Elis Paprika

She interrupted her studies in 2002 and moved to London England for one year, where she began writing some of the songs she would later release as Elis Paprika. She held a job as a waitress during her stay in London. She returned to Guadalajara México in 2003 where she started a band called The Paprikas, with a local musician named Raul Velazquez (not to be confused with Raúl "Rul" Velazquez, who would later be Elis’ guitar player in The Black Pilgrims). At that point people began referring to her as "Elis from the Paprikas" or "Elis Paprika", the name she later adopted. After a few tries with The Paprikas, Elis recorded a demo for the song "Sunny Day", working with Shaboomy (later guitar player for Azul Violeta), and Eric Diaz, guitar player and bass player respectively from the band The Waitress[14] from Guadalajara México. The Waitress was originally Elis’ first solo project. The name of the band was inspired by her time working as a waitress in London and Guadalajara before making music. Once she began to be recognized as "Elis Paprika" and making more music apart from her project, Elis left The Waitress. The other members of The Waitress continued without her.

In February 2004, Elis’ showed the demo of "Sunny Day", to Luke Castillo, who was then playing guitar and singing for the band Becker. Luke liked what he heard and they started working together, and this is where Elis Paprika was formally established, with Luke Castillo on Guitar, Richo Acosta on Guitar, Chumino on Bass, and Chicho (also playing with the band Plastiko), on Drums. With this lineup, Elis recorded the demo for the song "Give Me Love". Chicho left the band and Arnold Benz briefly became the drummer. They recorded demo versions of the songs "Bitch" and "Texas" with him. Arnold left the band and Richo Acosta called Willy Gonzalez, from another band he played in, to take over the drums. Later, Jorge "Gordo" Miramontes came in on bass after Chumino left the band. At this point, and with this lineup, they all decided to work as a band instead of Elis being a solo artist. Elis Paprika then became the name of the band. Their first live show as Elis Paprika took place in Guadalajara Jalisco México, on December 14, 2004 at the Hard Rock Café Guadalajara.

Elis Paprika began playing in several venues and quickly ascended in Guadalajara's rock scene. They played Sol Radiante Festival, Zapopum Festival, and the Hard Rock Live at the Hard Rock Café Guadalajara on several occasions. It was during one of these performances that people from Suave Records became interested in Elis Paprika, signing them in 2005. Under this label, Elis Paprika released the record Give Me Love in 2006, produced by Luke Castillo and Richo Acosta, and was licensed to Sony Music Mexico for its distribution in Mexico.

The first single, "Give Me Love", had a fast and big acceptance, and consequently Elis was invited to play at the Festival Vive Latino in 2006 and Corona Capital, also in 2006. In August of that same year, Elis Paprika was named "Band of the Month" on MTV. After this, MTV invited Elis Paprika to perform live for a recording of the program Alerta.

The song "No Puedo" was released as the second single in October 2006. In November 2006 Julieta Venegas invited Elis Paprika to play on her first Auditorio Nacional performance in Mexico City.

As all of this was taking place, contractual problems began to surface between Elis Paprika and her then record label Suave Records.

After the success of Give Me Love, problems between Elis Paprika and her then record label Suave Records increased to the point where the impulse the band had, came to a halt.

In early 2007, Elis requested Suave Records to release her, resulting in a lawsuit.

Luke Castillo decided to leave the band to concentrate on his other band Becker, and Ramón "Zacky" Velarde took his place in the band.

Elis recorded her voice for the original score of short film Jacinta, winner of the Festival de Cine de Morelia, from director Karla Castañeda, with music by Gilberto Cervantes. Jacinta was also shown at the Cannes Film Festival that same year.[15][16][17]

Elis Paprika recorded EP2 in 2007, but this second record did not see a formal release due to the lawsuit with Suave Records. EP2 was released that same year, but only through free download on the Internet.

Early in 2008, Elis Paprika was invited to be a part of the Juan Gabriel tribute album called Amo al Divo de Juárez. For this, Elis recorded her own version of the Juan Gabriel song "Hasta Que Te Conocí". The record came out, with her version of the song as one of the official singles.

