The Raul Felix Interview | 808s on Cam S3E3

In this episode of 808s on Cam, we sat down with the founder and creative director behind the Jaripeo dance nights in Downtown Phoenix, Raul Felix! Alongside Jaripeo every first Friday, he also promotes events such as Mexican Idol, Tianguis, Ghetto Mexican EDM, Noche Tribalera, & Una Noche de Corridos. 

Join us as we speak about the inspiration behind Jaripeo Night and hang out at Raul's family ranch! 

Check out Raul Felix and his work 
https://www.instagram.com/raulfelix.jpg 
https://www.instagram.com/jaripeonight 
https://jaripeo-3.myshopify.com/products/mexican-idol-t-shirt

For More 808’s & Cold Takes

https://linktr.ee/808sncoldtakes 

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:07

Alright, that's most of AOIT and Colo Text and I am here with uh Raoul. Do you want to tell the people what you do out here? Uh I do a lot of a lot of rant work. As we saw like uh with the Jarapillo night, uh you know, the festival that you put on in every single first Friday at Club Contact, what were your first like memories just in life, like seeing like those Jarapillo type events and like how would you say like they influenced the way that you move?

SPEAKER_00 0:47

Uh well in Jerez they have this uh gloria in like in April and uh well Vietnamese gloria they they all they all vary for what happens in they have like little posadas, presentations, danzas, and as a kid I saw that and also my family being into it. So then to me it's like I wanted to uh demonstrate to the people out in downtown Phoenix how it kind of looks a little bit. Like there are ranches out here that do it and they have their way of doing it, but then I have uh the Jerez style of doing it too. So I try to represent uh my family as much as I can, and especially uh our Mexican culture.

SPEAKER_02 1:25

So what was like the moment that was like the spark to like your motivation towards like putting on like these Harpe on nights at at the downtown Phoenix?

SPEAKER_00 1:33

Shit, man. Honestly, when they gave me the platform, to be honest with you, when they said yes to me, that sparked up something like my mind just blew up, and then I thought about like so many damn ideas that I wanted to create. Like I just I I have ideas even for for right now to like create more stuff, things that you've probably seen on TV, uh growing up, the Chicano lifestyle too. So I'll make sure the inspiration to all of us. Uh but like to me it's just like the the Haripel stuff is it's La Sierra, the ranchers, the ones that um the ones that weren't accepted. That's for that's for us.

SPEAKER_02 2:10

So what part of like Mexico would you say like is like that your family like comes from? How would you say like it moves like it influences like the way you move around, especially with uh Harapillo Knight?

SPEAKER_00 2:21

Well, we're from Jerez. Well, I I was I was born out there, and um yeah, we you just have that simple life, you know, hard working life, want to represent, you know, what we do. Having the banda there is sacred. Like you have to treat them with respect, try to repeat treat everybody with respect, especially in Jerez, and they treat you with respect, especially from tetas from out there to to the family. Um they they they have values, we hold a lot of values, and to me it's just my dad tells me, hey, you gotta have value what you do, you gotta have value like the people you meet, be respectful. Um but other than that, that's what I try to do as much for every single event that I have. That that's to every, not just Haripel, that's for every event that you're gonna be dealing with me. You're gonna I'm gonna greet you or say hi to you. That's pretty much it.

SPEAKER_02 3:10

Oh yeah. How did you get in contact with like like the musical talent, like the the Bandala Patarosa and like the DJs and all of them?

SPEAKER_00 3:18

The Bandala Podrosa. Oh, DJ Las Joronas, they're they've been in the game for a long, long time and I wanted to be part of it. They're they're really important to me. Um they they're really important to the community as well. They they have an extremely important uh part with Haripel as well. Uh they uh but the Bandala Podrosa, they um I had like reached out to multiple uh artists and stuff, and they all laughed at me because they're like at a club. Come on, like we do it at ranches. I was like, we do it at the ranches. Like, no, no, trust me, it's gonna it's gonna work. Like just people would just ignore me, hung up. And so uh they gave me a shot, they're like, you know what, fuck it, let's do it. So I started off for like one hour the first event, and then um hearing that making that event was uh was very difficult because you know it's expensive, so that's one thing, but we pulled it off and they loved it. They they that that first event was insane. Feeling that the first time, you're like, Fuck, dude, this is insane. To me, that's it's just it's a good feeling to have people show up and then I'm very grateful that they have a good time.

SPEAKER_02 4:25

What has been like your biggest challenge to making like this whole like monthly thing a reality? Fuck, man.

