Still Rockin'

Sorry about no posts for a couple days. Just got back from two days in San Francisco. Went to see The Alley Cats & some other bands at the Verdi Club in the Tenderloin. More later after I recover, but for now all I can say is...The Alley Cats are FUCKEN AWESOME!!!

The Alley Cats - Nothing Means Nothing Anymore / Give Me a Little Pain 7"

Bolivia

Reuploaded 11/27/2025

There has been much written elsewhere about the absolute coolness factor of this rare el go-gó & sicodelico from late 60s Bolivia. I’ll try to just give a bit of info about the various outstanding groups found here.

First an intro commercial for Inca Kola, then...

 

 

Fourteen songs from 1966-1969, mucho fuzz, primitive but great productions. Most tracks are covers: the Dhag Dhag's take on "One Track Mind" by The Knickerbockers; Grupo 606's takes on "Break On Through" by The Doors & "Gotta Get Away" by The Blues Magoos; Los Ecos do Rufus Thomas' "Walk That Walk"; The Loving Darks cover The Rolling Stones' "Complicated"; Los Burros fuzz out The Rascals' "You Better Run"; while Los Bonny Boy’s Hot’s (???) cover Peruvian Andino hit of Jorge Bravo de la Rueda/Yma Sumac. The original songs are also impressive, like the punker "Pena" by The Blackstones or the somber "Tipo sicodélico" & the swinging "Bohemio" both by the Dhag Dhag's.

It's a wonder how records of any kind were made at all in a country where even in the big cities the power was regularly shut off at 11:00 pm every night & where farm carts still outnumbered cars on the roads. Groups like Grupo 606 had to make their own instruments before they could get to play anything. The Bolivian police in La Paz & other cities like Cochabamba were always on the look-out for local long-hairs & youthful rebels. They launched a campaign called ‘Operacion Tijeras’ (Operation Scissors).  It consisted in shaving the head of any long haired rocker/rebel in these cities. Afterall, they might be revolutionaries.

Los Daltons – They came out of Santa Cruz de le Sierra around 1967. In 1968 they released a four-song instrumental EP. Due to the 11:00 pm electricity cut-off, they did without a singer who would need a microphone. These instrumentals, led by a crazed merry organ, didn’t need vocals. This album starts with their version of the Ventures “ High & Dry” only here they were referring to the high & dry plains of the Bolivian Altiplano.

The Dhag Dhags - Behind this untranslatable name hides a undeniable gem: one of the best 60s beat bands in the world. The Dhad Dhasgs were a trio of teenagers from La Paz led by the brilliant Javier Sandoval. In 1968 he released his first EP on the "Psicofásicos" division of the Discos Mendez label. "Trata de Comprender” (Try to Understand) is their version of "One Track Mind" by The Knickerbockers. "Type Sicodélico" is an original composition, written in English, probably the first recording of psychedelic music in Bolivia. Its spectral atmosphere is reminiscent of the Peruvian group Los Saicos. On "Bohemio" Sandoval mocks the local conservatives by creating a 'groove' that caused every El Go-Gó girl from La Paz to Santa Cruz to go crazy.

 

 

Los Ecos – The crazy drum beats & shrill cries you hear coming out of this band come from Terso, the 11 year old girl on drums in this band. She & her three companions, revel in the infernal hully gully beat. They began performing in mid-1967. On this disc they do their version of "Walk That Walk" by Rufus Thomas. In 1968, the band had achieved national success with their magnificent song "Callaré Simplemente".

 

The Blackstones – Here we have another trio originally from Santa Cruz, they moved to Cochabamba & recorded an EP on Psicofásicos in 1969. Here they do their version of "Pain" by the Walkers sung by JC Lugones "Pena" is a typical case of teenage frustrations brutally played in the best three-chord tradition on screaming electric guitar. Minimalist, crude, neurotic punk from Bolivia before there was punk.

 

Los Tennyson – There is not much information about these poets. They are kind of a mystery band. They are probably from Cochabamba or Oruro. They had a single in 1967, a version of The Twist. The song here was taken from their EP Psicodélico recorded on the Lyra label in 1969.

 

 

Grupo 606 - In late 1966, three friends from school in Cochabamba formed this great band. At first they just played at local parties with instruments made by themselves. At one of their shows in 1967 they met Oswaldo, a radio announcer & singer. He joined the group & got them a recording contract with Lyra. At the beginning of 1969, these chavalitos (only 17-19 years old) released their second EP, demonstrating their best & angeriest garage style. They play their version of "Break on Through" by The Doors on the first side & open the B side with a sublime version of "Gotta Get Away" by The Blues Magoos.