Elis Paprika played on December 8, 2006 for a Green Peace event in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in a campaign against illegal fishing in protected waters.[18]

In late 2008 Elis and Suave Records settled their lawsuit, and the band was released from their contract with Suave Records, allowing Elis to concentrate on her band and performances. She signed under new management with Zepeda Bros.

At the beginning of 2009, "Gordo" quit the band, and was replaced by Omar “La Doña” Gil on bass, who stayed with the band until early 2010.

Elis Paprika began 2009 with new live performances and writing new songs, and in May of that year, entered the studio to record the songs that would eventually become her album "Maldito", produced by Guido Laris. Originally intended to be released as two separate EP's, the songs were recorded at Montecristo Studios in Mexico City, but once they were ready, it wouldn't be released until some time later, due to differences with her management over the way to handle promotion as an independent release, or through a label.

That summer, Sony Music México invited Elis Paprika to be a part of Tributo A: Ana José Nacho (Mecano), a Mecano Tribute record, where she recorded her version of the song "No Tienes Nada Que Perder".

Juan Gabriel invited Elis to perform live with him on one of his concerts at Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City, to sing her version of "Hasta Que Te Conocí" live.[19]

After not being able to release the songs she recorded that May, Elis Paprika entered the studio once more in Guadalajara at Richo Acosta's studio to record new and previously unreleased songs. Express was released, produced by Richo Acosta, and licensed to EMI Music México for distribution, in October 2009, being this her first record to officially be promoted since Give Me Love in 2006. The first single from Express was "Tarde o Temprano".

After differences with her bandmates, Elis decided in early 2010, in the middle of promoting Express, not to continue working with the same musicians in her band. They went their separate ways and Elis went back to being a solo artist. This interrupted the promotion of Express.

Luke Castillo came back to play and support Elis on guitars, and had a major role in putting a band back together. Luke invited Paul Richards to play bass, and two other members of the band Aurum from Guadalajara, Vela and Luis Angel, to play guitar and drums respectively.

In May 2010, Elis moved to Mexico City in order to continue and better the handling of her career and to promote future plans. Working with Zepeda Bros. Elis decided to finally use the songs that had been recorded a year before, and since these songs had been on hold for over a year, it was decided to released them as one LP, instead of the two EPs they were originally meant for. It was because of all the time that these songs were on hold, that she named the LP Maldito, which in Spanish means "Cursed".

Meanwhile, Elis began to make new acoustic performances of her songs in unplugged shows, featuring Ernesto "Arbol" Licona, and Ana Lía Perez, on guitars. Ernesto Licona has been constantly playing guitar on Elis’ performances ever since.

That August, Vela and Luis Angel retook their labors with Aurum, and Elis invited Raul "Rul" Velazquez to play guitar, and Jimmy Strike, from the band Cherry Strike from Guadalajara to play drums. With this lineup, Elis played the 212 Festival by RMX, in Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico, on September 12, 2010. This concert marked the beginning of her "Maldito Tour".

That October, after a couple of shows, Jimmy left the band to retake activities with Cherry Strike, and Cachi Zazueta became the permanent drummer.

Maldito was officially released in late November 2010 under Zepeda Bros., Warner Chappell México, and Drágora Records. It hit stores nationwide in Mexico, and on iTunes internationally.

The Maldito Tour went on until mid-2011, reaching most of Mexico. During this tour, Elis played the Vive Latino Festival for the second time, on March 8, 2011.[20] Maldito became the record to reposition her in Mexico's Rock scene.

At the end of the Maldito Tour, in July 2011, Elis ended her working relationship with, her then management office, Zepeda Bros. and continued as a completely independent artist, handling her own office. Elis recorded the single "Love Love Love" at Suite 21 Studios in Guadalajara Jalisco, produced by Luke Castillo, which was officially released on August 4, 2011, initially as a free download through SoundCloud, as a "thank you" to all of her fans for the success of Maldito. "Love Love Love" is part of the Chilean movie Que Pena Tu Boda's soundtrack, as the main credits theme,[21][22] making this Elis' debut in South America.