SPEAKER_00 4:32

Biggest challenge? Do you want a personal one or do you want the like the fake one? What do you want? Yeah. It's been a little bit difficult, you know. You get you get the negative and you get the positive, but you turn a negative into a positive. Trying to create something new all over again, the art for it, and how present it to everybody as well. Uh it's difficult the way you present something out of it. I've seen a lot of people have events that take a couple months off or do it every six months, and you know, they don't they don't take the time to to recreate it. But to me, I'm trying to recreate it every single month. And to me, people don't understand it's like it takes a lot of work. I'm usually here at the ranch, or I mostly my inspiration comes from here. So I usually look at little things that I grew up on and then I I try to present it as as as as raw as it is. If you don't like it, then it's cool. If you do like it, then it's uh I like it. Like it's it's to me it's what matters. You know, you you got your you got your haters, and then you got the people that love it. So I I I would love I would love for the haters to come out and and support and see it and get to know me for that, and that's pretty much it's it's a ride, bro, when we do it. Like it's it's fucking like deadlines, it's photo shoots. So I'm the one who does the photo shoots, I'm the one who does the the director of how I want it to be done. But also I've had help with uh all gays go to heaven. He's an extremely important talent, he's fucking talented. He to me, he's one of my favorite videographers, bro. If this guy can see something and you just let him know, like, hey, we're gonna do this, he'll take it and make it for you. And to me, I'm very grateful for him to be part of it. Like it's it's he's been a blessing to me. So uh usually I don't work with a lot of people on that. So majority is just me, but T is the one that I've actually like, hey bro, come come, let's do some magic, let's work together. So fucking go, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:26

Shout out to him. If there were could be like one thing that you would add to this event, um what would it be? Strippers, no kidding.

SPEAKER_00 6:33

Um kidding. No, contact kidding. My girl, kill me. Oh shit, man. Honestly. Fuck man. There's there's there's there's people that I want to collaborate with, but then I've I've you know, I think the door is finally shut now, so uh that I wanted to add, but that's that's already at the table now for me. Um but like main artists, like traditional artists like Rio Palma, uh Bandama Gay, those retro bands, the techno bands that I want to add to. Um there's EDM stuff that I want to add to it too that that needs to be shown a certain way. And I just call a rave. But to me it's just uh that ghetto Mexican EDM is the way to go with it. And that's been like my cherry on the top that I wanna I'm excited to show you guys what what it actually is. There's Noche Trivaleta, but then there's that. That to me is like imagine you being at a at a listening to Banda, and next thing you know you you switch it to a rave, like it's or a EDM shit, EDM style type of event. You're gonna be hyped up for that. So it's I wanna I wanna include that, but but we are acceptable towards everybody, so like every culture to us, it's important. That's an add-on for us. Uh love to have everyone to come out, but um for right now that's that's all I can think of, you know.

SPEAKER_02 7:53

So tell us when the techno shit comes on. Look, I will be there with my vodka rainbow raid pario. So sick. In the previous ones, like what would you say has been like the biggest like lesson learned from like having like all these hard BO nights?

SPEAKER_00 8:09

Just know who you work with. Also, understand like your values. Like we talked before, values is really important to me. Um, you know, those things that I learned. I learned a lot from people that they wanted to work with us, and they have good intentions, some don't, you know, but it's part of life, you know, you learn from it, you move on. Um but to me it's just you know uh understanding what what um how to move forward of like how to build it more. And to me, I wanted to get as big as possible for for anybody. It's not just uh an event to me. Like, you know, it's Buente is involved too, you know. They're they're really important. They're they're another important piece of of what Hadi Bell is about. You know, shout out Chale and Diego. They're they do a lot for the they do more than what I do for you know for my event. They do a lot way more for the community that that helps out and their families and shit. So um, yeah, that's just a highlight of what I actually see myself wanting to do as well. To take the event as big as possible and then to help out. And that's one of the things I've I've tried to help out, but that's just the lesson that you learned.

SPEAKER_02 9:15

So yeah, nah, for real. Shout out to Punta and all they do. Alright, so you're given five legendary Mexican artists, alright, to perform at Howard. Dead or alive? Dead or alive? Who are you putting on? That's a good ass question.

SPEAKER_00 9:29

Well, Chalino Sanchez first, of course. That's the god, right? That's fucking that imagine, imagine just holographing his ass and just putting it on stage.

SPEAKER_02 9:37

That's your I might jump on stage with him.

SPEAKER_00 9:40

Uh Chalino, Valentili Salde, Juan Sebastian, Juan Graviel, even though he wasn't but Juan Grabiel is really important because he could perform anywhere. He can perform some insane songs, so that's one four, uh, and then Michael Jackson.

