Newsgroup: it.arti.musica.rock.progressive
Titolo: prog sudamericano e dittature

vista la mia recente passione per il prog sudamericano, volevo sapere un po'
di cose riguardo al rapporto tra questi gruppi e il contesto politico e
sociale in cui operavano. Che rapporto di scontro/commistione c'era con le
dittature degli anni '70? lo stesso discorso vale per il portogallo e per la
spagna pre-76.
E quelli dei paesi dell'est?
napra

spagna pre-76.
Ti allego un articolo del Joynson.
Per i paesi dell'est il discorso è più complesso.
I paesi più vicini al pensiero occidentale (Germania Est, Polonia,
Ungheria, Cecooslovacchia) hanno prodotto degli ottimi gruppi, ma
spessissimo legati ai diktat delle case discografiche statali (vedi il
caso East, costretti ad inserire un cantante nel line-up).
I paesi più radicali (e anche sfigati) come Bulgaria o Albania difatti
presentano pochissime uscite degne di nota.
Parlando con le persone del luogo, spesso i gruppi che incidevano
erano detestati dai "giovani" perchè sospettati di collusioni con il
potere, ecltante il caso dei Phoenix rumeni o dei Lokomotiv TM.
Per l'URSS ci sono addirittura dei nastri illegali recentemente
ristampati.
Per entrambi i settori geografici, ma anche per Spagna, Grecia e
Portogallo il totalitarismo è anche una spiegazione *parziale* del
perchè in quei paesi il progressive presenta presenta moltissime
uscite "sfasate" temporalmente. Mentre da noi imperversavano Disco
Music e Punk là il prog faceva i primi passi....
Sul sudamerica:
What is incredible is how good many of these bands were when we
consider the socio-political context they were operating in during the
late sixties and early seventies. Most of these Latin American
countries fell prey to extremely repressive dictatorships, who
effectively attempted to ban rock music which was considered to be a
subversive influence. The obstacles to making a rock record or staging
a concert were considerable, but it happened and in many cases
Europeans and North Americans travelling through the continent seem to
have been a significant influence in transporting many of the ideas of
the beat, psychedelic and progressive eras to the Continent. 
Nonetheless, all these obstacles were overcome. One of the most
significant of the early rock groups was Los Shakers who formed in
Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay in 1963. They were strongly
influenced by The Beatles. Indeed, they have often been described as
"The Beatles of South American Rock". A little later, also in Uruguay,
came Los Mockers, who are often referred to as "The Rolling Stones of
South American Rock". Both groups later moved to Buenos Aires, in
Argentina, to win recording contracts. 
Argentina also boasted a handful of British Invasion-influenced bands.
A band called The Wild Cats, from Rosario, three-hundred kilometres
north of Buenos Aires, recruited Litto Nebbia as vocalist, moved down
to the capitol, renamed themselves as Los Gatos Salvajes and started
adding their own material to their repertoire of the beat era bands.
Others included Los Vips, The Seasons, Los Beatniks, Los Ins and Los
Walkers. 
Chile’s premier beat era bands included The Beat 4, The Beatniks, Los
Larks and Los Picapiedras. Venezuela produced Los Dangers, Los Darts,
Los 007 and Los Tornados. Brazil boasted a fairly thriving culture of
beat bands including Baobas, Beat Boys, Brazilian Bitles, Os Canibais,
Hangmen, Os Jovens and The Sunshines. Whilst the other Latin American
countries spoke Spanish and the lyrics were mostly sung in Spanish, in
Brazil Portuguese was spoken and naturally nearly all music was sung
in Portuguese. 
The most significant Peruvian bands in the beat era were Los Corvets
and Los Shains. From Columbia came The Speakers and Los Monkees and
there were several bands like Ampex, Los 4 Crickets, Los Speakers, Los
Yetis and Los Young Beats, who followed with a rougher-edged garage
sound. 
Finally, up in Mexico, beat bands like Los Belmonts, The Dinos, Los
Hitters, Los Monjes, Los Monstrous, Los Ovnis, Los Reos, Rockin
Devils, Los Sinners and Los Yaki, were the premier bands in the
1965-68 era. 
Back in Buenos Aires, a basement club called La Cueva became a meeting
place for young artists, along with Plaza Francia. This emerging
hippie culture produced groups like Los Abuelos de la Nada, La Barra
de Chocolate and Manal and solo artists like Moris, Tango and Pajarito
Zaguri. Marcelo Camerlo in his excellent encyclopaedic guide to beat,
psychedelic and progressive rock in Argentina and Uruguay, ‘The Magic
