Kapi Interview
Πρώην μέλος των Barcelona Addictos, ξεκίνησε το breakdance το 1984 και διακρίθηκε παγκοσμίως. Είναι ο ιδρυτής της εταιρίας Montana, κατασκευάστρια των καλύτερων (κατά πολλούς) graffiti σπρέυ της αγοράς. Μιλάει για το πως ξεκίνησε το break, τις εμπειρίες του, την ίδρυση της Montana Colors και τα σπρέυ μαϊμού που κυκλοφόρησαν τον τελευταίο καιρό υπό την ονομασία "Montana". Μάθετε πως να ξεχωρίζεται τα αυθεντικά σπρέυ για να μη πιαστείτε κορόιδα.
Το κείμενο μας έστειλε ο Stammis Chris και δημοσιεύεται με την άδειά του. Περισσότερα για το breakdance και το graffiti στην ιστοσελίδα του:
- You are a former member of Barcelona Addictos but how did you start with breaking and for how long have you been breaking? And what b-boys are your inspirations?
I''m not a member of Addictos anymore. Addictos was founded in 1995 with me also, but I left the crew in 1998, tired of "shows", "stages" and responsabilities. It was too hard for me, because I want dance for fun not for work. Also there was other reasons like my relationship with the members of the crew. I?m 30 and they are around 20 and the generational difference was difficult. Now I''m a good friend of all of them because there is no more responsabilities between. I started breaking in 1984 (at age 13) because it arrived to Spain that year at hard media level and I was in Argentina on holidays (I''m born there) and I met b-boys there and in Brazil. When I came back to Spain, the films arrived and my friends also started to break. In 1986 I started to write graffiti and breaking goes to second point in my live until 1994 when I met b-boys in Germany with incredible level (Battle Squad, Second To None, etc). Then I started to practice seriously again. I was inspired at the beggining by N.Y. style (Rock Steady Crew and New York City Breakers). Until 1990''s they were my only inspiration. Footworks, style and fast power moves (Ken Swift, Crazy Legs, Izzy Ice, etc). When I retaked breaking in middle 1990''s it was more difficult for me to be inspired from other b-boys because ta already was clear what I liked. Anyway, the whole Battle Squad crew was very good for me, also Maximo from Italy (R.I.P.) and French crews like Actuel Force or Kafig.
- Tell us about Barcelona Addictos
The crew was founded in 1995 with six members (Alexis, Kapi, Fran, Abraham, Moockie and Zeta). All of us were from Barcelona except Zeta who were from Madrid. Moockie and Zeta left the crew in 1996 when we started to do many proffessional stuff (like Theaters, BOTY, Shows, TV). We four began to develope the introduction of Breakdance in Contemporanian Dance world. So we started to do the same here like crews in France did a few years before. During 1997 and 1998 we danced on stages and theaters in many European countries. In 1998 we were only 3 members (becuse Alexis left the crew also) and at this moment I decided to stop on this, Abraham and Fran started to look for other b-boys to hold the crew alive. Now Addictos is a different kind of crew, the members are from many different cities and are like many other crews are now. Very good on battles and individual skills, but not much friend crew feeling. Personally, I''m not in any crew because I prefer dancing alone. There is not people I find here who understand b-boying like me. All dancers are down into the fashion moves like everywhere else. So I''ve been invited to judge on battles and to dance on parties the last 3 years, and it''s enough because it''s a big recognition for me.
- What do you think about BOTY and how did it went down for you guys?
When I was in the crew Addictos, we were in battle two times (1996 and 1997). It was great because we got contact with many b-boys out there and trading knowledge. That''s the best at this event. Anyway we were very happy with the organization because we understand that they are trying to do the best for everybody. It was good feedback for us.
BOTY looks something very big now, but "backstage" I think it''s a very fragile thing. They depend too much on sponsors and support from thirds. It''s great to see how they can do like they want to, depending on this. I think it''s worldwide, but for sure, in Spain, Battle Of The Year did something very good for the b-boy movement. Many dancers met again with breaking because BOTY is famous and they saw it on magazines and videos. For me, personally, BOTY is one of the great things we have in our culture. It looks very serious and professional, but it''s keeping it real.
The people should know the organizers and understand how they are helping b-boys around the world.
- Tell me about Montana as a company
Montana was at the end. Before all this, we (Moockie and me) were working as a writers. In 1992 Moockie and me started to do a magazine (DOWNROCKS aka BARCELONA GAME OVER MAG.). In 1993 we opened the first graffiti shop here with help of Jordi Rubio (Comercial Manager of Felton Spray and who did, from Felton, a good paint at that time). Jordi was really surprised of the power of graffiti and the writers, so he started to support us as much as he could. First thing was to get Felton good paint and colors, but this company was not really interested in supporting graffiti (they think it''s something dirty). In 1994 he was tired and with our help (suggestions, colors, technics, etc) he started MONTANA COLORS company. Our shop (Bunker store) started to be very popular in 1995, full of Montana paint. Hundreds of foreign writers visited us to buy dozens of cans and bring back to their hometown. It was our first advertisement: writers painting and speaking good about our work, the perfect can. In 1996 many companies start to distribute Montana in many countries. This was definitive for consolidate Montana as the first spray brand made for writers. This is basically the history of Montana, a small company which is making cans for graffiti culture. Many of the good things Montana did was of course with our ideas, like "donut" (color piece on top), pressure or colors, but they are always thinking how to offer the best produtc to writers.
