Tag Archives: Uruguay

RostbiF (Uruguayan Unsigned Artist) – Part 2: The Music

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As I am sure you read in the first part of this article, RostbiF is a hard rock band that hails from Nueva Helvecia (an inland Uruguayan town). The guys cite AC/DC, Deep Purple and ZZ Top as their main references and musical heroes, and their sound is an effective amalgamation of what these bands have played since their inception.

RostbiF Playing Live: Lukas Künzler, Pablo Gonzalez, Mauricio Rode & Guido Quintela

RostbiF Playing Live: Lukas Künzler, Pablo Gonzalez, Mauricio Rode & Guido Quintela

The band comprises Lukas Künzler (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), Pablo Gonzalez (lead guitar), Mauricio Rode (bass) and Guido Quintela (drums).

I am actually acquainted with the guys since Guido e-mailed me about a year ago asking for some lyrics. I did like the fact that they were aiming for compositions that had a certain social content, and I was keen to try something different to the traditional romantic themes I have always used to favor. Thus, “Rebellion Winds” and “These Eyes” were conceived.

One thing that comes across when you listen to their music is how much they are enjoying themselves. They are no virtuosos, they know it, and that is not the point to begin with. They make up for it with a lot of stamina and passion: Guido hits the bass drum as he if were kicking a plancha in the mouth, the bass has true bursts of vigor (specially when it gets some space as on “Rebellion Winds”, their finest composition so far) and the two guitars act as the main offensive line of the band. Granted, nobody would mistake the interplay between Lukas and Pablo as the one that characterized Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd, but they are clearly in the same wavelength. Plus, when singing Lukas sounds like a chain smoker who hasn’t had a cigarette in three weeks. Take all that together and the result is the soundtrack for throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at the police during a riot. No wonder I have never attended one of their gigs personally. The last thing I want is someone smashing a bottle willy-nilly in my head. Continue reading →

RostbiF (Uruguayan Unsigned Artist) – Part 1: Profile & Interview

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It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to the Uruguayan unsigned artist of this week: RostbiF. They are one of the bands I collaborate with, and I can tell you that they are passionate believers in the power of music.

This is their PureVolume profile.

Below you will find the first part of the article, in which they introduce themselves and answer some questions. My own analysis of their music is included here.

RostbiF Are Lukas Künzler, Pablo Gonzalez, Mauricio Rode & Guido Quintela

RostbiF Are Lukas Künzler, Pablo Gonzalez, Mauricio Rode & Guido Quintela

Band Information

Name: RostbiF

Genre: Hard rock

Band Members:
Lukas Künzler (Voice and rhythm guitar)
Pablo Gonzalez (guitar)
Mauricio Rode (Bass)
Guido Quintela (Drums)

Been Together Since: Juny 2009

Some Questions

Where does the name of your band come from?

It comes from playing with words and translating them from Spanish into German, but it has no real meaning. The first idea was “rost”, which means “oxid” in German, but we found it to short so we played a little bit with it and the result was RostbiF.

Is it possible to define or categorize your music? If you had to try, how would you do it?

Our music is a kind of mixture from different hard rock styles, it is based on bands like AC/DC, Aerosmith, ZZ Top, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin… just simple hard rock.

In which ways could your music be deemed as innovative within the Uruguayan scene?  Is that a concern for you?

We think there is no real innovation in our music, we play hard rock the traditional way, that is the music we like to listen to. There is a difference from other Uruguayan bands in the influences, and the type of music we play, but there is nothing new or innovative in it at all.

In which sense being in Uruguay gives you an edge over musicians in other parts of the world? And how does it hinder you? Continue reading →

Cuando Juega Uruguay (Jaime Roos) & Cielo De Un Solo Color (No Te Va Gustar) – Music Videos

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Uruguay

Today Uruguay’s national soccer team beat Ghana in the most dramatic match I have ever seen in my life. This puts Uruguay in the semifinals of a FIFA World Cup for the first time in 40 years.

As a way of supporting a team that has made us all proud, I would like to share two of the most popular soccer-related songs that have ever been written and recorded by Uruguayan artists. The first is “Cuando Juega Uruguay” [When Uruguay Plays] by Jaime Roos. The other is “Cielo De Un Solo Color” [Single-colored Sky] by No Te Va Gustar. That song is not really about soccer, but it has become synonymous with the sport here.

Now we are squaring up against Holland on Tuesday. I frankly believe that after today’s show of stamina and guts everything is possible.

¡Vamos Uruguay, carajo!

