Jarina De Marco was literally peeling potatoes with her producer husband Alex Krispin and her long-time collaborator Mediopicky when they elevated the mindless kitchen task into a Dembow anthem just 15 minutes after the tatties were deskinned.
With lines like ‘I want potatoes’ and ‘how do you want them … fried, boiled or mashed’ – you’d be forgiven for assuming Pelame La Papa (Peel the Potato) is a simple ode to consuming starchy carbs. But the music artist is in fact delving into her Dominican roots, paying homage to the double entendre era of 90s meringues.
The song required a suitably subversive music video. Director duo Mama served up a piping hot film which appears to be set in an underground potato factory. Bagged in clingfilm-tight bricks printed with cheeky pert-bottomed potatoes, the illegal vegetable operation packs more than carbohydrates into these earthly delights, however.
One lick on their freshly peeled surface sends a worker into a frenzied dance, his limbs unleashed involuntarily in a whirl. Lick by lick, the factory workers spiral out of control. Even the police officers sent to crack down on the operation can’t resist.
All the while, Jarina De Marco and Mediopicky count cash dressed as potatoes, their tight cheeks bouncing to the beat as they implore us to peel them. It’s fun, infectious and totally bonkers – a welcome distraction from the real world right now. Peeling spuds will never be the same.
Credits:
Directors: Mama
DoP: Damian Acevedo
Production Design: Carl Swanberg
Choreographer: Genna Moroni
Editorial: Cabin Edit
Colour: Trafik