- Tell us everything people should know about the copies of Montana and how you feel about it. And how do you see difference between a original can and a copy.
(taken for montanacolors.com site)
In 1997 Montana Colors made an agreement with L&G in Germany to distribute the Montana Cans in Central, Northern and Eastern Europe.
In 1998 L&G asked Montana Colors to be Montana''s world distributor. Montana Colors rejected. In 1999 the German company DUPLICOLOR-VOGELSANG, manufacturer of spray paint for the car repair market, started its movements to get into the graffiti market making an offer to Montana Colors to buy this company. Montana Colors rejected. In 2000 L&G made a new offer to buy Montana Colors. L&G''s hidden economic support was Duplicolor-Vogelsang. L&G threatened Montana Colors with war if Montana did not agree in selling to them. Montana Colors rejected. In 2001 acted DUPLICOLOR-VOGELSANG and L&G together against Montana Colors brand and market. They manufactured clonic Montana cans without Montana Colors'' consent and began to sell them throughout Europe. Montana Colors has started the corresponding law suits against this people which, curiously, are so clumsy that did not think of this possibility when beginning their conspiracy.
L&G has told and written that they had Montana''s consent: that is a lie. They have said that they have Montana''s formulations: that is a lie. They say that they did invent the donut (colored ring): that is a lie. They have even said that they provided Montana Colors with the spray paint that Montana Colors is selling to the rest of countries: that is another of their insane lies. They are just running amok.
L&G''s counterfeited quality is not comparable to the original Montana''s, for example they used at first a propellant that was immediately refused by the writers everywhere. Shops and whole sellers returned the fake Montana cans.
MONTANA COLORS, ON FRONT OF ALL THIS, ACTS JUDICIALLY AGAINST SUCH A FALSIFICATION AND STOP IMMEDIATELY THE DISTRIBUTION CONTRACT OF L+G.
L&G and DUPLICOLOR-VOGELSANG try to intimidate the European shops starting that they are the legal users of the word ''MONTANA''. That is nonsense too. Montana colors is the true owner of the Community Trademark registration No. 664864 "MONTANA"
Register number : 644864
Class : 2
PAINTS APPLIED BY SPRAY
to distinguish legally spray paints, while the word "MONTANA" the counterfactors try to use belongs to a Swiss company (Farbo S.A.)
INTERNATIONAL REGISTER Register number : 511557 Class : 2 COLORS, VARNISH, LACS, PRESERVATIVES AGAINST OXIDE AND THE DETERIORATION OF THE WOOD.
L+G AND DUPLI-VOGELSANG HAS NEGOCIATE WITH FARBO (SWISS VARNISH PRODUCER), TO PRODUCE ALSO WITH THE NAME OF MONTANA, AND SO TRYING TO CONFUSE THE MARKET AND TAKE ADVANTAGE FOR PLACE A POOR COPY WITH LOW QUALITY OF SPRAY PAINT MADE BY DUPLICOLOR-VOGELSANG FOR L+G.
These counterfactors cheat with the arguments thinking that this way they shall intimidate us or even avoid our law suits to remove their cans from the market
EVEN ALL THIS ,MONTANA COLORS KEEPS ON WITH ITS NORMAL ACTIVITY, TO AND FOR THE GRAFFITI, THROUGH WITH ITS OTHER DISTRIBUTORS ALWAYS LOYALS TO THE SPANISH BRAND.
NOW A DAYS MONTANA COLORS IS ORGANIZATING A NEW DISTRIBUTOR TO SUPPLY ORIGINAL MONTANA?S HARDCORE IN THE COUNTRIES WHERE L+G WAS THE DISTRIBUTOR. IN THE WEB SIDE: WWW.MONTANACOLORS.COM (WHERE) YOU WILL FIND THE ADDRESSES.
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A FAKE AND A REAL MONTANTA CAN ARE:
FAKED CANS:
- The info about how to use the can (on the back) is written in German, English, Polish, Finish, Swedish & Danish. The background of the can is black and the letters are white, the opposite of the Montana original.
- The fake cans do not have the "boina". Instead they come with transparent plastic cap.
- If the can says: manufactured for L+G in German, for sure is a faked one. The real ones are made in Barcelona, Spain.
- The "donut" is smaller than the original one.
- Underneath the fake can there is a stamp giving the colour in Spanish, French and English
- The paint contained in these cans is not the same quality as a Montana original.
Now L&G is makin a different designed can but they use the name MONTANA. So they contribute to confuese the market again. The real Montana are from Barcelona and they are stealing our work for take profit of the graffiti market as fast as they can. We are not against new brands (like Aerosol Art colors owned by L&G).
We feel betrayed. Looks like graffiti could be a bussines for this kind of suckers. I hope, writers understand what it means. They have last word. They have to recognize what is happening by themselves. I think writers are enough intelligents for recognize the suckers on this bussines. Normally this people undervalue the intelligence of writers and writers must punish this people.