Harmless: Rajas
Photo by Easton Schirra
Mexico City-born, now residing in Los Angeles, Nacho Cano is the 26-year-old songwriter and producer better known by his musical monikers Twin Cabins, Canito, and now, Harmless. Immigrating to San Diego at ten years old, Cano used hip hop to expand the English he spoke, which makes today’s single, “Rajas,” even more special as it’s a clear departure from hip hop but delivers the same rhythm-and-poetry attributes.
“Octavio Paz, in his book The Labyrinth of Solitude, talks about how to “rajarse” is also a verb that describes someone opening up emotionally. Rajas is a Mexican dish made of potatoes, milk, and spicy peppers. The person is symbolically the pepper and they slice themselves into pieces in order to be open. In the context of this song and EP, it marks the end of my time with someone and my feelings while they are unable to do the same for me. I bailed and I’m opening myself up even though they couldn’t do (rajarse) the same for me.”