Kula Bocca is a fictional character within The Residents' epic Mole Trilogy, who is mentioned in the liner notes of the 1985 album The Big Bubble, and in the lyrics of the song "Kula Bocca Says So".
Kula Bocca is a charismatic Mohelmot/Chub "cross" and leader of the Zinkenites, a primitivist Mohelmot political movement who act to encourage "the establishment of a new Mohelmot nation" within Chubsville.
History[]
Kula Bocca was created by The Residents in the mid-1980s for the planned but never realised third entry in their unfinished six-album Mole Trilogy. That album's concept is detailed in the liner notes for their 1985 concept album The Big Bubble (the fourth - and to date, final - album in the trilogy), which describe Kula Bocca as a leader of the primitivist Zinkenite movement, who is implied to be manipulating the fictional garage band The Big Bubble for his own political ends.
Aside from the Big Bubble liner notes, the character's most prominent appearance in The Residents' oeuvre is within the lyrics to the song "Kula Bocca Says So" (which, like all songs on The Big Bubble, is ostensibly written and performed by the fictional band of the same name), which perhaps represents his Colonel Parker / Brian Epstein-esque relationship with the band. The character is also referenced in the 2022 book Faceless Forever - A Residents Encyclopaedia.
Fictional biography[]
Kula Bocca, a Cross (born to a Mohelmot and a Chub), was a leader of the Zinkenite movement, who supported the foundation of a "new Mohelmot nation". He came into contact with the garage band The Big Bubble when he had them perform at a Zinkenite rally in Elmwurst. Kula Bocca recognized the young band's "energy, passion, and, above all, naivete of youth", elements which he regarded as essential for the success of the Zinkenite movement.
The Big Bubble are said to have "captured the heart of the crowd" at the Elmwurst rally with their song "Cry For The Fire", which featured a verse in the outlawed Mohelmot language. In November, Bocca staged the arrest of Big Bubble singer Ramsey Whiten for singing in Mohelmot. Eventually, Kula Bocca used his connections with Black Shroud Records to sign the band, and release their self titled debut album. The band's song "Kula Bocca Says So" is dedicated to him.
See also[]
- The Big Bubble (album)
- The Big Bubble (fictional band)
- Zinkenites
- Cross
- The Mole Trilogy
- Part Three of The Mole Trilogy
External links and references[]
- The Big Bubble at The Residents Historical
- The Big Bubble at RZWeb (archived via archive.org)
- This is Not Part Three of The Mole Trilogy at RZWeb (archived via archive.org)
