Hello, I'll take the risk to start the first thread here (I am not sure about it), and I want to honor my favorite music genre: spanish-sung rock (rock en español).

I know there are quite a few members here that live in Latin America or Spain and I would like to know what are the current "cool" band there, as in Mexico we get very few of what's produced in other countries.

Right now, for example, I am reexploring the music of Los Prisioneros, from Chile.
They are quite old, I know (even though they have a new album out), but I love them.
Does anyone know similar bands that are worth checking out?

For those not familiar, Los Prisioneros is a band from Chile that was very big in the 80s. In that time, Chile was ruled by Pinochet, who was rather opressive. The lyrics of this band are mostly related to social concerns, i.e.: the lack of job-opportunities after completing college, the economic recession and the stallment of the industries, etc.
But the music is what really set them apart. Think of a mixture between The Clash and Depeche Mode. This was unusual back then for a Latin America band and it certainly gave the band their pop edge. Their songs hold up pretty well, even today.

I will work out a little review of the CD I am currently listening to and post back later.

Well of course my friend, say:

Charly Garcia, Sui Generis, Seru Giran, PorSuiGieco
Fito Paez
Ekhymosis (Mostly the first album: Niño Gigante)
Santana
Kraken
Mago de Oz
Rata Blanca
Mana

Why the small font there?
Are you embarrased for liking Mana?


I would love to listen to Ekhymosis.
I would like to know what was Juanes like at the beginning.
In Mexico we got just one album from them, I don't remember what was it called, but had the song "Raza".
It sounded pretty much like current Juanes stuff.

Ohh, well



Raza was from the last Ekhymosis album, which is pretty bad compared with the first one, well, not bad different.

You should listen to the early stuff, it's almost speed metal in spanish, really good IMO.. Ekhymosis - [Niño Gigante #02] Depresión, is one of the best songs of this album. Perhaps you could try fetching it from the legally handicapped music distribution systems.. .

I remember now that once I listened a Ekhymosis song that was kinda metal. It was a Police cover included in the tribute album: "Outlandos d'Amour".

You know, if they started being hard and now Juanes is all mellow and pop, it reminds me of that American band: Sugar Ray.
You know them? Their early stuff is almost speed metal and now, well, they are poppier than Mana.

How is the rock-scene in Venezuela (that is where you are from, right?).
I only know Los Amigos Invisibles.

reminds me of Metallica...

No, I'm proudly colombian... rock in colombia, I lost faith in it when Shakira and Juanes turned pop (well, I didn't listen to Shakira anyway)

Kraken is pretty good, but it is more metal than rock en español (SpanishSungRock), I also like some of the 'Aterciopelados' muzak.

I however find myself listening more and more Argentinian rock, like Charly. do you like Charly Garcia?

Man, I love Charly Garcia!
Specially his early stuff, and the music he did with Seru Giran.
His later albums range from weird and pretentious to just plain bad.
But on his first four albums he was untouchable!

These were:
1.- Yendo de la cama al living (1982)
2.- Clics Modernos (1983)
3.- Piano Bar (1985)
4.- Parte de la religion (1987)

Those albums are filled with more good music and lyrics than must artists will see in their entire careers.

I also loved the MTV Unplugged album, but mainly because it pretty much focuses on those four albums.

Speaking of MTV, did you see the VMALA's?
I though the intro was kinda cool, it had "The Black Stripes", a fake group with Charly Alberti (from Soda Stereo) on drums and Juanes on guitar. Then they had some rockers from various countries come out an sing a little bit of some of the more "classic" songs in the history of MTV Latino.
Alex Lora, from Mexico's El Tri came first, singing Los Prisioneros' "We are southamerican rockers", then Jorge Gonzalez (leader of Los Prisioneros) sang "Bolero Falaz" (you know that one), then Andrea came and sang Molotov's "Gimme the power". Up to this point everything was good, and I was dying to see who would follow in this awesome parade of Latin rockstars. But Vicentico came out next (Los Fabulosos Cadillacs) and sang f*ckin' "Livin' la vida loca" WTF?! and to make things worse, Ricky Martin sang "Matador". Damn! Is there nothing sacred?
All in all, it was kinda cool, as I said. You should check out your local MTV listings and try to catch it. It is definitely worth watching at least once.

