Rodrigo
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Background information
Birth name	Rodrigo Alejandro Bueno
Also known as	El Potro ("The Colt")
Born	(1973-05-24)May 24, 1973
Origin	Córdoba, Argentina
Died	June 24, 2000(2000-06-24) (aged 27)
Genres	Cuarteto
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1988–2000
Labels	Polygram Records, Sony Music, Magenta Records Signature of Rodrigo Bueno
Associated acts	Walter Olmos

Rodrigo Alejandro Bueno (May 24, 1973 in Córdoba – June 24, 2000 in Hudson, Buenos Aires), known by his stage name Rodrigo, or his nickname El Potro (the colt), was an Argentinian singer of cuarteto music.

The son of Eduardo Alberto Bueno, a record shop owner and music producer, and Beatriz Olave, a songwriter and newsstand owner, Rodrigo Bueno was born into the cuarteto musical scene in Córdoba, Argentina. He first appeared on television at the age of two, on the show Fiesta de Cuarteto, along with a friend of his family, Juan Carlos "La Mona" Jiménez. With the help of his father, he recorded an album with children songs, Disco Baby, at the age of five. During his pre-teen years he informally joined the local band Chébere during live performances. He dropped out of school at the age of twelve, and joined the band Manto Negro after being selected on a cast. After five years with no success with the band in Córdoba, Bueno's father decided to try to launch his career as a soloist in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 1990 he recorded his first record, La Foto de tu Cuerpo on Polygram Records. Bueno introduced his next album, Aprendiendo a Vivir with a live performance on the night club Fántastico Bailable. The performance regarded him with being acknowledged for the first time by the tropical music scene.

After his latest album releases and despite his rising success, the executives of the record companies still did not believe in Bueno's potential. In 1995, he signed a contract with Sony Music that lasted only for the release of the album Sabroso, signing the following year with Magenta records a contract that granted him one percent of his record sales. His first release with the label, Lo Mejor del Amor became an instant radio hit, earning him national fame and an ACE Award for best musical act. The success was followed by La Leyenda Continúa (certified gold by the CAPIF) and Cuarteteando. His 1999 release A 2000 became the thematic of a series of concerts initiated on the Astral theater, which was the following year moved to the Luna Park arena under the name of Cuarteto Característico Rodrigo A 2000 (Characteristical Cuarteto, Rodrigo to 2000). The show sold out thirteen times the stadium, while the album A 2000 was certified quadruple-platinum.

Due to his demanding schedule, that included twenty-five to thirty shows weekly, Bueno consumed excessively beer to be able to perform. His stress level was also increased by multiple death threats he received. Following a concert on the night club Éscandalo, in City Bell, Buenos Aires, Bueno was returning to Buenos Aires city on the evening of June 24, 2000. After his path was closed by another driver who surpassed him on the turnpike, Bueno tried to chase him to be in front again. During the process, he lost control of his SUV, crashing against a contention barrier and was expelled out of the vehicle, dying instantly. His death caused an immediate media impact in Argentinian media, with speculations about a possible murder conspiracy. After a short trial, the driver of the other vehicle was found not guilty, while the judge considered Bueno was responsible for driving imprudently.

Bueno's style was marked by his on-stage energy and charisma. His style differed from the typical cuarteto singers, wearing instead of strident colors and long curly hair, short dyed hair and casual clothes. During his career, Bueno expanded cuarteto music to the Argentinian national scene, remaining one of the main figures of the genre.

Career[link]

Early life and beginnings in music[link]

Bueno as a child circa 1979–1980

Rodrigo Alejandro Bueno was born on May 24, 1973, in Cordoba, Argentina as the first of three brothers. His father, Eduardo Alberto Bueno was a record store owner and music producer for Columbia Records as well as BMG, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. His mother, Beatriz Olave, a songwriter and newsstand owner.^[1] Bueno was born into the cuarteto scene, he made his first appearance on television at the age of two on the show ‘’Fiesta del Cuarteto’’, along with an acquittance of the family, Juan Carlos "La Mona" Jiménez.^[2] Jiménez would later become his main musical influence, along with the bands Cuarteto de Oro, Berna y La Leo. During family meetings, Bueno would sang their songs for his relatives to a wooden microphone, a gift of his carpenter uncle. At the age of five, with the help of his father, he recorded his first album, Disco Baby. One of the songs of the set, comprended by covers of Maria Elena Walsh songs was used as the opening theme of the children's show Carozo y Narizota, broadcasted on Channel 13.^[3]