SPEAKER_02 9:58

Damn, I didn't think you were gonna like pull that one off.

SPEAKER_00 10:01

Yeah, Michael Jackson could speak Spanish, bro.

SPEAKER_02 10:04

I need to see this footage right now.

SPEAKER_00 10:06

Michael Jackson, bro.

SPEAKER_02 10:08

That's fucking sick.

SPEAKER_00 10:10

Damn, that would remove my brain too. I would probably be uh Banarico. Yeah, Banarrico perform.

SPEAKER_02 10:16

So someone like is like coming up to you and going, like, hey Ru, like, you know, what's like what's like the number one beer or like the number one cocktail that you'd say is like the best way to experience how to be on night?

SPEAKER_00 10:29

So it's important, bro. A lot of the stuff that we give like for the promotion, like for uh we have palomas and vampiros. If you guys buy one, a dollar gets donated to Puente. So Palomas and Vampiros, I I would always suggest you to buy. Because a dollar gets donated to Puente organization. So to me, I always go for that route. I don't drink, by the way, so I've never done it.

SPEAKER_02 10:48

Oh, I do, so Puente, you're getting a dollar out of me. Look, you meet someone, you know, maybe you're like thrifting or like you're just doing something like getting like a snack from like the chorus, or someone recognizes you from like, you know, being out here in these streets and goes like, Oh, you're the you're the Jared Bio guy. I don't know like what that is. Like, what is like your pitch to them to like to just give it a shot?

SPEAKER_00 11:11

It's a Mexican rodeo. It's just a Mexican party. That's it. Imagine you in your backyard hanging out with your friends, and that's what it is. It's like it's that's pretty much it is that's banda música, el raza, all that.

SPEAKER_02 11:24

Just imagine like you're five years old, like your family's party until like 4 a.m. You want to go to bed while your Theo's got like the beers in the background, shit. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:34

No, we got more questions. We gotta interview Los now, so I got Los is next. Shit.

SPEAKER_02 11:39

Hey man, you got nothing to say. I think it's the mysterious out here, man. Can't be doing me like this.

SPEAKER_00 11:44

Hey Los, how was your experience, Friday Bill? Do we have any playback for that?

SPEAKER_02 11:58

So for the people, I guess this is my pitch to you. Um, no, it's just a beautiful vibe, beautiful people, just like music that I like grew up because of like my mom and shit. It's just like it just like then like reminds me of just like family that are like back home and shit, back to the motherland. Just like it's when you go there, it's just like a whole vibe. And like when you go outside, it's just like you could be just like in the bathroom and shit. People are still like dapping up, having conversations, even though it's like dog, I still need to wash my hands, homie. I gotta don't need to chill out. But no, like uh no, but jokes aside, like, was it no? It's it's a beautiful time and shit. And thank you for like really putting in the work, you know, to anyone. If you were in the Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, whatever area, if you're close to downtown, if you're not a mark-ass buster, look. If you want to prove that you're not, you've gotta go to Hada Be on Knight. At least just once. Like, give a dollar to a TV.

SPEAKER_00 12:52

This is not a Mark ass buster. I know that for sure. Los is not a Mark ass buster. I saw you cripwalk, bro, at the at the event. I saw you was Cripwalk.

SPEAKER_02 12:59

We don't need to go into details, man. We don't need the footage for it.

SPEAKER_00 13:03

You were coming, you were cripwalking, bro. You ride horses, bro?

SPEAKER_02 13:07

Wait, what?

SPEAKER_00 13:07

You ride horses?

SPEAKER_02 13:08

I haven't ridden a horse since I was a child.

SPEAKER_00 13:10

Should we put Los on a horse?

SPEAKER_01 13:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:12

Then you went fuck it. I'll do anything for the cloud. Thank you, man. Thank you for having us out here. Always, always. You guys might have a smile. Take us around the ranch, please.

SPEAKER_00 13:22

Yeah, come on, let's go. Let's go around the ranch. This is uh These are some of the family horses. You got Palomito right here? Welcome to Jackass. We're gonna do it. I don't know if I want to do that for the function. This is called getting kicked by a horse. He doesn't kick. He knows better than that. He just gets a little frightened. It's too fucking hot. Usually I try to ride out during the nighttime and stuff, so he's the one you should be scared of. Or she's the one you should be scared of.

SPEAKER_02 14:02

And long just ran up on him.