Ratos De Porao (portoguese counts ?)

Maybe
Tell us more about this band please. I like portuguese music, but I only know Paralamas. But this is the purpose of this forum, to discover new music.

the first and most important hardcore/punk band outta Brasil, the website is here

i also like Caetano Veloso, i like Brasil

Man, that gunshot sound really scared me shitless!

After that I dared not to explore the site further

what about ill nino? at least some of their songs are sung in spanish.

Whoa!

Someone listening to "Los Prisioneros", cool! I was there for their "reunion" concert, it was a blast. Of course, they even poked at each other, Miguel Tapia suddenly started singing "Porque un amor violento nos separó...", a song by another very good (IMHO) Chilean group, Los Tres ("Because a violent love separated us...", rumor has it that the lead singer had a major affair with the drum player's wife... or something like that Ooops! Sorry, got carried away, didn't mean to start any gossip...)

Other groups/singers I like (though I'm not sure if they all qualify as "Rock" )

Maná
La Ley
Los Tres
First three albums from Pablo Herrera
Mecano

Actually, there's not much music I don't like, so the list would be pretty long. And with a 10 year-old daughter, you bet I hear loads of Shakira, Juanes, Diego Torres, Alejandro Sanz, Ricardo Arjona...

Perhaps kikeg could fill us in on some Spanish rock?


Cheers, Joey.

I liked it until 'Living la vida loca' (which should be 'Loving la pinga loca'), I also liked Gustavo Cerati's performance, however I prefer Soda.

Overall, too much pop in the VMALAs.


IMHO Seru Giran was The Beatles of Rock en español.

LOL



I agree.
Altough musically they have little to do with The Beatles.
Seru Giran is a lot more progressive-rock-like.


BTW, I told you that later-era Charly Garcia is not that good (compared with his flawless early stuff). But how about "middle-age" Charly?
I bought "Filosofia Barata y Zapatos de Goma" today. It was quite cheap, nine dollars. It comes in a little cardboard slipcase, as if it were a small LP. Even the CD is painted black (not on the data side, obviously) with white lines like "grooves" on vynil.
I bought it for 3 reasons:
1.- I needed to hear more Charly! You know, I did not have enough with what I had. Until a year or so, finding old Charly material in Mexico was impossible. The earliest CD you could get was "Aguante". If you wanted more you had to import them from Argentina. I started being a little "wealthier" last year, so I could finally afford the cost of importing them. That's when I really started getting into Charly. I got Sui Generis, Seru Giran and solo Charly stuff. Now, Mexico's leading CD retailer is bringing a lot of Argentinian old-stuff. I guess they got reissued in Argentina, because they are all reasonably cheap. I saw this today, so I decided to get it, to explore another step on Charly's career.
2.- It has "De mi", one of my all-time favorite songs. I really like the Mercedes Sosa version too.
3.- It was cheap.

So what do you think?
What are your favorite Charly records?

Well i didn't mean Beatles in that sense, but you got the point.

About Charly's solo work, I'd say I like everything from "Música del Alma" in 1980 to "Filosofía barata y zapatos de goma" in 1990 being my fav. "Clics modernos" (Los Dinosaurios is one of the best political statement songs I've ever heard, and perhaps I like it so much because is something everyone here in Colombia can relate to).
Then I liked "Casandra Lange" which are cover of 60's song (Charly singing Mellow Yellow and Sympathy for the Devil) and the Unplugged in 1995 also.

These are albums, when it comes to singles, well there are always singles I like, even the progressive/experimental ones.

Could not find such a CD.
What's on it?


About "Filosofia Barata...", I just finished listening to it for the first time and I didn't quite liked it...
"De mi" is still as monumental as I remember it, but the rest of the songs are a little... flat. You know, in those first records, the songs literally jump at you. There is always something happening in them, and Charly just keeps saying this beautiful things, even in weird ways.
This record... after it was finished I just stared at the wall, as if nothing had happened.

I'm sure it willl grow on me, though.
I just wanted to share my first impression.

I'm now gonna track down "Tango" and "Como conseguir chicas". And maybe that one you mentioned.

Hey, did you see A & E's Charly biography?
It was awesome, very informative.
And it had the absolutely divine Maria Gabriela Epumer on it...
She was the best thing about later-era Charly, IMHO.