Born in Las Vegas, Biafran Lion is a reggae/hip-hop musician who currently resides in Uruguay. His history with the music of our country goes a long way back, actually, as he first visited Uruguay in the early 90s, and he lent his musicianship to bands such as La Abuela Coca and Kongo Bongo.
He has released more than half a dozen albums, and his next record is coming in November. It’s titled “The Return of The Lion”, and it’s an album that’s meant to enliven the summer up, while also carrying the social commentary that characterizes his best music.
You can listen to Biafran Lion’s music on his Soundcloud profile, and these two are the cuts I keep coming back to:
Jordy is a Uruguayan saxophonist who resides in New York, and he has just released an album entitled “Jordy Del Plata” (iTunes link). He is currently promoting it in the US, and soon he’ll come back to Uruguay to play some dates.
The song is called “Lovers At Midnight”, and its lilting melody is enough to carry you to the warmest of memories:
The band comprises Daniel Freelikeme on guitar, Minerva Borjas Owen on keyboards, Renzo Vargas on drums and Jose Morillo on bass.
Just last week I had the pleasure of having a work interview with hallowed musician/producer Emil Montgomery. Montgomery is a legendary figure that managed to gather the largest crowd in any show in Uruguay ever – over 300,000 people attended his “Concert for Tolerance and the Environment” in 1995.
At the end of the conversation, I was invited by him to join his current project, FAROSUR. Acting as a biographer for now on, my job is to set down the story of this project in words for all to read.
Emil (who is a UNESCO and UNICEF ambassador) defines the whole initiative as “the project of his life”. FAROSUR is a collective of artists that convey ethical values such as peace, tolerance and respect via live performances that combine music and visual arts, along with many different workshops. The first performance (or “pulse”) was held about this time last year, and the next one is happening in a couple of months.
Personally, to be involved in a project of this scope is the ultimate distinction. All the people who are part of FAROSUR subscribe to the very same belief, that of art being a catalyst for positive change, and a medium which brings out the best in people. As someone who believes in the therapeutic qualities of art in general (and music in particular), having the chance to chronicle such a project is nothing short of a blessing.
Artists involved in FAROSUR include Japanese composer Kitaro, and American composer Suzanne Ciani, along with countless Uruguayan and Argentinean performers of renown.
I’ll keep you posted on the evolution of this project both on MusicKO, and on my personal blog (emilioperezmiguel.com). There is a fascinating story unfolding here, and I’ll make sure to tell it as vividly and faithfully as it deserves to be told.
Tatú Vudú was started in 2007 by friends Diego Bustamante and Marcos Meerovich, and after years of playing in Montevideo (and after multiple personnel changes) the band managed to release its debut album in late 2012.
Entitled “Deespacio”, it was published by Uruguayan label Perro Andaluz, and the band made it available as a free download right from the very beginning.
Currently, Tatú Vudú is Diego Bustamante on voice and guitars, Marcos Meerovich on guitar, Federico Araújo on keyboards, Carlos Silva on bass and Andrés Lena on drums. Continue reading →
With the release of “El Camino Bajo”, Gonzalo Bouzout (the former singer for Lapso, and a current member of Pilotos En Caos) launches his solo career in earnest.
The 10-track album can be downloaded for free on his website, and (in general) it’s a more acoustic-derived work than his previous output. Though Gonzalo is joined by a three-piece band, the focus never strays too far away from his singing and playing, and the overall mood is a gentle one from top to bottom.
In all honesty (and leaving aside the fact I’ve always held his music in high esteem) I think this is going to be one of the standout Uruguayan albums of 2013.
A full review of “El Camino Bajo” is forthcoming. I encourage you to get the album now, and see how much it resonates with you.
