Jaco Beach, Costa Rica – One thing for sure is Los Mojados needs a bigger stage! What started as a brother-and-sister guitar-duo 21-years-ago has evolved full circle into a musical journey few other bands ever experience. Sheer determination, guts and a vision for their future has carried them far.
“We are living the dream. We play music in paradise and it’s ‘our job.’ Our goal is to record original songs and continue incorporating originals into our shows and keep building our online catalog of music for the world to enjoy,” said guitarist and lead vocalist Valeria Barberia. “We are focused on booking more private events like weddings, bachelor parties and creating special memories for all those in attendance. And building our weekly residencies at the best live music venues in and around Jaco.”
These days Los Mojados, formerly known as The Wetbacks, plays Jaco’s best musical venues four-to-five nights a week. They are booked for months in advance from Quepos, Esterillos Oeste to Jaco. Busy, Busy, Busy! Their intense schedule week-after-week-after-week would drive most traveling musicians stark raving mad, but Los Mojados just keeps up this pace month-after-month. They have a following. Those that hire them know this.
“Koko, Valeria and Ray are so much more than just a copy band,” said fellow musician and guitarist Frank Ariola of Jaco Beach. “Their talent is limitless in writing, producing and arranging … you name it!!! They amaze me!!!”
Their repertoire includes some 400 classic rock & roll, jazz, blues, beach music, reggae, tango and bolero songs from the 1950s to today’s brand of music. They can easily entertain any group for any event large or small for hours to the likes of Led Zeppelin, Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, AC/DC, Rolling Stones, Ramones, Foo Fighters, Etta James, Stevie Wonder, Bob Marley, Black Sabbath, Prince and Clash.
On the Beach with Los Mojados
On their list of regular appearances are the Green Room Café, the Hotel Cocal & Casino, Croc’s Casino Resort, Rhythmos, Mono Verde, Rolling Thunder Saloon, D’Corner, Beach Bar, Hotel OZ, Puddlefish Brewery and SER – all in Jaco, then down south at La Sirena Beach Hotel, Marala Hotel, El Patio Restaurant, Los Almendros Restaurant, Encantada Resort and Quepos Marina.
“We’ve hired them several times,” said Aamel Segal, owner and manager of Marala Hotel in Esterillos Oeste. “They are one of the best groups in the entire area without a doubt. They have amazing music with a great following and awesome energy.”
Founding members Alejo ‘Koko’ Barberia and sister Valeria ‘Vale’ Barberia immigrated to Jaco Beach from Argentina in 1999 and 2003. They stayed finding a welcoming new home in the extreme tropics – Jaco Beach. American powerhouse drummer Ray Blanco later joined the group followed by Fernando Rincon-Alejos on bass guitar.
“Koko and them are efin great,” said Ben Orton, lead guitar for Ben Jammin’ & the Howlers of Quepos.
Fellow musician and harmonica player, Erik Schubert agreed, “Hell of a good band.”
A Look Back
“In 2003, Jaco’s main road — Pastor Diaz — wasn’t even paved. There were not many music venues at all. There were no bands and barely any musicians or artists. The only performer, before Los Mojados began, that we can think of was ‘Ben Jammin’ & the Howlers’ who coincidentally is who I bought my guitar from and I still play it — a 1974 Guild — to this day,” said Vale Barberia. “Jaco as you know it was much different. The tallest building was three floors. Hardly any construction. The highway wasn’t built. It took more than 4-hours on the aguacate and you’d be so dirty and dusty. There was a lot more jungle, trees and green. From the muni riding a bicycle to the south side, you could smell the jungle and trees. There was nothing. No construction. It was awesome.”
Live Music Scene Develops
“There were hardly any music venues. Live music happened occasionally at Pancho Villa , El Tabacon, Fusion, and the Copacabana Hotel but none of these venues exist today,” said Vale Barberia. “The very first venue the band played was Fusion. We were the first official band of Jaco.
“We played the beachfront Copacabana Hotel weekly for more than 10 years. Sometimes they would have us Fridays and Saturdays, and we would do our Latin thing.”