Lucía Ferreira (Uruguayan Unsigned Artist)

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Lucia Ferreira

Lucía Ferreira

In one of his most revered poems, Longfellow described the flight of song as something too strong and too constant to be followed by the human eye. If we were to dig deeper into what is implied in that frequently-anthologized lay (what the heck, Gil Grissom actually recites it in one chapter of CSI), we would have to agree that the only point of origin for something which is indeed strong and constant has to be an artist that meets these very two aptitudes. And you can say what you want about Uruguayan artists, but more than a very representative number of performers here certainly shine when it comes to strength, and excel as far as constancy is concerned. The one I would like to tell you a little about now certainly does.

She is named Lucía Ferreira, and during her artistic life she has been part of duets (“No Es Mi Mujer”) [She Is Not My Woman], murgas (“La Japilong”), rock & roll bands (“Vía Libre”) [Free Way]… she is currently playing with Julio Ojeda. Any artist that has treaded so much ground in less than 30 years is not only a well-nurtured one. To all intents and purposes, such an artist is the one who is nurturing to others.

The songs she is currently working on often touch on issues such as self search and the validation of one’s place in the world (that is the thematic denominator of both “Diván” [Couch] and “Me Quiero Quedar” [I Want To Stay]), and the role that art has a mediator between the world that there is and the world that there should be is incarnated in songs like “Vieja Viola” [Old Six-string]. In the song (a tango written by luminary Humberto Correa), an old performer can but look into his former source of pride (his guitar) from a yearning stance that paints a savage contrast with the humdrum of the domesticity he has sunk into. The corollary is that an artist is always a seeker of something else in life, even if that implies that to let others find that something he will have to renounce to his ability to hold onto these things that he has found along the way. Lucía does the song very well, as she has all the necessary vocal chops to convey the world-weariness of the lyrics, if only because a voice that has been tempered by so many styles becomes malleable in itself. Continue reading →

Los Amigos Invisibles (Sordromo) – Uruguayan Music

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“Los Amigos Invisibles” was Sordromo’s Final Album. It Came Out In 2004. Julio Berta Had Been Replaced By Martín Craciun, But Otherwise It Was The Same Lineup.

Sordromo’s fourth (and valedictory) album, “Los Amigos Invisibles” [“The Invisible Friends”] contains some of their best music together, but also a number of compositions that sound like nothing but rehashes of songs they had previously offered up. These compositions do not dominate the album in any sense, but they speak of a strained creative process, and upon listening to the album today it becomes evident why Rodrigo Gómez left the band shortly after the album had been issued.

To shunt the negative songs out of the way once and for all: “Lejos De Casa” [Far Away From Home] derives its melody and tonal structure from the song “Desnorteados” from the previous album, only that this time it lacks all punch. “Tanto Control” [So Much Control] and “Llamame” [Call Me] are clear examples of volume that tries to convey sentiment and that only ends up conveying patchiness.  “Nota Para Un Viaje” [Note For A Travel] is no much better, but it is placed right before the first truly good composition of the album (the title track), and there is a thematic bond at play that makes it more palatable.

But the one song that can’t be stomached no matter how much you try is “Un Secreto” [A Secret], where Sordromo apes the brit sound of bands like Astroboy. This song alone tarnishes the first side of the album irrevocably – and most of the compositions I criticized above were already segregated there to begin with.

Still, it is on the first side of “Los Amigos Invisibles” where we find one of Sordromo’s most memorable hits, “Lucerito” (a tale of broken farewells and reconstituted memories). The song has really exciting dynamics, and the breaks are as good as the ones found on “2 + 2= 3”, where the drums virtually jump from the speakers and run over you.  And the first side also hosts the angsty “El Filo Del Tiempo” [The Edge Of Time], a song that anticipates the hat trick that will close the album. “La Calma Y La Tormenta” [The Calm And The Storm], “A Punto De Equivocarme” [Just About To Make A Mistake] and “Inevitablemente” [Inevitably].

The three songs are linked by the despondency of the lyrics, and in “A Punto De Equivocarme” [Just About To Make A Mistake] Rodrigo’s voice sounds as if he were about to break down at any moment. It is a song in which emotions strafe the listener, and not a single bullet misses the target.

It works perfectly as the prelude to “Inevitablemente” [Inevitably], of course. The song is rendered solely by Rodrigo (he sings and plays the acoustic guitar), and his voice sounds bitten, as if after the previous caterwaul of emotions he has finally wiped the tears away, but tearing a bit of skin in the process. The song makes me think a lot of The Smiths’ final song, “I Won’t Share You”. Similar circumstances (creative differences), same message (it was good until it lasted, but that was it). Continue reading →

Mal Yo (Uruguayan Unsigned Artist)

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Mal Yo

“Mal Yo” [My Fault] is a Uruguayan trio that plays good ol’ rock & roll. It comprises guitarist/lead singer Diego Da Silva, bassist Martín Bernasconi and drummer Sergio Alastra. Sergio is actually slightly older than the rest, and (to my ear) he is the standout musician in the band. Yes, I have some catching up with the doctor to do.

