NAAFI: Bass without borders

Tomás and Alberto discuss how the music they release reflects the collective’s essence. The key criteria for a NAAFI artist is to be genuine, personable and, as Alberto states, “not a douchebag. All the NAAFI artists are totally comfortable with who they are, even if they are freaks, and the crew consists of people who will not compromise their music to be economically viable. It’s not about that.”

In order to showcase the outlook of NAAFI, Mixmag recently hosted the premiere of Tribes: NAAFI, a documentary produced by Smirnoff Sound Collective that takes viewers to the streets of Mexico City and inside the lives of its core members. “All our artists came together for the first time,” says Alberto. “It allowed us to show the full scope of the project and reach a broader audience. To collaborate with a brand that has that reach is something we greatly appreciate. Our goal is to reach as many people as possible and Smirnoff Sound Collective allowed us to do that.”

NAAFI has grown to gather members across Central and South America, including Argentina, Uruguay, Puerto Rico, Chile and beyond. The underground scene of Mexico City would not be what it is without NAAFI, though they don’t like to classify themselves as underground at all. They aim to have a global cultural impact by delivering a platform for their fellow Latin artists to present their vision, though the vision is not easily defined. “Eventually we realised the term ‘NAAFI’ was out of our hands. Now it’s not only what we say it is, it’s more what people interpret it to be – and,” Alberto looks to his comrades who nod in approval, “that’s completely fine with us.”

Watch Tribes Ep.2: NAAFI here