Tonight, Doctor Krápula are performing at Z-Bau as part of their 2024 tour of Germany. They were last in Nuremberg performing as the main feature at a music festival. At the time, the band that preceded them was well appreciated by the thousands-strong crowd. But when Doctor Krápula took the stage, there was a massive step change in the whole atmosphere. The band began to animate and electrify the audience from the first seconds, and this continued throughout the performance. From backstage, seeing this changeover and observing the euphoric reaction of the crowd in front of the stage was a remarkable experience. This ability to engage the audience and create a remarkable atmosphere and energy continues to give the band such a robust following.
In their present form, Doctor Krápula is a 5 piece band. Mario Muñoz with his trademark black head bandana – lead vocals, David “Kawooq” Jaramillo – bass, Germán “Kasius” Martínez – lead guitar, Sergio “Checho” Acosta – keyboards, and Niko Cabrera – drums. They are one of Latin America’s most important and influential rock bands, combining the sounds of ska with reggae, rock, punk, and rocksteady, adding tropical rhythms such as merengue and even salsa.
The band, which was formed in 1998 in Bogota, Colombia, has a massive following in several countries of Latin America and is known for lyrics with strong political messages as well as an emphatic social and environmental stance. With over 700 concerts in over 15 countries under their belt, they certainly know how to engage an audience with their incendiary stage presence.
But what about the name? Where does it come from? What meaning does it have? It is a mocking, critical reference to a finely suited businessperson/politician who spews fine words but for corrupt purposes. The band’s stance is against such corruption, which has and continues to ravage many areas of society, especially but certainly not exclusively in South America. Despite the serious nature of their politically active stance, the rebellious band, whose members maintain various individual political positions, remains undogmatic and humorous. They have also led and collaborated in many musical and social projects with artists such as Seeed, Manu Chao, Ska-P, and Juanes. In 2016, Doctor Krápula were awarded the Simón Bolívar order in recognition of their environmental activism.
In 2010, the band moved from Colombia to Germany, partially due to safety concerns due to their combative stance against powerful forces in the country at the time. This was a brave move for a band that already had such an established and large following in Latin America. Nevertheless, they still perform to massive crowds of up to 50,000 in countries such as Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, and Colombia. Besides their busy touring schedule, they also have made 10 studio albums and reached Gold Record in sales in Colombia for their Album “Viva El Planeta,” have won seventeen Shock Music Awards and four Our Earth Awards. They have also been nominated for five Latin Grammy and three Latin MTV Awards.
Besides Nuremberg, their 2024 tour of Europe includes Hamburg, Kiel, Amsterdam, Paris, and Barcelona, as well as many other cities.