Los Burros - Started in 1967, Los Burros was one of the most successful bands from Bolivia. Originally from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, this band was formed with members of Los Vandalos & Fire Hearts. Once they got a little notoriety, the moved to La Paz where the soon frightened the conservatives. They rode around in their Prado jeep painted Rolls-Royce yellow, wearing baggy pants & floral shirts. They sang in Spanish, Portuguese, & Italian. They recorded “El Pobre”, their version of the Spanish band Los Pasos’ tune, in September 1968. That same year they were arrested by the army as suspected guerillas supporting Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara because they had beards & long hair. By the way, Los Burros are the guys on the cover. Their second song is their version of "You'd Better Run" by The Young Rascals. 

 

 

Los Bonny Boy's Hots – They were the first well-known electronic band in Bolivia. They worked on a lot of records accompanying singers for Lyra, but their most interesting releases were their reworked & roomy recordings of various artists. On this album they do a version of the famous song composed by Jorge Bravo de la Rueda that was popularized by Yma Sumac, done to go-gó tempo. The song is about the mythical Incan Sun virgins of the sixteenth century. Recorded in 1966, this instrumental was a success in Bolivia. It ushered in a spate of  traditional Incan songs set to the go-gó pace.

 

 

The Loving Dark – Here they are named The Loving Dark, but on their first EP they are called Amantes Oscuros (Dark Lovers). The group was formed in La Paz by Argentinean guitarist-singer Felix Chavez & Bolivian drummer Boris Rodriguez in the year 1969. Chavez was originally in the band Las Tortugas .Rodriguez in Los Black Byrds, one of the pioneers of rock groups in Bolivia. They recorded three EP's for Lyra by 1972. This version of "Complicated" by the Rolling Stones comes from their second EP from late 1969. Their play sound has been described as ‘BIG’: great guitar fuzz, demonic drums, groovy organ & bass at least 10 years ahead of their time.

 

 

Los Grillos – Los Grillos are probably the most famous group of this compilation. Los Grillos began in 1967 under the name anglicized name The Crickets in Cochabamba. Shortly after forming, they changed their name to the Spanish Los Grillos. They played the current popular dance music & they achieved great successes. They regularly appeared on Bolivian & other South American television. They recorded at least 20 EP's for Lyra & later their own label Grillo. In the 70s, they played their own unique style of folk-rock with Andean sounds & Moog synthesizers. The song here dates from 1968. It is one of their early recordings. It is a famous Spanish popular song with lyrics by Federico Garcia Lorca. However, the guitar solo make it worthy of inclusion here.

 

This album was re-released in 2009 on CD.

 

 

 Various - Psicofásicosde Bolivia, Discos del Condor cóndor001, 2003. 

Lado A –

Intro - Inca Kola

Alto y Seco – Los Daltons

Trata de Comprender – The Dhag Dhags

La Gran Pelea – Los Ecos

Pena – The Blackstones

Un Mundo Para Mi – Los Tennyson

Rompe, Cruza o Ayudame – Grupo 606

Tico Sicodélico – The Dhag Dhags

Lado B –

Busco un Camino – Grupo 606

El Pobre – Los Burros

Es Mejor Que Corras – Los Burros

Virgenes del Sol  – Los Bonny Boy’s Hots

Complicado – The Loving Dark

La Tarara – Los Grillos

Bohemio – The Dhag Dhags

Enjoy,

NØ

Paraguay

Reuploaded 11/27/2025 

 

Until recent years, there wasn't much in the way of modern music coming out of Paraguay. Between the years 1954 to 1989 Paraguay was under the fierce dictatorship enforced by former President Alfredo Stroessner. He banned all forms of liberal expressions. It wasn't really until after Stroessner's downfall in 1989 that modern music began to emerge. In the 1990s groups such as Chris Patik, Enemigos de la Klase, Gaia, Deliverans, El Templo, Dogma, Shamán, Turkish Blend, & Slow Agony became popular. In the new millennium, Paraguayan rock bands have gained a strong following thanks to the big rock festivals such as Pilsen Rock & Quilmes Rock, which gather around 60,000 spectators each time they are held. 

Enemigos de la Klase is a punk outfit that formed in mid-1992 in Paraguay. The founding members were: Felipe Fernandez – vocals; Juan Armano – guitar; Sargus Perez – bass; & Christian Perez - drums. The bands original name was Los Birramaníacos or The Beer Maniacs, but they quickly changed their name to Enemigos de la Klase or Enemies of the (Upper) Class to be more directly in line with their ideological concept of the band, of their identification with the oppressed, the exploited, those fighting every day for their freedom. They are the enemies of the bourgeoisie , the capitalists, the class that only protects the interests of their money. They sought to address the social problems & politics of Paraguay & Latin America in general.