In October 2011, Elis along with Rul and Cachi, from her band, got together in Guadalajara to begin writing Animal. That same month, they entered Suite 21 Studios in Guadalajara Jalisco to record the songs, produced by Luke Castillo, and Rul Velazquez.

Elis released Animal in February 2012, produced by Luke Castillo, and Rul Velazquez, under Drágora Records. For this record, her band since the Maldito Tour of 2010-2011, adopted the name The Black Pilgrims. The song "Animal" was the first single.

In January 2012, Luke Castillo left the band once again, to concentrate on studio work, and was replaced by Stepha Campbell on guitars. In July 2012, Paul Richards left the band. After playing with a couple of substitute bass players for a few months, Dylan Deville [23] joined The Black Pilgrims in November 2012. By the end of 2012, Rul Velazquez left The Black Pilgrims to join Siddartha's band full-time.[24] In January 2013, Cristian Hernandez [25] joined Elis Paprika & The Black Pilgrims on guitars.

On February 1, 2013 the official video for their second single off of the record ANIMAL, "En Mi Cabeza"[26] was released.

On March 12, 2013 Dapuntobeat's record "I/O" was released, featuring Elis on vocals on track #9, "Interzona".[27] On March 16, 2013 Elis sang "Interzona" live with Dapuntobeat at the 2013 Vive Latino Festival in Mexico City.[28]

In early April 2013, Stepha Campbell left The Black Pilgrims and Elis announced open auditions. After auditioning a few guitar players, Adan Ruiz landed the job, his first gig with the band being in Hermosillo, Mexico on June 1, 2013.[29]

On August 27, 2013 the song "Canción de Amor Para los 3" was released as the first single of her record ADIOS.[30] The official video for "Canción de Amor Para Los 3" was released on September 30, 2013.[31] The record "Adiós" was officially released on October 22, 2013.[32]

On December 9, 2013 it was announced that Elis Paprika, along with her Black Pilgrims, were officially part of the XV Vive Latino Festival in Mexico City, as part of her 10th anniversary tour in 2014.[33][34] This marked her third appearance at Vive Latino.

The official video for the song "Adiós", the second single from the record with the same name, was released on February 13, 2014.[35]

Elis Paprika & The Black Pilgrims began their "Adiós" tour on March 28, 2014 at the Vive Latino Festival in Mexico City.

Elis Paprika announced on October 8, 2014 that Cristina Mo was now the new bass player for her band The Black Pilgrims.[36][37] Cristina Mo is also a member of the Mexican band Descartes a Kant.[38]

On October 20, 2014 Elis Paprika &The Black Pilgrims released a new single "Now Girls Rule!" that marked the beginning of the Now Girls Rule movement.[39] The song "Now Girls Rule!" features Sandrushka Petrova and Cristina Mo from Descartes a Kant, as well as Renee Mooi, and Vanessa Zamora.[40]

In late April and early May 2015, Elis Paprika & The Black Pilgrims embarked on their first tour of China, playing Beijing and Hong Kong.[41][42][43]

On September 2, 2015 Elis Paprika released the single "Soñador".[44]

In early 2016, Elis recorded tracks for her double EP "Black" & "White". These recordings feature bass player Vivien Larena. In February 2016, Vans included Elis Paprika's Now Girls Rule movement in their 50th anniversary celebrations, holding a House Of Vans Mexico concert, with Elis Paprika & The Black Pilgrims, Ruido Rosa, and Italian Hip Hop artist Miss Simpatía on March 18. Shaboomy Lozano from the band Azul Violeta replaced Cristian Hernandez who left the Black Pilgrims in early March, 2016. Vans also held a "Camp" for girls 8 and up, featuring music lessons given by Now Girls Rule artists, held on March 19 and 20 at School of Rock (company) Mexico City.[45]

On March 4, 2016 Elis Paprika released "Sad Girl", as the first single off Black & White. "Sad Girl" was recorded by Shaboomy Lozano and Eric Diaz, with whom Elis originally began her career.[46][47] On April 4, 2016 the official video for "Sad Girl" was released.[48]

