#paez

The Anthropological Masterlist is HERE.

The Andean States are a group of South American countries that are connected by the Andes Mountain range. They are located in the north and/or west part of South America.

AVA GUARANÍ ─ “The Ava Guaraní, or Chiriguano, people are an Indigenous South American people. They are native to the foothills of the Andean Mountains.” ─ Ava Guaraní History

AYMARA ─ “The Aymara, or Aimara, people are an Indigenous South American people. They are native to the Altiplano region of South America.” ─ Concept of Time to the Aymara ─ Aymara Dictionary

CARIB ─ “The Carib, or Kalina, people are an Indigenous South American people. They are native to the northern coasts of South America.” ─ Carib Language ─ Carib Dictionary

CHANÉ ─ “The Chané are an Indigenous South American linguistic group that share the Arawakan languages. They are native to the foothills of the Andean Mountains.” ─ Arawakan Languages

INCA ─ “The Inca Empire, or the Inka Empire, was a pre-Columbian South American civilization that lived from the 13th century C.E. to 1572 C.E. They lived in the Andean highlands.” ─ Inca Architecture ─ Inca Religion ─ Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui (in Spanish)

MOCHICA ─ “The Moche, or Mochica, civilization was an Indigenous South American people that lived from 100 C.E. to 700 C.E. They were native to northern Peru.” ─ Moche Culture ─ Sex in Moche Culture ─ The Fall of the Moche

MUISCA ─ “The Muisca, or Chibcha, people are an Indigenous South American people. They are native to Colombia.” ─ Muisca Information ─ Muisca Religion (in Spanish) ─ Muisca Dictionary (in Spanish)

PAEZ ─ “The Paez, or Nasa, people are an Indigenous South American people. They are native to the southwestern highlands of Colombia.” ─ Paez Culture ─ Paez Language (in Spanish) ─ Paez Dictionary

QUECHUA ─ “The Quechua, or Quichua, people are an Indigenous South American linguistic group that share the Quechua languages and culture. They are native to Peru.” ─ Quechua Information ─ Quechua Culture ─ Quechua Language

TIWANAKU ─ “The Tiwanaku Empire was a pre-Columbian South American settlement. They lived in modern-day Bolivia.” ─ Tiwanaku Culture

WAYUU ─ “The Wayuu, or Wahiro, people are an Indigenous South American people. They are native to northern Colombia and northwest Venezuela.” ─ Wayuu Patterns in Mochila Bags ─ Wayuu Dictionary (in Spanish)

pictured above: Charly García and Gustavo Cerati. [1]

Rock en español is a topic I’m pretty passionate about, and also something that I feel like has not received a lot of attention in the anglophone world. There is a lot of complexity to this topic--easily enough to fill an entire book. However, I’m going to try to break down the basics for anyone looking to get their feet wet with some new Spanish-language music, as well as try to provide a bit of historical context. 

Since there is no way I can cover everything in one post, there will be a certain amount of bias towards music I personally think is significant--but I will try to cover music that is typically considered universally known or important. We’re starting with Argentina, because of their massive influence on the genre in general.

1. La Balsa, Los Gatos (1967). A “balsa” is a raft, and the theme of this song is, essentially, a generation “shipwrecking” itself. This is the song credited with really starting Argentina’s rock nacional, selling 250,000 copies, inspiring the name for a band (”Los Náufragos”), and becoming an iconic reflection of the youth counterculture of the time. What’s important to understand about this song is that this is the era of the Vietnam War, of Cold War tensions, and of a desire to break with tradition, particularly in regards to sexual relationships & gender roles. Under Juan Carlos Onganía (president 1966-1970), long hair in men and “immodest” clothing for women was particularly targeted (you can read more about that here). The original lyrics started off with “estoy muy solo triste acá en este mundo de mierda” but were later replaced with “estoy muy solo triste acá en este mundo abandonado” [2]. Musically, their first album has a very Beach-Boys vibe to me, but more melancholy. 

*For a song that speaks pretty openly about the feelings of this time period, try listening to Rebelde (1966) by Los Beatniks.  

The next biggest players to show up in the 1960s and ‘70s are “El Flaco” Louis Alberto Spinetta (1950-2012), and Charly García (1951-Present).  

2. Muchacha (ojos de papel), Almendra (1969) & Bajan, Pescado Rabioso (1973) are the songs I am choosing to highlight. Spinetta has had quite a few bands over the years, but to me his most impactful projects were the album Almendra I and Artaud. Spinetta is known for his very poetic songs, and sort of spiritual, otherworldly sound. Artaud in particular is very surreal, psychedelic, Pink Floyd-esque. This was the era of Operation Condor and a lot of senseless violence and social change, and many feel that Spinetta’s nod to the writer Antonin Artaud (and his “theater of cruelty”) is a sort of reflection of the Zeitgeist of the time. It does not feel to me like an overtly political album, but more introspective and melancholy. Regardless, both are considered classics. Personally I’m particularly fond of the song  Que el Viento Borró tus Manos. 

