Ignore the rumors: Maldita’s not dead -- just diversified

NOTHING is quite what it seems in the enigmatic, eccentric world of Maldita Vecindad. The band put rock en espanol on the map with one of the biggest-selling albums ever released in Mexico, “El Circo,” then hasn’t put out an album since 1998’s genre-bender “Mostros.” It’s been superseded by newer arrivals such as Molotov, El Gran Silencio and the Nortec Collective.

In fact, the very existence of the seminal Mexico City rock group has been the subject of speculation.

But the members of Maldita Vecindad have been hardly aware of this drift -- still together, they’ve been too busy with dozens of solo projects to get to a new album.

“Taking a sabbatical is healthy for a band that has been together for over 15 years,” explains Maldita’s lead singer, who goes only by Roco, from his home in Mexico City. “Otherwise, you run the danger of becoming a merchant instead of an artist.”

The vast array of Maldita projects includes forays into electronica, children’s music, production work and even cultural journalism (the band’s drummer, known only as Pancho, writes a weekly column for the Mexican newspaper Reforma). Roco’s stint as a DJ sounds particularly intriguing.

“I don’t like the ‘DJ’ term, though,” he is quick to say. “I prefer the word sonidero -- the almighty maker of sounds.”

Humorously titled “Cyber Pachucote Sound System,” Roco’s DJ sets, which he has presented in Mexico and the U.S., emphasize the cultural schizophrenia and voracious love of music that define Maldita’s aesthetic.

“I mix up Perez Prado with James Brown, Tigres del Norte with Fela Kuti and gypsy music from Hungary,” he says gleefully. “I guess that’s what we’ve always tried to do with Maldita anyway. Cramming all those different styles into one song.”

This eclecticism proved to be not only a hallmark of the alternative-flavored rock en espanol movement, but also exceedingly popular. The band’s 1991 classic, “El Circo,” sold an amazing 600,000 copies.

Maldita’s early success was instrumental in creating the lexicon of Latin rock by blending foreign styles such as ska, reggae and punk with indigenous ranchera, mambo, cumbia and Mexican banda music.

It’s been four years since the Mexican quintet released the kaleidoscopic, world-beat-friendly, Michael Brook-produced “Mostros” -- and subsequently severed ties with its longtime label, BMG Latin.

Having become something of a super-productive cipher, the quintet now plans to create its own label and release future albums independently.

“It’s true that we haven’t received a huge amount of recognition from the Latin music industry,” Roco says without a hint of bitterness in his voice.

“Then again, the music industry is not a cultural academy. It’s driven by commercial interests.

“On the other hand, I feel that Maldita has been recognized and honored by the Latin rock movement itself,” he adds. “I feel deeply moved by the fact that we keep meeting emerging bands that name us openly as an important influence -- like the whole Los Angeles Chicano rock wave.” He pauses for a moment, then adds: “That’s where we belong, really. In the streets. We’re engaged in a never-ending dialogue with the heart of this movement.”

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Maldita Vecindad

Where: House of Blues, 8430 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood

When: Tonight, 7:30

Cost: $26

Info: (323) 848-5100