The percussionist for a popular cumbia fusion band from Phoenix shared an Instagram post on Friday, Sept. 11, showing a photoshopped image of former President George W. Bush with a Star of David tattoo on his forehead, wearing what appears to be a Jewish prayer shawl and yarmulke with the Twin Towers and an airplane as the backdrop.
Las Calakas percussionist Rocky Yañez, whose Instagram handle is @xchingon, blamed Jewish people for the attack on the Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001, claiming they influenced the U.S. military to get involved. These claims are entirely untrue; the attacks were carried out by Islamic extremists al-Qaeda. The post went on to further attack Jewish people and call for Israel's downfall.
As of Monday, Sept. 14, Yañez’s
Instagram account was set to private.
An anonymous reader emailed screenshots of the post to The Arizona Republic, including screenshots showing comments Yañez left on that post interacting with another commenter, @apoeticpinup, who accused the musician of being “a legit Antisemite.”
“It’s not even that,” Yañez replied with a laughing emoji. “I’m just a proud Jew hater/antisemite. My eagerness to red pill people about the Jews is my love language.”
The final screenshot ends with Yañez leaving the commenter "apoetic line for you to sleep on," calling the poster a derogatory slur and saying they "sound like a Jew.”
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Formed in 2017, Las Calakas got their start playing lowrider shows
The Chicano musicians who make up Las Calakas play a fusion of cumbia, hip-hop, heavy metal, ska and punk.
The band formed in 2017, breaking into the scene by performing at lowrider shows. They've performed three times at The Arizona Super Show, an annual lowrider car show held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, and at other events including a Lowrider Magazine festival in Scottsdale.
They’ve sold out Crescent Ballroom, a club in downtown Phoenix with a capacity of 550, on several occasions, and were originally slated to play the venue’s 15th anniversary show on Saturday, Oct. 3.
They are no longer scheduled to perform at Crescent Ballroom.
Las Calakas did not respond to The Arizona Republic’s request for comment.
Arizona Jews for Justice founder says comments cross a clear moral line
To Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, founder of Arizona Jews for Justice, this kind of hateful rhetoric is nothing new.
“Antisemitism has an extraordinary ability to absorb every political grievance and turn it into a story about Jews secretly controlling the world," Yanklowitz says.
"That is what makes it so dangerous. Jews have been blamed for capitalism and communism, for war and pacifism, for financial crises and economic inequality, and now for 9/11. The details change, but the conspiracy remains the same: Jews are portrayed as uniquely responsible for humanity's problems.”
To Yanklowitz, what Yañez wrote crosses what he calls a clear moral line.
“Phoenix is a diverse community, and our diversity is strongest when people can disagree passionately without demonizing one another," he says. "Calling Jews ‘parasites to humanity’ and celebrating hatred of Jews crosses a very clear moral line. Antisemitism should be confronted whether it comes from the political right, the political left, or anywhere else.”
Ed has covered pop music for The Republic since 2007, reviewing festivals and concerts, interviewing legends, covering the local scene and more. He did the same in Pittsburgh for more than a decade. Follow him on X and Instagram @edmasley and on Facebook as Ed Masley. Email him at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Popular Phoenix musician posts antisemitic comments on 9/11