SPEAKER_00 14:05

Yeah. This is where I'd be in the weekends, bro. After the city life. He's doing all the work. You got the roosters over here. Well, some some of the roosters are the part of the family over here. This one, this one likes to fight. What's up, buddy? See in his eyes, he's a little fire. Yeah, he's a fire. This is part of the culture, bro. This is how we grew up. I call this place uh Ranchito Felix. Ranchito Felix. Ranchito Felix, bro. That's what we call it. My grandfather is called Fido. So Fidu was his nickname.

SPEAKER_02 14:58

Oh shit, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:59

So that he was a rooster, also. Like he was a you know, he raised them too. So we just stuck with my dad. Stuck with my family. That's how we do. And this is the other compound. You all like set dates when do we take care of them? But usually I just come over here on the weekends to hang out with my dad, to be honest with you. I like hanging out with him a lot. He's a really important person. He's a really inspiration for what I do for artwork. So we're hanging out sometimes. Even for the video we did for uh for the May, we're literally just chilling there listening to music. And then I looked at my on my uh my brother's jump set. And I was like, man, you remember we used to play like that, Dad? And he goes, Yeah, you know what? I got an idea, let's do the video. And we had shot like a couple days before with the um with T. Yeah. We had shot the Chilenos and then we added that clip to it. So and then T just directed the edits. Um came out beautiful, man.

SPEAKER_02 16:01

This is like a fucking beautiful world to get away from like the other one, you know.

SPEAKER_00 16:05

It's hot as fuck though, huh?

SPEAKER_02 16:06

Shit, it's a fair trade, yeah. It's a fair trade. Yes, sir.

SPEAKER_00 16:11

See, I didn't name all of these, I just named a Hadi Fedo one. The one I have. So we breed a lot of them here. We used to some of the roosters that my dad's favorite roosters that he keeps. Big boy right there. He has names, I don't know their names, he has names for them. So he just he just plucked their feathers because you know he wanted them to grow new ones. Oh yeah, and then uh so pretty much so he treats those are his babies, bro. He treats them with like like those are really important. The baby chickens over here and turkeys. Come in, come in, puppy. You're scared. This guy, this guy will fuck you up. This is sugar that that's sugar-free. Those are his hoes. I was joking. Those are his rooms that's that's uh that's he's protecting the rooster the chickens, like the rooster protects him from like animals and stuff too. So like they guide him. More little turkeys and chickens over here, more roosters over here. We try to raise them a lot, but also shout out to Mateo Turo. He has the best, the best goats in all of Phoenix, all of fucking United States. Go get his goat milk, regular fucking cheese. That guy raises the best fucking goats ever, bro. Every kind of goat you can think of. He raises them in 86th Avenue in fucking Indian school, bro. He's right there just off of that.

SPEAKER_01 17:42

Oh shit.

SPEAKER_00 17:42

So if you want to buy some goats that are good, he has the best. He told me to say that on camera, by the way. So at Norwalk, my dad used to have like a bird, uh, he would he was like a he was a lot of birds. Yeah, so he loves animals, bro. He loves birds especially. And he had bird coop, like gangsters club, just members only jacket, birds would fly out. Like, and I have pictures of it. It's pretty dope. These are my these are my little babies right here. Uh, this is Hadi Fedo. This is the world champion. This is the Neol Messi of of roosters. He's a character, he gets he gets jealous.

SPEAKER_02 18:17

He looks like he's just buying time and shit. Give him five seconds, he'll show you some shit.

SPEAKER_00 18:22

No, but we treat them all like we raise them well. We don't eat no no chickens or roosters here. We don't do that.

SPEAKER_02 18:28

This is the life outside of the club and shit, you know what I'm saying? I don't it's fucking beautiful out here.

SPEAKER_00 18:34

A lot of stuff resembles from like CareStatias. We have a lot of the family has uh coups like this. My tier Mateo Juan does, my dad does, Mateo Tugu. The family members as well. Shout out my tio Luis and my tio. They're or my tio Sam too. They've I have a lot of fucking uncles. So they they love what we're doing, they're they're looking at it. So to me, I like to to include them as well.

SPEAKER_02 18:57

That's why I'm saying, again, if you're not a Mark ass buster, but no, in all reality, keep showing out to the events here because this is this is like who they're who the kind of people that are doing it for us, you know what I'm saying? But gotta give them our respects, you know what I'm saying? Give our respects to the roosters, the the the motherfucking horses. Thank you, General Wool, for showing us around here.

SPEAKER_00 19:18

Appreciate it. Yeah, don't be a Mark. Stop being a Marquette box.