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Revision as of 05:10, 3 January 2006 by Pop Producer (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Argentine rock, often termed Rock nacional is a musical genre. The term applies loosely to any variety of rock and roll from Argentina. Rock music emerged from the United States, gaining international popularity in the 1950s.
In 1963, the field of Argentine rock began with the signing of Los Shakers, an Uruguayan group, to a contract in Buenos Aires. They quickly met with success and were followed by The Seasons, Los Walkers, Los In and Los Vip's. The first group to sing in Spanish was Los Gatos Salvajes. In 1966, Los Beatniks recorded the first garage single in Spanish.
The first mainstream Argentine rock bands were 1960s groups like Luis Alberto Spinetta's Almendra and Litto Nebbia's and Pappo's Los Gatos, whose 1967 "La Balsa" was the first major "rock nacional" hit. The following year, 1968, saw the first publication of Pinap, a rock magazine, and the founding of the first Argentine rock label, Mandioca. In 1969, four major concerts were held: the June Sunday concerts, Festival Nacional de Música Beat, Festival Pinap and Festival de Música Joven.
Pinap had dissolved by 1970, and was replaced by the still popular magazine Pelo. That same year, Pelo organized a huge concert called Festival BARock, the first in a series of well-known shows. In 1972, the Acusticazo concert inspired a wave of folky acoustic acts like Vivencia, Pacifico and Sui Generis, while heavier bands like Pappo's Blues, Vox Dei and Billy Bond y La Pesada del Rock and Roll also became popular.
Throughout the 70s, a distinctively Argentine progressive rock scene appeared, led by bands like Crucis (Crucis, 1976), El Reloj (II, 1976), Bubu (Anabelas, 1978) and Pablo (El Enterrador, 1980) or Aquelarre.
Despite the success of "La Balsa" and other recordings, rock nacional developed slowly prior to the inception of military dictatorship (El Proceso) in 1976. During the first few years of military government, a number of rock concerts were held featuring musicians like Charly García and his band Serú Girán. However, rock was seen as subversive by the nation's authority figures, who began to clamp down on the music. In a 1976 speech, Admiral Massera denounced rock musicians and fans as potential subversives, and repression began in 1977. Before the end of the 1970s, rock had gone largely underground.
It was not long, however, before rock fans began to re-emerge. A 1980 Serú Girán concert found an audience of more than 60,000 fans chanting no se banca más (we won't put up with it anymore). In response, authorities set up their own music media and concerts in the hopes of neutralizing the threat. Nevertheless, by 1982, it was clear that their efforts would fail. Due to the Malvinas war there was a period of nationalism where local artists were prefered by the media over English-speaking ones, and many rock artists were now supported by the government. After the war was lost, the days of the military goverment were counted. Critical songs were released that year, such as Tiempos Dificiles by Fito Páez (sung byJuan Carlos Baglietto ), Maribel se durmió by Luis Alberto Spinetta, Sólo le pido a Dios by León Gieco and the classic Los dinosaurios by Charly García. The dictatorship ended in 1983.
With the wane of governmental terror, rock music began to take a lighter, pop approach, with groups like Los Abuelos de la Nada, Los Twist, Soda Stereo and Virus. Later in the decade, artists like Sumo, Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and the solo Fito Páez came onto the scene reflecting a darker mood that echoed a deteriorated political and economic climate.
List of bands
This is a non exhaustive list of Argentine Rock bands.