León Gieco

Raúl Alberto Antonio Gieco, known as León Gieco (born, November 20, 1951), is an Argentine popular musician and singer.

Gieco is known for his blending of folk music with Argentine rock. Although he is most appreciated in his home country, where the content of his songs, which championed human rights, peasant and indigenous peoples' rights, support for the disabled, and solidarity with the marginalized, made him appealing to those who shared his views.

His fame extends beyond his homeland: he performs before audiences in other countries—especially in countries with large colonies of Argentine immigrants—and is often described as "the Bob Dylan of Argentina."

Biography

Early years

Gieco was born on November 20, 1951, on a farm near Cañada Rosquín, in the center of the province of Santa Fe, to a family of Piedmontese descent. He started working at the age of 7. He bought a guitar with his own money and began playing it at school events. 

He formed a folklore group, but at the same time began playing in a rock band, known as "Los Moscos", which soon gained popularity in the surrounding towns. They performed songs by The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Spencer Davis Group, when they won a competition to play on Channel 5 of Rosario (today Telefe Rosario) in 1965.

His nickname is due to an incident that occurred when he was beginning to take his first steps in music, on an occasion when they were preparing instruments for a sound check with "Los Moscos". When connecting some amplification equipment, he did it incorrectly, which damaged the equipment and burned it. When this happened, one of the members of the group rebuked him, saying, "What are you doing? This guy is the king of the beasts!" Years later, Gieco decided to adopt the nickname "León" (Lion).

When Gieco turned 18, he went to Buenos Aires to become a full-time musician. There, he took guitar lessons from Gustavo Santaolalla, who introduced him to important people in the Buenos Aires musical community, such as Raúl Porchetto, Charly García, Nito Mestre, and María Rosa Yorio, future members along with Gieco of the Argentine supergroup, "Porsuigieco".

Discography
León Gieco (1973)
La Banda de los Caballos Cansados (1974)
El fantasma de Canterville (1976)
IV LP (1978)
Siete años (1980)
Pensar en nada (1981)
Corazón americano / El gran concierto (1985)
De Ushuaia a La Quiaca 1 (1985)
De Ushuaia a La Quiaca 2 (1985)
De Ushuaia a La Quiaca 3 (1985)
Semillas del corazón (1989)
Ayer y hoy (1989)
Concierto en vivo con Pete Seeger (1990)
Mensajes del alma (1992)
Desenchufado (1994)
Orozco (1997)
En el país de la libertad (1999)
De Ushuaia a La Quiaca 4 (1999)
40 obras fundamentales (2000)
Bandidos rurales (2001)
Por partida doble (2001)
El vivo de León (2003)
De Ushuaia a La Quiaca (re-edition) (2005)
Por Favor, Perdón y Gracias (2005)
El Vivo de Leon (2003)
El Desembarco (2011)
El Hombrecito del Mar (2022)

References

Other websites

Biography 

Mundo Alas
Village Voice 

Category:1951 births
Category:Living people
Category:Argentine singers