Ska-P: Madrid energy, an anti-establishment message and a return after a four-year break

Founded in Madrid in 1994, the band focused from the outset on energy, rhythm and a revolutionary, anti-establishment message. Their first album, “Ska-P”, released by AZ Records, included “Como Un Rayo”, a song dedicated to the Rayo Vallecano football team from Madrid's working-class Vallecas district, where the band members grew up. The upbeat track quickly became an unofficial supporters' anthem.

Led by the charismatic Roberto “Pulpul” Gañán, the group quickly made a name for themselves through the extraordinarily exuberant performances that remain their hallmark today. Just two years later, they signed with prestigious label RCA Records. “El Vals del Obrero” (“The Workers’ Waltz”) proved a breakthrough album, with “Cannabis” becoming a worldwide hit. Subsequent albums confirmed Ska-P’s quality and consolidated their position on the international scene.

Released in 2002, “Que Corra la Voz” is still considered the peak of the band’s abilities and their finest calling card. Just three years later, the Spaniards suspended activity. Their triumphant return came in 2008, producing the excellent “Lágrimas y Gozos” and sold-out venues. “Crimen Sollicitationis”, attacking the Catholic Church without restraint over paedophile scandals, resonated worldwide. The Ska-P steamroller stopped for a second time in 2014, when musicians exhausted by endless touring suspended the group indefinitely.

One of their final concerts was the memorable Przystanek Woodstock 2014 performance, preserved on DVD and considered by many the finest in the festival's history. Yet the Spanish veterans did not give up. Their return, which few believed possible, is one of this year's biggest musical sensations!

Incredible guitar work, rock’s power, punk’s energy, reggae’s positive message and ska’s irresistible rhythm: the Spanish collective still follows this perfect recipe. Every album and concert calls for struggle. Ska-P refuse to stay silent in a world where a minority controls the majority through an economic system designed to exploit people. Pulpul’s anarchist crew mince no words in telling the whole truth about the brutal system, arguing that struggle and revolution are the only solutions for nations losing hope.

One thing is certain: at Stodoła on 15 September, the audience will feel that heat, energy and wildness. Every Ska-P performance is a chance to experience the best concert of your life. The only concert in Poland, the only opportunity!

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