Kiwi Martinez is the drummer of the punk band Generación Suicida from South Central L.A. Every member of the band is Latinx, they sing in Spanish and their motto is “musica del barrio, para el barrio” (“music from the neighborhood, for the neighborhood”)
Kiwi Martinez and Tony Abarca, who know each other since they are 12, started the band in 2010. A second guitarist, Mario Quezada, was added in time for their 2013 debut album, Con La Muerte a Tu Lado, and new bassist Elias Jacobo soon followed.
The band was soon booking shows up and down the West Coast, followed by a self-funded European tour in 2013. They have toured in Central and South America, Japan, Canada, and the U.S. East Coast. They also played L.A.’s outdoor Levitt Pavilion with punk veteran Alice Bag, and toured Southeast Asia.
The band has released four albums, four cassette tapes and six 7"s. They've already turned down two or three offers from major record labels because, while they admit that the financial support would be welcome, their priority is to make music on their own terms (though G.S. did license a song for a Levi’s commercial in order to fund a Japanese tour).