Seriously, now, he provides the most memorable passages in their songs – look at the way in which he sustains the tension during the choruses to “La 22”, or the killer triplet that he uses to wrap up “A Tiempo” after having shifted beats all through the song. Besides, any person who has had the nerve to play in a band named “El Tatú Lunar” [The Lunar Tattoo] and then in another that was named “Monos Con Navajas” [Monkeys With Blades] has earned my absolute admiration. He must get invited to fewer parties than me.

The band is currently recording its debut album, and a couple of their songs can be downloaded for free on their website. (They can also be streamed on their MySpace page). These are “A Tiempo” [In Time], “Tu Lugar” [Your Place] and “La 22” [Table Number 22]. I have to admit that I am not really bowled over by their music on the whole, but one of these three songs has got me interested like little else. I must have listened to the song “A Tiempo” more than the three guys combined with all of their families and friends. Cubed. I honestly don’t recall having done something like that before, and that was the reason I decided to write about them. Because I don’t really like the other two songs they have, as I find the main riffs just a tad too generic – the main riff in “La 22”, for example, reminds me too much of songs like “Tu Dei” by Dsus4 (another Uruguayan band, and one that is sadly playing the great gig in the sky after having released a reasonably good debut album in 2006 entitled “Nada Permanece Quieto” [Nothing Remains Still]).

Mal You Playing Live: Martín Bernasconi, Sergio Alastra & Diego Da Silva

Mal Yo Playing Live: Martín Bernasconi, Sergio Alastra & Diego Da Silva

“A Tiempo” is the one song of theirs that sounds fresh and invigorating, and the lyrics display a very realized use of alliterative figures. Each verse is topped and tailed with the expressions “A veces” [Sometimes] and “A tiempo” [In Time], and the chorus is quite impacting, especially the second time around. The song also has a distinctive structure, as it comprises only two verses and a chorus that is played once and then repeated after the solo before the song concludes. That shifts the thematic emphasis of the lyrics, which being topped and tailed as described above would be imbued with a sort of conciliatory (or at least conclusive) air. This turns the song into something that ends up expressing losses that one would have thought were to be averted: “Y nosotros dos añoramos/nuestra vida perfecta” [And the two of us long for/our perfect life]. Continue reading →

The World Cup In Music Videos (Part 1)

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Soccer mania is sweeping the world, and today my country (Uruguay) managed to beat the team playing host (that’s South Africa, in case soccer is not your thing) 3 – 0. Time for a quick musical revision of the event so far.

First of all, this is the Black Eyed Peas performing at the opening of the tournament.

Shakira and Juanes did also perform that night, and they were very well-received too.

A Fellow Playing His Vuvuzela? Good Fun. 80,000 Fellows Playing Their Vuvuzelas? The Cue For The Four Horsemen To Come Charging.

A Fellow Playing His Vuvuzela? Good Fun. 80,000 Fellows Playing Their Vuvuzelas? The Cue For The Four Horsemen To Come Charging.

Moving on, this is the “Vuvuzela Sucks Song”. A must-see for people who ardently believe the charming African instrument is robbing the game of its essential atmosphere. And I guess fans of Star Wars will also grow to love it.

Finally (and in case you haven’t seen it yet)  this is the official video for the World Cup anthem by K’naan.

It’s quite good, but it doesn’t hold a candle to this one. Ah, the early ’90s…

Which one do you prefer? Leave a comment below!

Laiojan Sebastian (Uruguayan Independent Artist)

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Laiojan Sebastian Were Andrés Pardo Di Nardo, Alejandro Reyes, Andrés Puppo & Ismael Pardo Di Nardo

Laiojan Sebastian Were Andrés Pardo Di Nardo, Alejandro Reyes, Andrés Puppo & Ismael Pardo Di Nardo

Laiojan Sebastian was the band that made me decide to cover Uruguayan unsigned artists on MusicKO. I learned of their existence in late 2009. I had recently became acquainted with Ismael Pardo Di Nardo, the drummer and percussionist of the band. His older brother Andrés was the lead singer and sole composer of the songs the band (a very representative exponent of River Plate rock) was to record for a self-titled debut that was sadly never to be released. I recall the impression that the CD caused on me when Ismael played the first song (“Despierta”) [Wake Up] over his speakers – it was a truly alive piece of music. It felt as if the message of the lyrics had been deprived of its mobility by the indifference that befell the whole album, but its ability to move others remained unscathed. I wouldn’t say that I become an awakened one that day. But I felt less dormant for certain.