Growing up he worked as a paperboy on the newsstand of his mother. In 1984, during his pre-teen years, he assisted often to the concerts of the local band Chébere, and was invited to join them on stage during concerts in several venues. The next year, he dropped out of school and started working on the record shop of his father, where in occasions, he would sing for the costumers. A friend of his father, and member of the local band Manto Negro offered him a spot on the band, were he formally started his career in music, signing his first contract and earning his first salary as a musician at age thirteen.^[1][4] Bueno had written songs since the age of ten, but he would not show them to his colleges for his grammar mistakes.^[4]

Becoming a soloist and rise to fame[link]

Due to the impossibility to archive success in Córdoba, after five years with Manto Negro, his father and manager, Eduardo Bueno, decided to lunch Bueno's career as a soloist in Buenos Aires city. In 1990, he published his debut album, La Foto de tu Cuerpo, through the Polygram Records.^[3][4] Although he described himself as a ‘’cuarteto fan’’, his first album had a rock-style. ^[5] In 1991, he published his next album, Aprendiendo a vivir which he went to promote with his first appearance in Buenos Aires on the night club Fantástico Bailable. The success of his performance propelled the sales of the record and regarded Bueno with the acknowledgement of the tropical music scene. It was followed by Completamente enamorado, Muy Bueno and Made in Argentina, which met a moderate success. In 1993, his father died of a heart attack in his arms prior to a concert where he would promote his new release La Joya. Bueno was forced to perform and considered later to retire.^[3]

	"Lo Mejor del Amor" The title-track of Bueno's 1996 album. The popularity of the recordings propelled Bueno to archieve national fame in Argentina.
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After six months of mourning, the same year, he returned with Made in Córdoba. As his popularity in Buenos Aires was rising, he left Polygram Records and signed a contract with Sony Music. During his short stint with the company, he recorded Sabroso, composed by salsa and merengue songs.^[3] Despite Bueno's rising popularity, the recording executives still did not believe he could become a major success.^[4] In 1996, he signed a contract with Magenta Records that gave him 1% of his total record sales.^[6] The songs of his first album release, Lo Mejor del Amor became major radio play hits that propelled him to national fame and earned him an ACE Award for best musical act, awarded by the Argentinian Association of Spectacle Journalists. The next year he published La Leyenda Continua, recorded live at Fantástico Bailable, the record was later certified gold by the Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers.^[7] The success of the albums was followed by Cuarteteando, which included the major hit songs "Ocho Cuarenta", and "Y voló, voló".^[7] La Leyenda Continúa and Cuarteteando sold a total of 60,000 copies each.^[4]

[edit] Cuarteto Característico Rodrigo A 2000 live performances

On December 1999, Bueno published the album A 2000, which he promoted with a series of four sold-out concerts on the Astral theater, on Corrientes avenue, the city's entertainment and cultural center.^[8] Bueno began 2000 with a major tour on Argentina's major summer spots on its Atlantic Coast. He offered 49 concerts in 9 days, including a major one in front of more than one hundred thousand people in the touristic hotspot Mar del Plata.^[9] Following the success of the show on the Astral theater back in Buenos Aires, Bueno presented the series of concerts Cuarteto Característico Rodrigo A 2000 (Characteristical Cuarteto, Rodrigo to 2000) in the Luna Park arena, starting on April 5, 2000.^[10]