In 1993 they entered the studio to record their first demo with the songs "República o Muerte", "Nuestras Vidas", & "Nunca" (unpublished). This first demo helped the group become better known in Paraguay & got them some radio airplay. Shortly after the demo is recorded, Felipe Fernandez leaves the group so Christian, who writes most of the material, takes over on vocals &. Roberto Bernal joins on drums. Then Juan Armano leaves & is replaced by Carlos Acuña om guitar. By 1994 they had written more songs & the demo was now 9 tracks. ENSA label issued the release in cassette format in 1995. After the cassette is released, Carlos Acuña left the band. Then Christian Pérez also takes over on guitar, making the group a trio. Christians brother Sargus & Roberto Bernal then quit, leaving only Christian. He enlists the help of long-time friend Marcelo Gonzalez on drums & they recruit Eduardo Anderlique to play bass. It wasn’t until 1998 that they were able to release República o Muerte on CD. It had now grown to 10 tracks. Some time in 2000, Eduardo Anderlique leaves the band so Christian & Marcelo seek out Miquel Loaiza to play bass & Lolo Ferreira as second guitar. Most recently Lolo & Miguel quit the band & Delis Castro signed on to play bass. They have stayed with this three man line-up since, & continue to play.

 Enemigos de la Klase - República OMuerte (Republic or Death), ENSA, 1998.

Tracklist –

Patria querida

Enemigos

Nuestras vidas

Maria Juana (un amor illegal)

Manifesto

República o muerte

Te Quiero en mi cama

La paz de los muertos

Alcohol amargo

M.J.

=======================================================

This band reminds me of a Paraguayan version of Calexico. They call their music urban folk, but I call it great.

 

 

In 2006 , Mario Halley, Fernando Peyrat, Roberto 'Chirola' Ruiz Diaz, &Julio Troche, who had been friends for more than 10 years, decided to get together in the back of Fernando’s house for Friday night jam sessions which they dubbed Terapia de los Viernes or Friday Therapy. It all started when Julio started taking drum lessons at Fernando’s & they invited their other two friends over, with a simple goal, to make a little music. Fernando Peyrat had been in two bands, Partes Iguales (Equal Parts) & La Sociedad (The Society). Playing in these bands had given him the opportunity to play alongside great local musicians Rodrigo 'Yuka' Ojeda & Gustavo Gomez.

In August 2006, Mario had written a song called "Bandida" (Bandit) that he thought the four should record. With the help of Yuka Ojeda (formerly of the group La Sociedad) at his home recording studio in Pedro Juan Caballero, near the Brazilian border, the four friends recorded their first demo versions of  "Bandido" & "Guarani Cool" both of which would later appear on the bands first release. Encouraged by the results of that first recording session, the four invited five of their friend to El Santo, a local disco, for an audition/jam. All five friends answered the call to see what it was & subsequently became members of the new 9-member urban folk band K-Chiporros. The new members were: Rodrigo 'Yuka' Ojeda - lead guitar; Edgar Aquino – bass; Eugenio 'El Loco' Barath – keyboards; Gustavo Gómez – percussion; & Pedro Elias Fadul - electronic drums.

On November 25, 2006 the band played their first gig at El Santo & as they say, the rest is history…

The following year they released their 5-song freshmen disc Guarani Cool. This is their sophmore release, 2008s self-titled disc. It has a more refined sound. It really highlights the band skills in songwriting, singing, & musicianship.

Kchiporros – Kchiporros, 4Kcho Records, 2008.

Tracklist –

Hueso Oficial

Volver a nacer

Me estoy enamorando

Noche de soltero

Algo de ti 

Tuchaite

Loco de amor

Sólo con un poco

El ventilador

Punkchak

Ya no importa

Manuel

Because I love you

Celoso

Se van

Enjoy,

NØ

   

Uruguay

Reuploaded 11/27/2025

The most distinctive music of Uruguay is to be found in the tango & candombe; both genres have been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Candombe originated from the Río de la Plata region, from music African slaves brought with them to the New World, from their dances & from their percussion music.

Popular candombe musicians include Hugo Fattoruso & Rubén Rada. Fattoruso has been a longtime part of the Uruguayan & Latin American music scene. He was a member of the rock band Los Shakers who I will post below.

The purest form of candombe takes place each Sunday night on the streets of Montevideo, where many drummers assemble, playing their drums under the moon lit sky along the Isla de Flores.

Candombe-beat began in the late 60s with El Kinto, a band featuring Rubén Rada & Eduardo Mateo. Emerging at the same time as Los Shakers, they forged their own identity with very little Western influence.