The Green Room Café opened in Jaco Beach 12-years-ago by owner and manager Raquel Salazar. It remains downtown Jaco’s only venue offering live-music, 7-nights a week.
“We were a band before Green Room Café existed,” said Vale Barberia. “We were one of the first bands to play the Green Room Cafe and have played there almost every week since it opened. We have known Raquel for a long time. We are glad to have her in our community.
Raquel Salazar
“The Green Room Café is the place many of us learned, spread our wings and flourished as musicians. We have made many really great friends there. All the musicians together, we are the Green Room Café family.”
Immigrating from Argentina
“Koko came to Costa Rica first in 1999. He played solo at the big La Central Discotheque and Pancho Villa — just him and his guitar. I was living in Australia and came to Jaco for a visit in 2003. I ended up staying and never leaving,” said Vale Barberia. “In 2003, we played our first show together at Fusion. I used the base from a fan with a broom stick stuck in it and a microphone held on top with a bunch of tape. We were always a rock band from the beginning.”
LowTide Lounge in Esterillos Oeste
In 2009, Los Mojados began a bond with the small surfing, fishing and retirement community of Esterillos Oeste which is still in existence today, says traveling drummer Ray Blanco.
“Our rock and roll bar had become a country bar unbeknownst to us. So, when I got to Costa Rica it was my goal to remove the country and reinstate the rock and roll. I had two options — Los Mojados or Chupacabras. We had hired them both previously, but Los Mojados just had more depth to me. They were Latin, not gringo,” said Blanco. “And, well, honestly, Los Mojados had Vale. She is a giant of a soul packed into a tiny frame – a beautiful front woman.”
Los Mojados’ Vale Barberia
“LowTide Lounge was most notoriously known for their Full Moon parties where it seemed almost the entire central Pacific would turn up for at the beach and party. It’s my recollection that everybody was excited and happy to rock. That night we fkn rocked! A full beach with everybody partying. There were women in bathing suits dancing on the bar and we played hit after hit into the night,” said Blanco.
“We did it. That night rocked. This was the first time the four of us in Los Mojados – Vale, Ray, Koko & Fernando — still the lineup today — would perform together and our relationship with Ray began,” said Vale Barberia. “Harmonica player Erik Schubert has played with us for 14-years when he visits from Canada.”
Erik Schubert
The Continuing Challenge
“It’s hard to make a living as an artist because it’s not a steady job and you never know when your next gig is. But we are very fortunate to live in a country that gave us the opportunity to work hard to do what we love, what we are passionate about, what makes us happy and gave us a way to make a living,” said Vale Barberia. “Believe it or not. Music is a hard thing to sell. It’s not something you take home as a souvenir. It’s not a piece of art or something they physically take with them. We are selling a moment, a memory, vibrations in the air that they take home with themselves in a different way. That means everything to us.”
La Sirena Beach Hotel in Esterillos Oeste
For the recent unveiling of the reconditioned Mermaid Statue, swept into the sea last August, Los Mojados played during the 3-hour ceremony which turned out to be the social-event-of-the-year. After playing for a while, one long-time fan — sitting near the band — yelled out, “Request! … Paint It Black!” Within a fraction of a second, guitarist Vale started playing this iconic Rolling Stones tune from the 1960s. Their rendition was sensational, loud and free of any distortion.
“Saw them first at the Mermaid Festival,” said Scott Quillen of Parrita. “Fantastic band.”
“Great group!,” said Tommy Colon of Coco Beach. “I used to play with them when I was in Jaco.”
“Love this group,” commented Linda Luce Solis of Esterillos.
“Oh yes! What a band!,” said Jessica Wright of Esterillos. “Very loyal and dedicated to the music! Oh yeah!”
“Always a great show,” said Dan Gibson of Esterillos Oeste. “I dance like a wounded buffalo but when they play, I get up. Oh yeah!”
For more information about Los Mojados, videos, contact and booking go to: https://losmojadoscr.com/
Formerly known as ‘The Wetbacks’
2024 – All Rights Reserved by the Author – 2024