	"Amor Clasificado" Part of the album A 2000, the song was performed by Bueno during his concerts at the Luna Park
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Due to the fame of the venue for hosting mainly boxing matches, the concerts where conceptualized with boxing elements. Bueno performed dressed in boxing trunks and made his entrance to the stage wearing a rob and walking through a hall in the crowd to the ring-themed stage, emulating a boxing match.^[11][12] With an estimated length of two-and-a-half hours, the show was composed by the original repertoire of Bueno, as well as songs classic to the cuarteto genre, as a tribute to his early influence Cuarteto Leo.^[11][13] The sold out spectacle, that originally was scheduled for eight performances, was extended to a total of thirteen sold-out concerts,^{[4][7][12][14]} which grossed a total of ARS1,3 million.^[15] (equivalent to US$2,000,000 in 2013.^[16][17]) Meanwhile, the album A 2000 was certified quadruple-platinum by CAPIF.^[4]

In addition to the show, Bueno was also performing an estimated of twenty-five to thirty concerts per week, including night clubs, television and other concerts.^[4] To complement the effort that the appearances required, Bueno drank an excess beer, with the eventual usage of saline solution on the recommended amounts prescribed for children.^[9] His stress was also increased by multiple death threats, including a gang shooting to his house in Córdoba; as well as receiving a bullet with his name engraved on it, according to recollections by Joaquín Levinton, lead singer of the band Turf.^[9]

His personal profits at the time were composed by 1% of his total record sales, out of an estimated total of ARS9 million (equivalent to US$12,000,000 in 2013.^[16][17]), as well as an additional ARS600,000 (equivalent to US$810,000 in 2013.^[16][17]) for album re-editions and ARS500,000 (equivalent to US$675,000 in 2013.^[16][17]) for a merchandise deal with Torneos y Competencias ^[6] On April 11, 2000, Bueno announced after the success of the shows at the Luna Park that he would retire from performing to produce records, after a last concert planified for the end of the year.^[18]

Death[link]

Bueno died in an automobile crash on June 24, 2000.

Background[link]

On June 23, 2000, at 20:00, Bueno assisted at a taping of La Biblia y el Calefón, hosted by Jorge Guinzburg on Canal 13. When the show ended at 22:45, Bueno went to the restaurant El Corralón in Buenos Aires' Palermo neighborhood, where he dined with his family, Fernando Olmedo (son of the comedian Alberto Olmedo) and comedian Pepe Parada. Olmedo, who during the dinner remarked that he never assisted at one of Bueno's shows, was invited by him to his next scheduled appearance, the same night on the club Escándalo in City Bell, near La Plata. Bueno gave a two-and-a-half hour performance in front of an audience of 2,000. When the concert was over, he was asked to stay at the club to rest, but Bueno refused, expressing his desire to drive.^[19]

The accident[link]

On the early hours of June 24, Bueno was driving back to Buenos Aires city in a Ford Explorer SUV, along his ex-wife, Patricia Pacheco; his son, Ramiro; Alberto Olmedo; musician Jorge Moreno; and radio host Alberto Pereyra.^[9] According to the accounts of the accident by witnesses, after stopping at the toll booth of the Hudson area of the Buenos Aires - La Plata Highway at around 3:30–3:45 am, Bueno's path on the turnpike was blocked by a white Chevrolet K5 Blazer four-wheel drive with one-way glass. In anger, Bueno started chasing the Blazer. He tried to pass it by closing onto it with the front of his SUV. After chafing the side of the Blazer, he lost control of his Explorer and crashed against a highway barrier. The SUV tumbled through 400 meters (1,300 ft). The driver's door, as well as the left back door opened, causing Bueno and Olmedo, who were not wearing seat belts, to be thrown from the car around the kilometer 24.5–25 of the highway. Bueno died instantaneously, and Olmedo died forty minutes later at Evita Pueblo hospital. The other passengers survived with minor injuries.^{[9][20][21][22]} His remains where taken to Lanús, where he was scheduled to perform that Saturday night, and laterdeclared "Illustrous citizen" by mayor Manuel Quindimil. His funeral took place there. An estimated of 20,000 mourners passed his body and police presence was granted after minor incidents took place. ^[9] Along with other famous singers who died at the same age, he became part of the 27 Club.^[23]

Controversy, investigation of the accident and initial reaction[link]

