Cirque du Nortec

If you are reading this on May 5, there is a good chance that the two main members of the Nortec Collective are flying over your head from Montreal.

The Tijuana-based techno musicians are scheduled to perform at Cincoteca, a free Cinco de Mayo event held at the Headquarters at Seaport Village.

However, the Collective’s main musicians, Pepe Mogt, better known as Fussible, and Ramón Amezcua, aka Bostich, spent May 4 in Montreal enjoying the premiere of Luzia, a new Cirque du Soleil show inspired by the history of Mexico from the Mayans to modern times.

Mogt and Amezcua produced and arranged the music, which was composed by Simon Carpentier, who has written many musical pieces for Cirque du Soleil.

“It’s very Cirque du Soleil, a combination of classical, opera, and new age,” Mogtsays. “It’s a huge production.”

Mogt and Amezcua were hired for the gig after the Cirque officials saw the Collective at the Mutech festival last year, a big techno-music event in Montreal.

“They gave us the score and said we could do what we want,” Mogt says.

Amezcua said he and Mogt rearranged the music at their studio in Tijuana, using synths and keyboards as well as local musicians, some of whom play norteño style.

“There was another producer there,” he concedes. “Her job was to make sure the aesthetics fit the other Cirque du Soleil albums.”

Amezcua and Mogt got the assignment in December, which meant a short recording schedule.

“We were working 7/24 if you know what I mean,” Amezcua says.

The duo went to Montreal for the premiere and expect to have a late night celebrating.

However, Mogt doesn’t think he will be too jetlagged for Cincoteca.

“I think it’s only three hours ahead,” he says.

Amezcua says the enthusiasm from the premiere will easily carry over to the Cinco de Mayo show, the first time they have performed here in three years.

“We consider this a local show,” he says. “When we play in TJ, our fans from San Diego and Chula Vista cross the border. When we play here, the people from TJ come over.”