from my town with a friend, we ran away to see the capital, but before that I already knew what Ayacucho, Huancavelica, the entire mountain range and part of the central jungle are, but I never imagined coming to Lima. Until the year 80 arrived, with a friend we escaped leaving school: 'Hey, are we going to the capital?', 'How much do you have?', 'I have 20 soles, that's enough for two days', ' I have 50 soles, we're leaving.'
We arrived at the bus stop and walked to the University Park, my friend found a countryman who took him and I was left to my own devices. Or rather, there I learned to go through the good, the bad, the ugly. Until one time I remember that I woke up in Manco Cápac park, at 10 in the morning, already desperate. As they say, worse than a madman, I realized everything, I put my hand in my pocket and said 'here's a little money', I walked to the stop, bought a pair of pants, bought a polo shirt and half walked back to my town.
—What were you inspired by and where does everything that makes a chicha poster come from, such as its particular colors?
—More than anything, I have based myself, when I travel to the town, to my town, I see or creativity is also born more through music. The singing, the joy, that in his town, in his country, in the landscape, the tranquility, the singing of the birds. Also see our ancestors, who wear those ancient clothes, the colors that are striking as the mills say, the fabrics that they make.
There I was born with that color that could be done, it was better that I transmitted those colors to my work, to myself, to my posters, but during party time, on January 20, you can see the colors, the clothes of the chonguinos, of the dancing, those striking colors, so, I said why not do it on the posters, and more than anything when these colors appeared, especially for the posters that now, thanks to my restlessness, to my mischief, all these colors are giving joy to Peru, to Lima, plus the gray Lima, as they call it.
—Many have Elliot Túpac as the father of chicha posters. You. what do you think about it?
—Well, I don't really have feelings for Elliot (Túpac), because I don't have anger, I don't envy him, but yes, a little anger, because knowing that I have been like a teacher, like another worker that I have worked with his father, that he has taken my name, that he has not known how to value my work, because they learned from me, I say Elliot Túpac because he was an assistant of mine, because I worked with them, they were my assistants when I worked. First I worked making some painted banners, which his father had received for the singer Haydee Raimundo and also for some lawyers, at that time there was competition to enter the legal profession.
I also did jobs, a series of other things where I worked with him, where Elliot was my assistant. Now with 'The Scared Tit' which he says they won a prize, there was even more anger because he didn't acknowledge it, he didn't say 'thank you, 'Monky', since we won, I took the money, I'm going to give you so much' . Nothing Why? Because the work was more mine than he alone, as he says, put in the material that I asked him to paint the work, from there the technological era appeared on the Internet, Facebook, this is all, I see works on his page showing that he was the owner the creator, that was it.
It made me even more angry that his father spoke saying that he was the creator of the posters. But, on the one hand, Elliot is now a person who has made himself known technically in the environment for already computerized work. I still continue to create my handmade works, where in my art I express my love, my affection, my effort to work.
—Pedro, as a pioneer of chicha posters, what does it take for you to feel fulfilled?
—That the Government recognizes us, that this small art is a culture, that it goes down in history. As I tell you, right now I have friends who are minor singers, and they are already receiving awards from the Ministry of Culture, and one who is doing something for life, as they say, making a face, making something for Peru, not even hello; and to someone who is a pioneer of these posters, who is still alive, no, they don't tell you anything, how would you feel? That you fight for something like that, for one thing, and they don't recognize you, right? You wouldn't be so happy.
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