Argentine rock

Argentine rock (locally Rock Nacional) is composed or made by Argentine bands or artists mainly in the Spanish language. For nearly half a century it has been a major popular genre, and it is considered part of the popular music tradition of Argentina alongside Argentine Tango, and Argentine folk music.

The moment when Argentine rock began as a distinct musical style can be traced to the middle 1960s, when several garage groups and aspiring musicians began composing songs and lyrics that related to local social and musical themes. Rock & Roll itself, however, began in Argentina almost a decade before. During that time until the rise of Argentine rock, local groups recycled the hits of English-language rock & roll. Since then, Argentine rock started a continued and uninterrupted evolution through the 1970s and into the 1980s, when it turned into an international genre. It is widely considered one of the most prolific and successful forms of Rock en Español, and one of the most important non-English language forms of rock music in the world. In Argentina it is known as "Rock Nacional" (/rok.nasjo'nal/), literally National Rock (not in a political way at all but as a local movement).

Los Piojos

Los Piojos was an Argentine rock band. Extremely popular, it became the seminal bands of the 1990s Argentine music scene.

Unlike most suburban outfits, however, their style evolved significantly with each successive album, not only developing a unique style for the band but also incorporating elements of murga, candombe, and tango to an electric guitar base. This plus generally tight and at times memorable songwriting by frontman Ciro, has set them apart from the legions of suburban bands, and has made them one of the most popular bands in modern Argentine rock, with a strong following across Latin America and Europe, unusual for a band in their subgenre of Argentine rock. Their popularity remains undiminished.

Band members

Enanitos Verdes

Enanitos Verdes (Literally "Little green dwarfs", roughly equivalent to the English phrase "Little green men") is a rock trio from Argentina, formed in 1979 in the city of Mendoza.

History

The band started in 1984, with Marciano Cantero (bass guitar, keyboards and vocals), Felipe Staiti (guitar) and Daniel Piccolo drums. That same year, they performed throughout the Cuyo region. Later they traveled to Buenos Aires to record a demo, with unusable results that were never released. In spite of this failure, they continued doing shows in Mendoza and in Buenos Aires.

In 1984 the band added two new members: Sergio Embrioni (guitar and vocals) and Tito Dávila (keyboard). As a quintet they published the disc Los Enanitos Verdes, with the hit "Aún sigo cantando" ("I'm still singing"). Embrioni left the band in 1985.

In 1986 they published their second album, entitled Contrarreloj (Counterclockwise), with the artistic production of Andrés Calamaro. The album included songs such as "Tus viejas cartas" ("Your old letters"), "Cada vez que digo adiós" ("Every time I say goodbye"), and "La muralla verde" ("The green wall"). Their third album Habitaciones extrañas (Strange Rooms) would arrive the following year. Produced again by Calamaro, it included "Te vi en un tren" ("I saw you in a train"), "Por el resto" ("For the rest") and "El extraño de pelo largo" ("The stranger with the long hair").

Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota

Patricio Rey y Sus Redonditos de Ricota were a rock band formed in La Plata, Argentina. The group was active from the mid 70s up to the early 2000s. They keep an enormous fan-base in their home country and they are considered by many critics, as one of the most important bands of their generation.

History

The beginning: 1976–1984

Patricio Rey is the name of a fictional character or group consciousness, and not a real person or member of the group. "El Indio" Solari, lead singer, embodies the one-man-show mystique followed by his powerful guitar player Skay Beilinson. Tha band began played at various bars and clubs in La Plata, where Solari and Beilinson were natives. Skay had played for other bands as La Cofradía de la For Solar, where he met with the artist and illustrator Ricardo "Rocambole" Cohen. By the late 1970s, the band supported their first tour through the Argentine, mainly in the countries of northwest.

In 1982, Solari and the Beilinson brothers moved to Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires, to recorded a demo and signing to a major label. The rest of the musicians were the young bassist Semilla Bucciarelli, Rodolfo Gorosito on rhythm guitar and the drummer Alejandro Pensa (cousin of the luthier Rudy Pensa). Also, Skay (together with Alejandro) had a stint as guitarist of the Edelmiro Molinari's band La Galletita.

La Renga

La Renga is a hard rock Argentinian band, formed in 1988.

They have a moderate success with the albums A Dónde Me Lleva La Vida and Bailando en una pata, between 1993 and 1995, but it was the release of Despedazado por Mil Partes, in 1996, that made them nationally famous.

With the releases of La Renga in 1998 and La Esquina del Infinito the following year, they gained some international fame, touring and doing concerts in Uruguay, Chile, Paraguay, Spain, Mexico, the United States and other countries of Latin America. They have sold over one million albums and DVDs in Argentina.

Members

Current members

Former members