Land’ traces the emergence of rock concerts in 1969, a year after the
country was blessed with its first record label Mandioca, devoted
soley to rock music. 
The story was similar elsewhere in South and Central America. For
example, Avándaro was without doubt the Mexican equivalent to
Woodstock and attracted 250,000 people. Originally the festival was
conceived as a simple party to entertain juniors ("good" kids of the
high society) the night before a car race; "Rock And Wheels", which
ended up being postponed. Instead 11th September 1971 ended up being a
musical extravaganza which saw Three Souls In My Mind, Los Dug Dugs,
El Ritual and Peace and Love (from Tijuana), El Enigma, Javier Bátiz,
La Revolucion de Emiliano Zapata and many others unite the nations
hearts and souls. The authorities were furious. Canal 710 / Radio
Juventud was censored by the government and the DJ who transmitted the
concert live over the airwaves Félix Ruano Méndez was fined and had
his license revoked for some time. 
Latin and Central America produced some real (and until recently
hidden) jewels from the psychedelic era. From Mexico be sure to check
out Los Dug Dugs, Flying Karpet, the superb Kaleidoscope, La
Revolucion de Emiliano Zapata, The Spiders and La Vida. Colombia’s
finest were The Flippers, Los Speakers and Los Yetis. In Ladies W.C.,
who had an American vocalist, Venezuela produced one of the jewels in
the crown of Latin American psychedelia. Brazil produced the highly
innovative Os Mutantes and The Galaxies and Som Imaginário are worthy
of mention too. Peru’s finest psychedelic era act was undoubtedly
Traffic Sound but also well worthy of investigation are El Alamo,
Laghonia, Gerald Manuel and El Humo, Saint Thomas Pepper Smelter, We
All Together and Los Yorks, whilst Los Shains recorded into the
psychedelic era. Chile produced the Jefferson Airplane-influenced
Aguaturbia, Blops, El Congreso, Los Jockers, Kissing Spell, Los Mac’s
and Los Vidros Quebrados. Uruguayans Los Shakers continued to record
throughout the psychedelic era, though based in Argentina. 
By the late sixties/early seventies, there was a plethora of rock
bands in Argentina. The lords of the manor were definitely Almendra,
whose albums contained some stunning pieces of psychedelia. Quite a
strong folk movement emerged, particularly after the "Acusticazo"
concert at the Theatre Atlantic in Buenos Aires on 16th June 1972.
This was epitomised by solo artists and acts like Arco Iris, Pacífico,
Sui Generis, Vivencia and Pedro y Pablo, who played a sort of
socio-political folk-rock. At the heavier end of spectrum there was a
strong rock and blues tradition represented by acts like Billy Bond y
La Pesada, La Banda Del Paraiso, Carola, Manal, Rockal y La Cria,
Pappo’s Blues and Vox Dei. The progressive rock genre was represented
by acts like Aquelarre, Color Humano and Pescado Rabioso. 
The movie "Rock Hasta que se Ponga el Sol" directed by Anibal Uset,
captured many of the Argentine’s finest acts playing at the festival
BA Rock III in November 1972 outside the Argentinos Junior soccer club
stadium. It includes Arco Iris, Billy Bond y La Pesada, Color Humano,
Claudio Gabis, Gabriela, León Gieco, Litto Nebbia, Orion’s Beethoven,
Pappo’s Blues, Pescado Rabioso, Sui Generis and Vox Dei. 
By the mid-seventies, bands like Alas, Crucis (1976), Espiritu and La
Máquina De Hacer Pájaros emerged, who played a more symphonic style of
progressive rock. This progressivism was also evident in other
countries too, though possibly to a lesser degree. Brazil, for
example, had bands like Blow Up and Modulo 1000 and even Bolivia (not
mentioned elsewhere) produced a classic harder-edged progressive album
from Wara. 
Vernon Joynson. 
M.
Aiya Earendil Elenion Ancalima
http://fromgenesis.net


chi è  sto coglione che scrive?
I Phoenix erano/sono amatissimi dai giovani (l'ultimo cd ha venduto 40.000
copie).
erano talmente amici del regime comunista che nel 77 si rifugiarono in
Germania.
nel disco Cantofabule certi politici si erano riconosciuti come animali.
I Phoenix furono censurati e banditi da tutte le radio e giornali della
Repubblica Socialista Romena.
Traiasca Legiunea si Capitanul!

Repubblica Socialista Romena.
E' vero che successivamente si rifugiarono, ma prova a parlare con il
mio amico Horatio, che dalla Romania è fuggito temporibus illis negli
Stati Uniti, e prova a parlarli dei Phoenix...
M.
Terra enfim! Nascer de novo, sair dos dedos frios do mar. 
Recomencar um gesto seco, um grito rouco... 
Cair na areia, amar o chao e descansar, domir, sonhar enfim...
Petrus Castrus, 1979