Bueno was booked to appear on Saturday on the show Siempre Sábado. Instead, his band played in the show as a tribute without anybody singing. Bueno's mother, Beatriz, who did not attend the funeral appeared on the show, claiming that it was going to be clarified wheater it was an accident or a murder.^[9] Later also conspiracy theories surfaced claiming that Bueno's death was linked to a "Bailanta Mafia" and that he received death threats on the previous days to the accident.^[24]

The forensic report stated that he died of a "cranioencephalic trauma". Luis Armelo, the correctional prosecutor of Quilmes entitled the case as a “homicidio culposo con lesiones” (Negligent homicide with injuries). The 1st police precinct of Berazategui identified the driver of the Chevrolet Blazer as Alfredo Pesquera, a local businessman. The next year, Pesquera was taken to a trial. The prosecutor alleged that his maneuver eventually led to the death Bueno, and requested an imprisonment of thirteen years for him. In December of 2001, Ariel González Eli Abe and Margarita Allaza de Iturburu, members of the 2nd Criminal Tribunal of Quilmes concluded that the death of Bueno was caused by his "imprudent and temerary driving". Pesquera was declared innocent and released.^[25]

Following his death, two teen fans committed suicide.^[26] The sales of his records and merchandise skyrocketed. Bueno sold during his lifetime 500,000 records,^[15] while the sales quintupled a month after his death, with his last album selling more than a million copies.^[27] The grossing of the records produced a total of ARS15 million (equivalent to US$20,000,000 in 2013.^[16][17]), three times the total amount that he made during his career.^[28] Re-runs of his concerts that produced high peaks of audience were broadcasted in television stations such as Azul Televisión, América 2 and Crónica TV.^[28]

A series of tribute albums was released in the subsequent months by the companies owning his catalogs. His band divided into La Banda del Potro, represented by Leader Music, and Auténtica Banda de Rodrigo, represented by Magenta Records. Both bands released 11 albums, grossing a total of ARS1 million^[27] (equivalent to US$1,000,000 in 2013.^[16][17]) In 2000, while Bueno's popularity was soaring in Buenos Aires, statistics by the consulting agency Delfos regarding the most listened artists in Córdoba indicated that 72% preferred "La Mona" Jiménez while 15% Bueno. The following year, Jiménez was listened by the 46%, while the numbers for Bueno incremented to 40%.^[3]

Lawsuits over the estate and burial[link]

Initially Bueno's mother, Beatriz Olave, claimed to be the absolute owner of his recorded material as well as profits. Judge Ricardo Sangiorg, who was in charge of the 76th Civil Court froze all the assets held in bank accounts, as well as copyrighted material hosted by SADAIC and the Argentinian Musician's Union as requested by the legal buffet Cúneo Libarona-Ballester, the representatives of Patricia Pacheco and her son, Ramiro. Pacheco claimed that Ramiro Pacheco was the legitimate son of Bueno, and requested a DNA test to verify it. The lawyers emitted legal notices to Olave, her lawyer Miguel Angel Pierri and Bueno's manager, José Luis Gozalo stating that none of the assets of Bueno's estate could be used or spent until it was decided which one of the parties would inherit them.^[29]

The DNA tests confirmed that Ramiro Pacheco was the son of Bueno, and therefore his surname was changed. The bank account of Rodrigo Bueno on the Credicoop bank, containing US$ 300,000 was emptied by his brother Ulises before it was blocked by the judge Sangiorg. Meanwhile the copyright holdings could not be transferred to Ramiro Bueno, since the original compositions of his father as well as other assets where registered on his behalf under the name of his brother, Ulises. Also Beatriz Olave negotiated deals over the image of Bueno for being used on the jersey of the soccer team Club Atlético Belgrano.^[30] At the time of his death, Bueno's body was placed on a judicial intermodal container, on Las Praderas cemetery in Monte Grande due that the case was still open and further tests could be made. In 2005, five years after his death, the case was closed and the burial was authorized. The body was placed on a marble mausoleum. His mother, manager and friends attended the service, and placed a trophy over the marble grave, symbolizing the appreciation of his relatives, fans and friends.^[31]

