Wannabe Jalva Visits NYC for the CMJ Music Marathon and Shoots with the La Sardina

The band Wannabe Jalva came all the way from Brazil to be part of the CMJ Music Marathon. We asked the band’s members to be part of the LomoAmigo crew and catch a glimpse of the Big Apple, and they documented a week-long stay in New York with a Lomography La Sardina camera.

CMJ is a huge Music Marathon, with over 1400 shows in one week. It exudes such overwhelming music energy that it’s hard to pick the best shows. We have teamed up with our friends at WillowWoodmusic who, with their fine music taste, helped us to get the best bands on board for the Lomography magazine.

Wannabe Jalva was one band to watch out for at CMJ. The lads from Porto Alegre, Brazil are describes their music as as ‘uterus space-groove rock.’ They came to CMJ to play some selections from their latest EP “Collecture,” but found some time to shoot around Coney Island with a La Sardina camera and grant an exclusive interview.

Tell us about your band.

We are Wannabe Jalva, a band from the south of Brazil that plays psychedelic groove rock. There are no rules, desert meets the space while bubbles are crossing the sky.

Was this your first time playing at the CMJ? And your first visit to New York City?

Almost everyone of us had already been in NYC before, but playing as a band was our first time.

How was the marathon for you guys?

It was memorable! CMJ is a huge and amazing festival! It was super cool playing alongside so many bands and new artists as well.

Who were your favorite acts that you managed to see throughout the week?

I liked a band called The Wytches! These guys were playing at Rough Trade when I was there some random afternoon and they rock! Another cool band we watched and played with was The Peach Kings, great guys from L.A.

What was your favorite venue to play in and visit?

Rough Trade (Brooklyn) is a great spot, but Arlene’s Grocery was my favorite venue to play! It was crowded, everybody enjoying to be there and also celebrating music, what is the most important thing in a festival like this.

Got any favorite spots or hidden gems in the city we should know about?

Ana Maria’s pizza was our second home in Brooklyn (haha). I can’t remember how many slices we had there. But seriously.. I think Baby’s All Right is one of my favorite spots! We hadn’t heard about it before going there, but it seems like a good place to hang out with friends, to meet people and watch nice shows.

New York is such a foodie paradise, what’s the best thing you ate last week?

We recently went to a place called Taboonette (close to Union Square), a nice and small middle eastern restaurant with great atmosphere. We also tried a classic cookie at Levain bakery, in the Upper West side (I’m pretty sure it was the best I’ve ever had).

What’s the most “New York” thing you’ve seen on this trip?

I think nothing can be more “New York” than the Subway, and during those days we were running all the time from one place to another, so the subway was how we feel most the city crowd. Also, the amount of different cultures and eclectic people mixed together is fascinating.

Where to next?

SXSW. Hope to get a chance to go soon!

How was your experience shooting with film?

It was amazing! We love to take pictures, we’re carrying analog cameras and stuff with us all the time, so it was really cool to shoot our day by day in the city.

What do you like the most about shooting with Lomography cameras?

Lomo cameras are unique. The textures, vibes and the concept are really nice. I love the experimental thing these cameras offer.

Get ready to sail the high seas with our new La Sardina collection! These 35mm cameras are equipped with spectacular wide-angle lens, multiple exposure capabilities, and a rewind dial—everything you need for fun-filled and thrill-soaked escapades. Get your own La Sardina camera now!

written by antoniocastello on 2014-11-26 #people #art #brazil #music #nyc #ny #marathon #wannabe #news #analogue-cameras #lomoamigo #35mm-films #cmj #jalva