And this is the video for the song “Puerta Al Sur” [Gateway To The South]. It’s not my favorite track on the album by any stretch, but (when you add a visual dimension to it) the song acquits itself much better:
Jorge Luis Borges once claimed that dreaming was the oldest aesthetic activity which ever existed. That is the first lesson any creative person actually learns, or (at the very least) the one he ratifies when he intends to tell his own stories, and set down an imaginary rhythm that could move as many people as possible. The beauty that is veiled from perception by the tedium of routine and by these memories that sorely search for oblivion becomes visible only in these lands we dream on. The world of dreams is the world of creativity in its most crystalline expression.
And you know what? Immersing yourself in such a world is not that difficult. What’s difficult is bringing out what you manage to find there, and having it applied to reality in a way that retains its charm intact, and that doesn’t leave you uneasy, looking at your hands as if trying to remember what you could create with them whilst you were dreaming.
“Volver Al Futuro” [Back To The Future] is the first album by Les Enfants, and it manages to showcase what happens when both worlds become perfectly interconnected. “Volver Al Futuro” is the stage in which dreams and reality become all and one.
The band was started in 2008, and its five members decided to pick a French moniker since they reasoned a name in French would be more memorable in a scene where English names are legion. But they also went for one such name because they still see themselves as children in many senses, specially when it comes to all ludic activities.
In essence, Les Enfants are a rock-pop band which uses synthesizers to enrich their music. It’s evident that bands such as Primal Scream, The Killers, The Smiths and The Flaming Lips have been a great influence on their sound. And so have been a handful of South American bands such as Soda Estéreo and Virus.
Martín Vallejo acts as the band’s vocalist, and the songs are created collectively. Martín brings his different drafts to each and every rehearsal, and they all work together to shape both the lyrics and the music. Martín is likewise one of the two guitar players in the band, along with Mauro Bolatino.
Roberto Suárez handles all keyboards and synths, whereas the band’s rhythmic section is made up of Javier Gorgoso on drums, and Rodrigo González on bass. Continue reading →
“Celebración” [Celebration] is one of the tracks on Garo Arakelián’s debut album that hits the hardest. And now, the song has got a promotional video to go with it.
This clip was shot at the Teatro Macció, in the City of San José de Mayo. It was directed by filmmaker Pablo Stoll, and it features Garo and his band getting ready for a show while a former star finds himself stranded where dreams and reality collide.
Garo Arakelián was a key figure in the history of Uruguayan rockers La Trampa. To a lot of people, the band’s credence was rooted in his literate approach to songwriting.
“Un Mundo Sin Gloria” [A World Without Glory] is his first solo album. It has been issued by Bizarro.
In case you want to know more about La Trampa, then check this review of “Laberinto” – while neither fans nor critics single that particular album out, it is the one record by theirs that I feel puts emotions together more expertly.
Nameless is a Uruguayan metal band that is about to release its third album, “7 Caminos” [7 Pathways]. Nameless is also one of the three bands that will be opening for Lacuna Coil on the 28th of February, when the seminal Italian band plays in Uruguay for the first time. The other two are Catarsis and Cínica.
By all accounts, it’s going to be a memorable month for the band. And just to set the ball rolling in the best of ways, they have issued an acoustic bonus video to go with their new album.
The song is called “Canción de Cuna” [Lullaby], and it’s an acoustic composition that signals a whole change of pace for the band.
Singer Betto had this to say abut the song on her Facebook profile:
“Lullaby” is a very personal song for us.
We weren’t going to include the song on the album at all, but we grew really fond of its “unplugged” or “raw” version, since it gave the CD a completely different emotional aura.
The photos you can see at the end are true, and they are really ours… each one of them tells a very specific story…
In my case, it goes along the lines of “we all have that special someone who has taught us how to tie our laces, how to ride a bike, or who has even scolded us for our own good. This is a song for all of them. Because we all have had that one person who once sang us a lullaby…”
My photo is the third one. I’m on the arms of my dad, who now has got Alzheimer. I miss our conversations more than anything in the world.
Below you’ll find the poster for the band’s upcoming gig in support of Lacuna Coil, along with the clip for the song “Partir” [Parting Away], which was featured on the band’s second album, and which is my favorite song of theirs.
