YRUAMA: A JOURNEY

Combining elements and rhythms of Afro-Latinx and psychedelia into their music, New York native band Combo Chimbita stopped at Cine El Rey in McAllen for their Ahomale Tour. Ahomale serves as the band’s second album, preceded by their first album, Abya Yala. 

During this tour stop, four sets of local artists opened for Combo Chimbita. 

Local band Yruama, one of the opening acts, showcased their fusion on Spanish and alternative indie-rock music. Yruama consists of five members: Amaury on lead vocals, Kevin on drums, Paola on keys, Andrew on electric guitar, and Andy currently sitting in for bass guitar. 

The idea of Yruama started when Amaury Lopez, the creator and lead singer of Yruama, was 14 years old. 

“I started making music when I was 14,” he said. “Yruama is just my name backwards. You know, how when you are in elementary and everyone’s thinking of how to spell their name backwards.” 

Growing up, Amaury listened to varying genres of music, influencing his creative work. Some of Amaury’s music influences also include artists with similar indie tones and rhythms. “When I was in elementary, I would listen to classic rock. I listened to artists like Led Zeppelin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Aerosmith. During middle school, I listened to Interpol, The Strokes, and all of that.” 

Since he was 14, Amaury has been creating his own music, and started performing at gigs at the age of 19. 

“My friend asked me two years ago if I wanted to perform a show by myself since I released an album. I didn’t have a band, I didn’t have anything,” Amaury said. 

Amaury shared how he has always had a passion for music. He started his music journey with only three things: a shabby guitar, a worn-out drum set, and himself. It wasn’t until his first performance at Yerberia Cultura that he was able to assemble a group of musicians and debut Yruama’s music. 

“I asked some other people if they can play with me and at first there was a totally different lineup. I was so nervous. My hands were shaking.” 

Two years and a handful of performances later, Yruama continues growing creatively while performing shows and opening up for other music performances. They continue their journey with their opening performance for Combo Chimbita, and dream of opening up for other artists in the future. 

“If I was to open up for my favorite band, The War on Drugs, I’d be psyched. I had not heard about Combo before,” Amaury said. Combo Chimbita started releasing music in 2016, a year before Yruama performed its first gig. 

“They [The War on Drugs] have been touring for a long time. Combo Chimbita is getting there.” 

Amaury recognizes Combo Chimbita’s potential as a music group just as he sees his own ambition and growth with Yruama. After performing for two years, Amaury often times feels what he felt during his first gig: nervousness. But this doesn’t get in the way of Yruama’s ability to please their audience.

“Before playing I still get nervous and shy,” Amaury shares. Determining the mood of an audience is different for each venue and each performance. Since their debut gig, Yruama has had the opportunity to open for other music groups prior to opening for Combo Chimbita. 

“We’ve opened up for other bands before. I was nervous at first during Combo’s opening performance, then I felt good. My biggest insecurity is the way I sing, but that day, I felt really good about how I sang.” 

To overcome his nerves, Amaury makes sure to keep a routine the day of a gig. On an average gig day, he prepares for his performances by underwhelming himself by hanging out with his friends before a performance, while having the privilege of performing with his friends as Yruama. 

“It’s more special and I feel better playing with my friends,” Amaury mentioned. “The way I see it is I would rather have my friends play for me than other musicians.” Yruama continues adding members to their group to enhance their sound and continue making music. In July 2019, Yruama released their EP Cravings. The group’s current goal is to be able to release new music soon. 

“I want to finish my project. I want to be able to put something out soon,” Amaury said. Yruama has two EPs, 102 and Cravings, and one single Vamonos Pa Mexico released. Amaury hopes to create more music and perform at more gigs and for more audiences. 

“I play music because I really want to. I just want to play.”