“Londres + Cabron” By Vibarco
A single epic narrative unfolds across two songs by Colombian artist Vibarco in this powerful two-part music video. In the double-feature of "Londres" and "Cabron," Vibarco portrays a streetwise hustler barely scraping by in New York City. Every day is a struggle, and as his relationship with his girlfriend begins to fray as well, he is wracked by insecurity. In order to find purpose and meaning again, he must face a manifestation of his childhood self, who was viciously bullied for his (perceived) lack of masculinity. Lost and alone, Vibarco finds a way to redeem himself in the most unlikely of places: A vicious underground fight club. Led by visions of his younger self, he trains hard and steps into this pit of toxic masculinity...clad in bold, flamboyant garb that turns everyone against him. He faces a brutal and relentless opponent and is nearly beaten unconscious. But with the help of his younger self, he rallies and turns the tables — but stops himself from kicking the man while he is down. Bloodied but triumphant, he wanders into the midnight streets with a newfound sense of peace.
As a Colombian filmmaker based in New York, I often work with members of the diaspora to create stories that both celebrate and interrogate our heritage. For example, toxic masculinity is a tremendous problem in South American culture. So when recording artist Vibarco brought me the idea of setting a music video inside of a fight club, I recognized a unique opportunity to question why violence is associated with what it takes to be a man. How can a man prove his worth without losing himself to bloodshed? My answer became not one, but two music videos that form a single continuous narrative together while still working individually. Though it required strategic allocation of a limited budget and resources, we were ultimately able to create not just a striking series of images, but a self-contained story of how our outer struggles reflect our inner ones.
Across two songs arranged as a modern-day double-feature, Vibarco portrays a streetwise hustler barely scraping by in the city. He is undervalued at work and insecure in his relationship. At first, he believes the answer to his problems will come when he proves himself in combat. But in a burst of contemporary magical realism—a genre that Colombian authors developed in the mid-20th century—he is able to commune with his younger self and find absolution through restraint. Honoring the concept, the original song, and the artist's brand at the same time is the challenge of every great music video. Shooting intense, close-up action sequences during a pandemic provided further challenges that we needed to overcome. However, this complex balancing act came to fruition as a reflection of our main character's challenges. Vibarco—as a character in both videos, and as an artist—is always trying to balance who he knows himself to be with how people perceive him. And so the elements that made production more difficult also benefited the narrative as a whole, and pushed us creatively in ways that speak for themselves on-screen.
Juan Zuleta - Director
Credits
Artist: Vibarco
Directed by Juan Zuleta
Cinematography by Andrea Gavazzi
Production: Riceball Films, VSNY Films & First Threshold
EPs: Vibarco, Juan Zuleta, Leland Frankel, Juan Jaimes, Vinny DaVino, Masha Leonov
Producer: Juan Jaimes
Editor: Rafa Lu