Memoria

In August of 2008, the band members of Martires decided it was time for a change. On the 15th at J. J. Kelly's, the new name, Memoria, was announced. The original band lineup of Martires has remained the same and so have some of the songs.

Memoria, formally known as Martires, began in 2005 and was known throughout the local Spanish rock community in Chicago. Some of its members have been together since 1997. In 2001, Negro Gris, which would later be known as a hit song, won honorable mention in the John Lennon Song Writing contest. In recent years, the band competed and won contests, like "La Banda Mas Chida" (2006), and performed at various venues throughout the city, including the Excalibur, Double Door, Mutiny Bar, Black Hole, The Note, and Abbey Pub. In 2008, before the name change, Martires opened for NYC band The Mona Passage at Café Duvall and for Kilbourn (Retro Thrash Records) at their Halfway to Hell Tour at Lot 4.

Collectively, Memoria's talented band members have years of experience performing. Francisco "Javier" Ramirez (lead vocals) from Irapuato, a small town in Guanajuato, Mexico, began with Gestacion, later joined Rondalla Voces Romanticas, and in 2005 founded Martires. His brother, Jaime Ramirez (guitar, vocals), began his career with local band, Sobredosis (1996-1997) and then later followed Javier to Gestacion (1997) where he played guitar and percussion. He joined Quinta Cuadra (2000-2003), which later became Antenna, to play percussion, and joined Martires in 2007. Chicago native Jason Michalik (lead guitar) has been playing since he was twelve years old and has recently traveled to Europe to compete and win guitar competitions. He won the guitar competion at Emergenza at the Metro in 2006. The band's youngest member, Omar Estrada, picked up the bass as a teen when his brother's band needed someone to fill in and has been playing for about four years. Chucho M. Gonzalez (drums) of Mexico City has over eight years of experience playing the drums. He graduated from the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes and is the only band member who is formally trained.

Memoria is now in the process of completing their first album due out in April of 2009, which is being produced by Chip Z'Nuff of Enuff Z'Nuff. Be on the look out for Rock Scarz Magazine's second issue compilation cd where Memoria's hit song "Dark Shadow Night" will be featured.