Ernest Gonzales is best known for his solo works of electro pop and hip-hop-infused indie rock. When he began toying with a harder, bass-heavy dance sound, he established an alter ego known as Mexicans with Guns, whose look and short-lived anonymity were inspired by lucha libre.
Gonzales appears in Invisible: Overlooked Albums and Unseen Artists, the 38th issue of ALARM, to discuss his use of masks as well as their importance to Mexican culture. Here, without further ado, are his five favorite luchadores.
1. El Santo
“Without a doubt, the top luchador of all time is El Santo. He wrestled for more than 50 years, starred in hundreds of movies, and is considered to be a folk hero to many Mexican people. Donning a silver luchador mask, El Santo vowed to fight crime and injustice. If you mixed Hulk Hogan and Batman, you would have El Santo. Here’s a four-part documentary about El Santo from Incredibly Strange Film via YouTube.”