Apr 18/08
Pistas de rock
Buenos Aires is shrouded in smoke these days. It’s sort of appropriate for today’s post since we’re going to ROCK OUT.
Sorry, I just wanted to write that. But really, if we’re going to “hear” Buenos Aires it’s certainly not by chilling out to some Martha Argerich piano music. While stunningly beautiful, Argerich isn’t exactly playing what the Argentinian kids are into these days.
Argentina is, after all, a rock nacion. A rock nacional nation.
I’m not going to attempt anything comprehensive here. We’ll just listen to bits and pieces of Argentinian rock, or rather rock-ish music that I like from over the years.
Let’s start back in the 1980s. After his buddy Ian Curtis of Joy Division-fame died, this Italian guy named Luca Prodan decided to kick his heroin habit by moving to Argentina. After a while he got some musicians together and formed the group Sumo.
The 80s weren’t exactly a hot cultural time for Argentina thanks to its military dictatorship, but Sumo managed to gain a large fan base and release a bunch of albums. Their music is heavy on the reggae and ska.. no surprise since Prodan was coming from 1980s London and Manchester.
Next we’ll hear something from a band you probably already know: Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. They rose to fame in Buenos Aires in the mid-80s and hit their peak around the mid-90s with the release of Matador, which you’ll hear today. You can see the video here.
Up next is music by Argentina’s hardest to pronounce rock band, Bersuit Vergarabat. These guys are big-time in the Spanish-speaking world, having cleaned-up numerous times at MTV América Latina Awards and VMAs. The album that today’s track is from, Hijos del Culo, went double-platinum. Great cover.
Now we go rocking into the now with some “garange punk” from Los Peyotes. These guys definitely have a great look, and I find myself charmed by their music. ..much in the same way I love The Monks. You can see some of their videos on YouTube.
I see that Los Peyotes are playing with the New York Dolls in Buenos Aires today, April 18th. That’d be fun.. bit of a long flight for me, though. If you go, tell us how it is!
Next you’ll hear something a little different: some country/folk rock by Los Alamos. I don’t know much about these guys except that I read about them on Argentinian “indie rock” web sites. I like their sound.
Same goes for Rosario Bléfari. She’s a Buenos Aires musician who appears to be really into jumping around in bathing suits.. I guess I like that in a woman. Her music is great, too. Today’s track comes off her 2004 release, Estaciones.
Before we leave Argentina it’s only fair that I slip in one, just one, contemporary tango track. I know, I know. Rock fans probably would hate the mix, but I’m over it, and La Chicana’s track is appropriately named Dolor Wolof.
Hasta la próxima.
Sumo - Kaya
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - Matador
Bersuit Vergarabat - El gordo motoneta
Los Peyotes - Cry Baby
Los Alamos - Cola de cascabel
Rosario Bléfari - Cartas
La Chicana - Dolor wolof
Wait.. just.. one.. more.. or maybe two. These two covers are too funny to skip:
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs - Strawberry Fields Forever
Los Peyotes - Fuego
April 21st, 2008 at 10:50 am
Oh my God, that photo is amazing!
April 21st, 2008 at 11:14 am
Indeed, she’s pretty handy with a lens.
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:42 pm
ha Matt,
try to find some songs of Dick el Demasiado. He’s a sort of cult hero in Argentina as he makes quirky songs on bouncy cumbia rhythms that make people somehow go wild. He’s actually Dutch and still lives in Eindhoven, so it’s even funnier that his ‘relocated’ music is only well known over there and in no other country, not even here in Holland.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:56 am
the problem with Argentina (my country) is that it’s very “centralista”. I mean that all things known are just from Buenos Aires…we have a famous quote here that says: “God Is Everywhere, but has his offices in Buenos Aires”..and sadly that happens with everything, not just the cultural issues.
There´s a lot of good bands from other parts from the country that don’t get the media coverage or attention they deserve just because they´re not or they don´t live in Capital…and about Dick El demasiado, I saw him live, and it´s funny…but he get that status just beacuse he is from Holland…I bet that if he was an argentinian, maybe he would still payin’ his dues…Good Luck in Syria…my mother in law is from that country!
PD: And If you wanna try some real Argentina Cumbia go for “Los Palmeras” “Koli Arce y el quinteto imperial” “Antonio Rios” or the real “cumbia villera” (slum’s cumbia), Pibes Chorros, Damas Gratis (or Pablo Lescano, the producer)…they are consider the real marginal music, and has been compared with the hip hop in his origins.
Also, from Córdoba theres a reggae/dub jam band called “The Soundclash Army”…they never rehearse…they just met the nights of the shows and play some jams for fun.
May 11th, 2008 at 3:31 am
and Soundclash Army play Dick El Demasiado songs. I heard it.
May 18th, 2008 at 4:14 am
I don’t know… I was borned and raised in Buenos Aires, and can’t imagine a post on Argentine rock without SODA STEREO.
May 19th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Nop…my brother´s in the soundclash army, and I don´t know where you listened a Dick el demasiado Song man…Just tell me what track and I’ll tell you where it comes from…you heard it on the myspace? …they´ve played in the same festival as Dick (NIU 3) but not a dick track…they’re not fans of el demasiado…and also…If you want to show real argentinian culture, Dick el demasiado is far away from that….pablo lescano is the shit rite now! Cheers.
May 19th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
PD: Maybe you heard the “Cumbia de los pomberitos” from the “Third World Orchestra”…He Collaborates in the soundclash…and maybe they did a live version once.