Black & White was released on June 10, 2016.[49]

On June 2, 2017 the song "Olvídame" was released as the second single off Black & White through ONErpm, with its official video.[50]

Elis Paprika & The Black Pilgrims released an animated video for "All My Friends Are Dead", the third single off Black & White on August 6, 2017.[51] The band toured Mexico, The United States, South Korea, and Europe. The Mexico leg of the tour included the Circuito Indio organised by Mexico's Vive Latino Festival. Elis Paprika & The Black Pilgrims performed at Zandari Festa 2017, held from September 29 to October 1, 2017 in Hongdae, Seoul, South Korea.[52]

In late October 2017, Elis Paprika & The Black Pilgrims premiered the official video for their song "Fight".[53] Cristina Mo returned to the band as bass player.

From late January through mid February, 2018 Elis Paprika played the final leg of her Black & White tour in the US, and performed in Canada for the first time, with a date in Vancouver BC. On May 4, her song "Now Girls Rule" was featured in Amazons's original series Diablo Guardián, season 1, episode 4.[54]

Elis recorded Venganza in May, 2018 in Guadalajara, Mexico. This record, Venganza was produced in collaboration with Richo Acosta, one of Elis' original guitar players, at Train Studio GDL. The first single "Stupid Song" was releases on August 17, 2018.[55] "Stupid Song" was included in the motion picture soundtrack for the Mexican film "Plan V", directed by Fez Noriega, and scored by Rodrigo Dávila, which premiered August 13, 2018 in movie theatres across Mexico.[56] On September 10, 2018 the official video for "Stupid Song" was released.[57] "Mi Corazón", the second single off Venganza, was released November 9, 2018, with its official video being released on May 6, 2019.[58][59] The complete record Venganza was released on August 16, 2019.

Elis and the band played South Korea, including performances at Zandari Festa 2018, and Pohang Steel Art Festival in October 2018. They began 2019 with a US-Canada West Coast leg of the tour that began in northern Mexico with an appearance at the Festival Alfonso Ortiz Tirado in Alamos, Sonora.[60] Ernesto Licona returned to the band on guitar. In late June and early July, 2019, Elis Paprika toured Japan for the first time, with 4 dates in cities around Tokyo, and were the first Mexican Rock band to perform at Playtime Festival in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Elis played Colombia for the first time at the Festival Internacional Altavoz in Medellín, on November 9, 2019.

On December 8, 2019 Elis' Now Girls Rule movement presented "La Marketa" in Mexico City, the first ever all female artist merchandise bazar in Mexico. This first edition of La Marketa involved over 60 female music artists and illustrators from Mexico's scene, directly selling their merchandise, with live showcases by 15 of them, as well as standup routines, and skate lessons.[61]

Elis Paprika's single "Stupid Song" was included by the 34th annual FICG (Guadalajara International Cinema Festival), in Mexico, for the promotion of 2019's "Premio Maguey" (Maguey Award), that recognises LGBT performances and accomplishments in Cinema.[62]

In April 2020, Elis Paprika released a new version of her classic "Mucho", this time called "Mucho (15 Years Later), as a single celebrating 15 years of career. The original song was featured as the third track of her debut album Give Me Love (2006), and was never a single. She recorded a version of the song that the band had always played live, that is different from the original 2006 recording, at Train Studio GDL, with Richo Acosta co-producing, playing guitars, bass, and on recording, mixing and mastering duties. Cachi Zazueta recorded drums.[63]

On August 18, 2020 Elis began a weekly Now Girls Rule Podcast through the Señal VL channel, produced in collaboration with Vive Latino Festival on digital platforms. The Podcast features music recommendations by Elis, of female fronted or female led music acts worldwide.[64][65][66]

On October 15, 2020 Elis Paprika released the song "Dance With The Devil", which is the first single off of Lost Kids, her punk record for kids slated for a later release date.[67] The song was produced by Richo Acosta, and Cachi Zazueta.