3. Charly García - García is credited for nearly 50 albums so far in his career, and so summarizing his impact is a bit of a challenge! Starting off with his involvement in the band Sui Generis (Latin: “of its own kind” i.e., unique) during the years 1969-1975, I want to mention the songs Botas Locas and Canción para mi muerte, which describe his experience in the army after being drafted. García more or less faked insanity and health problems to get kicked out of the military, as he considered the service unethical (and has been known for his somewhat erratic behavior his entire life) [3]. Some of his songs were censored, and he later became known for writing subversive songs that could escape censorship, famously Los Dinosaurios--the implication here being that certain politicians were “dinosaurs” who would one day disappear. During his Serú Girán era (1978-1982), he wrote some really interesting songs like José Mercado, which speaks directly to the increase in consumer goods available in the ‘80s, and one of my favorite songs, Viernes, 3am, which is a beautiful, haunting song about suicide. During his career as a soloist, his style has varied tremendously, but I would be remiss to not mention the album Clics Modernos (1983), which is where I feel like people should start when getting into this tremendously influential artist. 

*Pappo and Manal are also extremely influential during this time. 

What happens in the 1980s is a complete explosion of rock en español and the first time it is really shown to be commercially viable and exportable on a large scale. And a lot of that is due to the influence of Soda Stereo. 

4. Soda Stereo & Gustavo Cerati. I need to explain that even despite the success and influence of bands in the ‘60s and ‘70s, that rock music in Spanish was still somewhat seen as of “lesser quality” than the British Invasion bands, and that many Latin Americans listened to music in English, regardless of whether or not they understood the lyrics. However, something happened in 1982: Argentina went to war with the United Kingdom (Falklands War). During this time, English language music was actually banned from being played on the radio, and for the first time, Spanish-language bands got enough airtime to really compete and gain a following [5]. In 1983, Argentina elected Raúl Alfonsín, effectively ending the military dictatorship. Soda actually released their first album in 1984, capitalizing on and quickly dominating this emerging market for Spanish-language rock. Soda is remembered for more of a pop-rock sound and for creating great hooks, as well as for creating a massive fan base--take a look at this version of Nada Personal from 1987 and the size of the crowd--this is a real turning point for rock en español. These bands spread to the rest of Latin America and inspired the conception of many more.  

Soda had 7 studio albums and numerous hits. The songs everyone knows are Persiana Americana, De Música Ligera, Nada Personal, and En la Ciudad de la Furia. Many people remember them for their danceable rhythms and frivolous lyrics, but I think that’s oversimplifying them a bit too much. They are typically seen as apolitical but they are not entirely--their first album features a fun song, Diatético, which is ostensibly about dieting--and contains the shouts El regimen se acabó! Se acabó! -- a clever pun on the Spanish word for diet (regimen) and (military) regime. What Soda does in their first albums is essentially “celebrate” this newfound freedom with feel-good, romantic, “fun” music, which in a way was inaccessible during the dictatorship, and a sharp contrast to the more melancholy music of the ‘60s and 70s. However some of their later albums have very different feels, and Dynamo (1992) in particular still stands out to me as a very progressive, unique album. 

Cerati went on to produce five solo albums before his death in 2014, the most essential of which is undoubtedly Bocanada (1999). This is a beautiful, complex album that (in my mind, anyway) has no rivals. And I am not the only one who thinks so [6]!     

In the 1990s and 2000s, rock en español in Argentina (and everywhere else) begins to multiply and take on a number of sub-genres (punk, alternative, indie, grunge...). 

I don’t have the space to explore all of these artists, but I will mention a few that are popular. Personally I am fond of Bersuit Vergarabat, who are difficult to classify genre-wise, but try the song Sencillamente. Los Piojos are quite popular, and everyone knows El Matador by Los Fabulosos Cadillacs. Babasónicos is also very well known, and I do love Carismático. 

5. Fito Páez. Páez is the last artist I will mention here, and has achieved pretty significant popularity in the ‘90s and 2000s. He’s won five Latin Grammys, and to me is more pop than rock, but everyone loves 11 y 6 (1985) and Mariposa Teknicolor (1994). Cerati, Páez, and García did some collaborative work in the late ‘90s, which is actually pretty cool. 

WHISKY PHOTO OF THE WEEK