First thing first, today I’m announcing the winners of last month’s competition. As I’m sure you remember, readers were asked to submit artwork inspired by MusicKO’s logo. The response was extraordinary, and for that I’m exceedingly grateful. I received so many submissions (and I had to go through all of them one by one) that I had the perfect excuse for not stepping out of my garret in a fortnight.
When I did, I found out that my whole family had gone and left me (which was just a small collateral), and that I had missed the season finale of “Dexter” (which was not). Regardless of that, I’ve had the time of my life!
Anyway, these are the lucky winners of our latest compo:
Third Place:
This image was submitted by a fan of One Direction, obviously irate because of all my recent posts in which I (allegedly) made fun of the boys. And to think I’ve made it crystal clear that (to some extent) I actually like them. Sigh…
Calm down, girl. Easy does it. Go to the toilet, or something.
You know what? I’ll give you a piece of advice, a true pearl of wisdom for free: next Halloween, disguise yourself as a bell and see if someone hits you. I hope it works!
Second Place:
Someone from South America sent this in:
Yes, I know. It’s captioned in Spanish.
So what? Have you got a problem with that???? MUSICKO IS AN INTERNATIONAL BLOG!!!!!
Capitalist pigs! Bastards! Learn some Spanish! Or go follow the chicken, cross the street, and fuck your mother!
First Place:
This came from some far-flung country, I don’t know what the text says, but who gives two wanks?
(Five, actually)
(Ten)
(OK, fifteen)
If you are the person who submitted any of these images, then you’ll get a voucher by the hallowed sponsors of this blog (namely the Brill Building Society) in six month’s time. And if you haven’t received your voucher by then, don’t panic. All you must do is to visit the nearest Army of Salvation office, and ask them to help you out. (Remember that these offices are open from 1:00 AM to 3:00 AM only, and that you must wear fuchsia and magenta to be granted access to the premises).
The Brill Building Society.
The Army of Salvation.
Yes, I’ve got ties with all these organizations.
And plenty more.
I do.
Honestly.
MUSICKO IS AN INTERNATIONAL BLOG.
And because MUSICKO IS AN INTERNATIONAL BLOG, I cover Uruguayan artists! Yes! Uruguayan! From Uruguay! We rock! We roll! We twist! And we do the alligator!
And today, it’s the time to write about a lady! At last! I’ve been writing about boys for so long that the main page of this blog looks like a Russian submarine by now!
Her name’s Lucía González, and she has just released her first CD. The song “Please” has been chosen as its first promotional cut, and you can watch the accompanying music video below. It basically stars Lucía and her dog, Minnie.
The song was written and produced by Gabriel Casacuberta (who in fact helmed/co-wrote the whole record), and it’s an amiable mix of folk, pop and rock, held together by a steady bass and lyrics which nail the subject of love that’s clearly forthcoming but which still hangs on the faultline in a very supple way.
“Please” is also included on the soundtrack for “La Casa Muda” [The Silent House], a Uruguayan movie that’s had the distinction of being licensed all over the world (a first for a Uruguayan flick). Continue reading →
Uruguayan popular music is enjoying a whole new lease of life, with a generation of singer/songwriters that are updating its idioms and gestures. Influenced by artists such as Eduardo Mateo, Fernando Cabrera, Jorge Drexler and Mauricio Ubal, these young performers are bringing popular music to an audience that was previously strange to it.
And Ismael Collazo is one of the most emblematic singer/songwriters of such a movement. Born in 1980, he plays a healthy mixture of traditional Uruguayan music. Murga, tango, candombe, chacarera… his repertoire includes all of these, in equal measures.
His first album was titled “Rincones” [Corners], and it was issued by Perro Andaluz in 2009. As of the time of writing this, Ismael is recording his second album.
I’d like to share a couple of live performances with you, along with the links to his MySpace and Facebook pages. The videos are for the songs “Todo Alguna Vez” [Everything Sometime] and “Río de Tambores” [River of Drums].