Legacy[link]

Bueno propagated cuarteto, originally a typical genre from the Córdoba Province, to national level.^[32] Shortly after his death on the 27th Kilometer of the Buenos Aires-La Plata Highway, a "sanctuary" memorial which included an statue was built by his fans as a tribute. An estimated crowd of fifteen thousand fans gathered there on the first anniversary of his dead in 2001.^[33] The memorial suffered different attacks through the years for unclear reasons.^[34] One year after his death, the company Sony Records released the album Todos juntos con Rodrigo, which includes the original songs from Sabroso with added vocals from Argentinian and International singers such as Celia Cruz and Luciano Pereyra. It soon became gold in Argentina with sales of 30,000 records.^[27] The same year, he was posthumously received two Carlos Gardel Awards. He received Best Masculine Tropical Performer for the album A 2000 and Song of the Year for his original "Soy Cordobés".^[35]

In 1999, Bueno introduced the cuarteto-singer Walter Olmos to the public scene with performances in several of his concerts in the Buenos Aires province. After Bueno's death, he was popularly regarded as his musical heir. He enjoyed a brief success before his death while playing Russian Roulette in 2002.^[36]

The movie Rodrigo, the movie opened on April 12th, 2001 on a record quantity of 136 Argentinian theaters. The movie depicts a story love story involving a teen-girl fan of the singer with montage of real concerts and songs as background. The film was far from reaching the expected success, and was rather regarded as an attempt to make profit out of the memory of the singer.^[37][38]

Bueno, a Club Atlético Belgrano's fan, is still regarded as an important figure within the club's fan base. A groups of fans visited his mausoleum in 2011 on the 11th anniversary of his death. The team's jersey depicted his face as a way of tribute during the 2002-03 season of Argentina's Football First Division.^[39] In 2012, the club's administration decided to raise funds to build a bronze statue of the singer to be placed within the Gigante de Alberdi Stadium. ^[40]

Bueno was subject of different tributes in Argentinian television, including the one from the show Gracias por Venir, which was attended by some of his relatives and close friends. It was scheduled a tribute to his persona on January, 16th of 2013 during the opening of the Cuarteto Carnival, based on the Bahian Carnival.^[41] The Governor of Córdoba, José Manuel de la Sota announced during the Día del Canillita (Newsstand day) celebrations his plans to commission a statue of Bueno,^[42] which was placed on the Buen Pastor esplanade, and unveiled during the first day of the Cuarteto Carnival.^[43]

A villa miseria in Buenos Aires' Costanera Sur Ecological Reserve Rodrigo Bueno was named after him.^[44]

Music style and image[link]

Bueno's band was a characteristical cuarteto band, composed of fourteen musicians. Percussion predominated, with a main drummer and additional timbales, complemented by an accordion and an electric organ. The vocal part of the band featured a masculine quartet for the parts involving a chorus.^[4] Characterized by his "raspy and strong" voice tone, as well as his energic on-stage performances and charisma, Bueno became an instant success on the Argentinian musical scene.^[6]

His image, differed from the tropical music bands, that wore strident colors and wore long curly hair. Bueno's hair was short, dyed typically in blue, turquoise, red or violet. He wore fit shirts with jeans and cowboy boots.^[4] His crib was also accompanied by a mixture of face gestures and poses, that accompanied his bravado image.^[45] Bueno was majorly involved with the creative process of his act. He produced his own records; wrote his own songs; and designed the visuals for his shows, including the looks of the stage and graphic campaigns, such as flyers and posters.^[46]

Personal life[link]

Buenos was married two times, and had two children. He married his first wife in 1992, with whom he had the next year his daughter, of Uruguayan origin. ^[7] The marriage lasted only a couple of months after the birth. His son, Ramiro was born in 1997 during his brief second marriage to Patricia Pacheco. ^[29]

Discography[link]

Due to the inconsistency of CAPIF charts until 2000, only available rank positions are noted.^[47]

Musical videos[link]

References[link]

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