In 2017, É (Eduardo) Arenas capped off the year with a delightful and humorous cumbia navideña, saying goodbye to a year that saw Chicano Batman spread their message of political resistance. A full 12 months later, Arenas has blessed us with another Christmas single for the ages.
“Merezco Más” is the last addition to his catalog of Christmas music as É Arenas. Unlike his previous song in this tradition, the unstoppable “Buñuelos a Montón,” this one is a tale about the pitfalls of capitalism during the time of the year that’s the most consumer-driven. He tells a hilarious story about a young kid who asked Santa for an iPhone 10, but gets the wrong model instead.
The kid’s padrino – who the narrator tells us is already strapped for cash – tries to fulfill his godson’s wishes, but things end up spinning out of control. Like “Buñuelos a Montón,” this is something most Latinx families know all too well, and could happen in any household during the holidays.
It’s another banger worthy of Chico Che and Rigo Tovar, but this time, things get even trippier. Over a fairly straightforward cumbia beat, Arenas and collaborators Gabriel Villa (Chicano Batman’s drummer) and Federico Zuñiga (who plays bass in Cachombo) layer the composition with hazy synths that make everything unfold like a bizarro version of the style – and the result is spendid and playful.
Of the recording, Arenas told us via email, “We met up on Tuesday and got this mofo going from scratch. Straight Voltron. Power Rangers. Captain Planet. Finished it last night at 4:00 a.m. Was mastered by my homie John Montes at 5:00 a.m. Artwork was done by my wife last night/this morning after our oatmeal. And here it is!”
The only thing left to be said is that É Arenas and his colegas should drop a full-on Navidad album in 2019. The people need it.
Stream the track below: