Interview by Mirissa Neff. From SCENE: The Guardian Guide to Bay Area Nightlife and Glamour, on stands in our regular issue now!
Funky C with his band Joya, photographed for our SCENE cover by Spencer Hansen
Known throughout Latin America as C-Funk, singer, guitarist, and DJ Funky C, a.k.a. Cristian Moraga, was born during the bleak days of Pinochet's dictatorship. He co-fronted popular funk-rock-hip-hop band Los Tetas and brought the groove back to a Chilean scene rife with disenfranchised punk rockers. When Los Tetas ended, Moraga vowed never to set foot on another stage. Lucky for us, though, his particular brand of funk (what he calls "Funk Latino") was too chronic to shake. The mothership brought him to San Francisco where he recorded Joya (Sonic 360, 2007), an album full of nods to funk icons like James Brown and George Clinton and less-expected heros like Tupac and Snoop Dogg. With two recent slots at the Fillmore under his belt, Funky C is set to throw down his deep-rooted riffs and infectious songs at a series of new parties called "Latin Biatz."
SFBG How did you end up in the U.S.?
Funky C I have family here and came here to play with my old band, Los Tetas. But I always wanted to come here to live. In 2007 I released the Funky C album with L.A. label Sonic 360 and decided to move here. Then my wife and I had our baby here in San Francisco, a California girl. It's been a crazy year.
SFBG So the whole band came from Chile?
Funky C Well, I decided for myself, and they wanted to come too. And through my visa I got them visas. The drummer Pepino arrived last year. The bass player Chicho came last year, went back to Chile, and got back just in time for our show at the Fillmore last week. The only one who's not here is the keyboard player. We're missing one of our characters in the band, and I miss him a lot.
SFBG How did you connect with Sonic 360?
Funky C Through my friends in Kinky. I met them when I was with Los Tetas. Los Tetas was together for 12 years and we were popular all over South America. We were "famous." So playing around we met other colleagues, like Kinky and Los Amigos Invisibles. When I sent out Funky C recordings to different U.S. labels, Sonic 360 liked it and wanted to work with me as soon as possible.
SFBG Why do you go by both Funky C and C-Funk?
Funky C I've been C-Funk all my life. That's what the rapper from Los Tetas nicknamed me. But when I was releasing my album here the trademark office wouldn't let me use that name because of the similarity to P-Funk. That was why I was called C-Funk in the first place, the C is for my first name [Cristian]. The label needed me to find a name right away. I chose Funky C because it's the same, just backwards. In the end I got the trademark for C-Funk, just too late for the first album. Maybe the next album will be C-Funk. It's kind of a similar story to Prince ...
SFBG So you're the Artist Formerly Known as C-Funk.
Funky C Maybe that's what I should have called myself.
SFBG What's next for Funky C?
Funky C I'm recording material for the new album and want to focus more on the fact that I'm here. I'm writing some songs in English so people can understand me. And some songs in Spanglish too. In terms of language, my first U.S. show as Funky C was opening for Raphael Saadiq at the Fillmore. The response of the audience was amazing. It didn't matter that I was singing in Spanish — they didn't care, they just danced. I almost cried that night. It made me very hopeful that people here will be open to my kind of music. In Chile it was hard with the new project. But playing that night at the Fillmore was like an explosion.
LATIN BIATZ
Hosted by Funky C and Joya with DJ C-Funk
Tuesday, October 13, 9 p.m., $5
647 Valencia St., SF
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