Punk with spunk

You might not expect a band whose name translates as “Those Who Die Dancing” to fall into the hardcore punk genre; nor would you think that the band’s message is more about rising up than getting down.

Bafabegiya’s lineup borrows from several other Reno acts; vocalist Joe Ferguson (Crucial Attack), bassist Tim Osipenko (Dog Assassin), guitarist Justin Morales and drummer Josh Hageman (both of the now defunct Disconnect) formed the band more than two years ago, using a name inspired by Ferguson’s travels to South Africa, where he became interested in topics of racism and its effects.

“Bafabegiya was a splinter group from the African National Congress,” said Ferguson. “They took a more militant, direct action approach to fighting racism and apartheid than the ANC, employing tactics like sabotage.”

The ideals of organizations like these play strongly into the band’s music; the lyrics span more of a political spectrum than a personal one. Songs like “Caballeros” and “Grown Tired” serve as a call to action, one for bicycle culture and the other against being bludgeoned by popular media.

While their songs pool influences from hardcore punk acts like Minor Threat and 7Seconds, Morales said they try to avoid having an overall sound. All four members take active roles in contributing to the music, and each song has its own distinctive touch.

“We don’t really have a lot of songs that sound like each other,” Hageman said.

Hageman wrote “High Fives, Stage Dives,” which conveys a message that’s terribly important to the band members. They make it a point to play all-ages shows exclusively, based on their ideal that no one should be denied music because of their age. The lyrics declare, “High fives, stage dives/circle pits, sing alongs!/all ages, for the kids!”

This combination of ferocity, fervor and fun is especially evident in Bafabegiya’s shows.

The band perpetuates relentless energy and a do-it-yourself ethic in the recordings and on the road. In two years, Bafabegiya has put out four releases (all on the local, collectively run Spacement Records) and embarked on four tours. The band’s fifth release and tour are in the works, in cahoots with Bay Area band Acts of Sedition.

These self-booked tours hold a dear place in the band members’ hearts; they maintain that happiness isn’t earned through a paycheck, rather through real-life experiences like meeting people, seeing new things and exposing themselves to innovative ideas.

“By touring, we (can) build coalition between other scenes that are like ours around the country and around the world, eventually,” Ferguson said.

“And eat good food,” added Morales.

Besides the good grub, they can all agree on the fact that the DIY hardcore-punk scene is inspiring.

To Ferguson, “Punk Rock Saved My Life” serves as the most definitive Bafabegiya song.

“It kind of defines who we are personally,” Ferguson said. “I’m 26 now, and I’m still a punk rocker. To me, it means everything, because people my age don’t necessarily stick with punk rock for this long. It’s who I am and what I do, and I owe a lot to the punk scene. I want to keep going and doing what I’ve been doing, so younger people can get those inspirational messages and political awareness that I got when I was younger.”