Of course, that the disc hit me so hard when I first listened to it was no coincidence – not when I learned that the bass player and the lead guitarist were Andrés Puppo and Alejandro Reyes, two professional musicians that had been part of the local scene for some time now.

Another thing that caught my immediate fancy was the cover art. Andrés had designed it, and a well-known Argentinean comic artist put his thumb into motion to bring the nominal character to life. The manga influence was palpable by a mile, and the Iojan Sebastian that we can see pictured there seemed the closest to a living paradox to me, with a mien that expressed as many emotions as the ones it counter-expressed. I could imagine him saying “It is all in vain. Nothing means anything except everything. And you can get everything in life except nothing. But” – he would continue with a grin – “there is always a way to get anything.”

And if “Despierta” was a song that told of latent possibilities, the remaining songs were to deal with their realization. One of the clearest examples was to be “Jhonny Balón”, a fairy story about a child soccer prodigy that dies during a match only to resurrect and score at the last minute as his team reaches the final many years later. The song offers up a raving mixture of funky passages  with murga drumming (conveying the tragedy of the protagonist’s death) and in the last section (the match) Andrés emulates a commentator over real ambience noise. Continue reading →

Retrocedonia (Uruguayan Unsigned Artist)

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Retrocedonia Are Pablo Sassi, Sergio Astengo, Ana Garland & Alejandro Tuala

Retrocedonia Are Pablo Sassi, Sergio Astengo, Ana Garland & Alejandro Tuala

A band that got me quite intrigued, Retrocedonia is more pop than rock, but it can rock far more than your conventional poppy outfit. More than anything, it is a band whose sound melds old and new Uruguayan traditions in a very idiosyncratic way – they clearly know what has come and gone before and they make sure indicators are dropped all over the place, but not in a way that would devaluate what they are actually doing.

That is something tricky to pull off – to many younger listeners, the musical history of the country is often anything but cool or hip. They won’t necessarily listen to someone who plays an accordion and sings about the Mama Vieja (one of the most representative protagonists of Uruguayan Candombe) as this band does. Continue reading →

Superpunk! – Jorge Nasser Vs. Jorge Bonomi & Fernán Cisnero (Tiempos Salvajes)

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This is a classic of Uruguayan radio. The incident took place one Saturday in March, 1993. Jorge Bonomi & Fernán Cisnero hosted a radio show named “Tiempos Salvajes” [Wild Times] in which they routinely abused one of the most popular rock bands of the day, Niquel. The band was fronted by Jorge Nasser and Pablo Faragó, and the hosts of the show looked askance at them because they regarded themselves as tough rock & rollers. They deemed Niquel’s approach as something sissy. They were making fun of the band live on air, and taking special umbrage at their recently-released symphonic album. Jorge Nasser (the singer and leader of the band) had enough. He headed straight to the studio, and by a bizarre twist of fate he got in without anybody noticing. He stood at the other side of the booth’s door, listening to the final segment of the show.

When the two hosts began picking on Niquel again, he exploded. Nasser stormed into the studio and gave the two radio hosts a beating to write home about. And it was all broadcast because the operator (fearing for her safety) ran away so quickly that she forgot to turn the mikes off.

“Stop it, man, stop it! Let’s talk it over!”. That was the only thing the radio hosts could repeat during the beating. When the first bout was over and Nasser stood towering over both of them, one of the hosts (completely scared out of his brains) squelched “Call the cops!”. Nasser’s retort has gone down in the history of Uruguayan radio.

“¡Ja! ¿Pero no sos el superpunk? ¿No sos el súperagresivo? ¿No es que te gusta la música con personalidad? Bueno, poné personalidad, jugate por lo que decís”.

[“¡Ha! Ain’t you a superpunk? Ain’t you a super-aggressive one? Don’t you always say you like music with personality? Come on, put a little personality to use, walk it the way you talk it”.]

Below you can download the audio in its entirety – you can listen to the first part of the show, the beating and then the mention the two hosts made to the incident the following Saturday.

People being people, I know you will want to listen to the beating first. Jump to 02:58. The “superpunk” bit comes at 04:24.

Superpunk – Jorge Nasser Vs. Jorge Bonomi & Fernán Cisnero (Tiempos Salvajes)