Here for your edification are fourteen crucial tracks by these Uruguayan legends. The band’s line-up included members of various popular Uruguayan candombe bands. It also featured the compositional skills of poet/panhandler & acid casualty Eduardo Mateo (Ángel Eduardo Mateo López) along with his alter-ego, candombe legend Rubén Rada. El Kinto began their brief but eventful life in music playing in the dark shadows at Orfeo Negro (Black Orpheus), a night club near the Portones de Carrasco in Montevideo, Uruguay. Inspired by the way Tropicalistas like Os Mutantes were transforming the pop music of Brazil, El Kinto embraced their own native music forms. They integrated candombe & bossa nova into beat music, but they also added their own notion of 'psicodelics'. They experimented with new sounds from their guitars, new types of vocal delivery, new ways of striking the drums (with little brooms, with gavels, or their hands). 

 

 

The beat of candombe formed the rhythm, bossa nova played a large role in its chords & structure, as did traditional Uruguayan folk music.

 

 

In 1964, Miguel Mattos formed the band The Hit Fingers. After a few personnel changes, Mattos changed the name to The Damned with Walter Cambón & Eduardo Mateo on guitars, Ernesto Soca on piano, Mattos playing bass, & Carlos 'Chango' Castro on drums. Between 1964 & 1966 they were active in Montevideo as well as Buenos Aires. In 1966 they again changed their name to The Knights & recorded an album of original songs (sung in English) for the label Sondor. Shortly after the recording was made Miguel Mattos left & Rubén Rada joined the group as singer & conga player with Luis Sosa on drums & Antonio 'Lobito' Lagarde on bass. Ernesto decided to go in a more electrified direction & once again the group changed its name, this time to El Kinto Conjunto though they would be known simply as El Kinto.

 

 

In 1968, Urban Moraes joined El Kinto, replacing Lobito Lagarde on bass. At the same time Rubén Rada left the band & Mario "Chichito" Cabral joined as percussionist. This left an obvious gap on vocals, so Eduardo Mateo, Urban Moraes, & Walter Cambón took up vocal duties.

When the group finally dissolved in 1970, the line-up was Mateo on guitar & vocals, Walter Cambón on guitar, Urbano Moraes on bass & vocals,  Chiche Cabral as percussionist, & Luis Sosa on drums. After El Kinto called it quits, Rubén Rada, Chiche Cabral, & Lobito Lagarde formed the band Totem. Walter Cambón & Luis Sosa formed Limonada. Both groups became very popular candombe-beat bands. Urbano Moraes went on to a successful solo career. Eduardo Mateo died in 1990, having composed & recorded a vast catalogue of fantastic music that is well worth seeking out.

As one journalist noted in 1969, "El Kinto, directed by the brilliant Mateo, and amplified to the maximum... creates a frenzy of rhythmic music in which—with force and conviction—pure wave ‘beat’ is synthesized with the warmth of the African drums."

The result of the group’s tireless experiments is music have stood the test of time & still sounds fresh & engaging today.

 

 El Kinto – Circa 1968, Clave 72-35066, 1977. 

Lado 1 – 

Don Pascual

Muy lejos te vas

Voy pensando

Siempre vas

Estoy sin ti

Yo volveré por ti

Lado 2 –

José

Mejor me voy

Ni me puedes ver

Suena Blanca espuma

Dámelo

Principe azul

Pippo

=======================================================

Los Shakers formed in 1963 in Montevideo, at the suggestion Hugo & Osvaldo Fattoruso’s uncle. Hugo Fattoruso - piano, guitar, & vocals & his brother Osvaldo Fattoruso - guitar & vocals hooked up with Roberto ‘Pelin’ Capobianco - bass & vocals, & Caio Villa - drums. They started out playing jazz & avant-garde music at nightclubs like The Hot Club of Montevideo for a while. However, Beatlemania was sweeping through South America at the time, & the lads wanted their own ‘Fab Four’ group.

The influence The Beatles had on the group can be heard in their earliest releases & can be seen in the photograph below, from early 1965.

 

They moved to Buenos Aires in search of a recording contract with a major labels & almost immediately signed with the label Odeon Pops. In 1965 they released their first album, the self-titled Los Shakers. For their second album Shakers For You their playing was more sophisticated, introducing new elements to the band's style, especially psychedelia.

By the time they recorded their last studio album for Odeon in 1968, La Conferencia Secreta del Toto's Bar, their music had gone in a new heavier direction. On  Toto's Bar their sound was that of psychedelic music mixed with candombe & tango sounds. Odeon was not happy with the new direction & left the group without any promotion or support. At this time the band broke up & Hugo & Osvaldo went on to their own projects in Rio de la Plata. Osvaldo died of cancer in July 2012.

The album Los Inéditos de… was released in 1977 after the band had split up, but as the name implies, these were inéditos (unpublished or unreleased tracks from the original band).

 Los Shakers – Los Inéditos de Los Shakers, EMI 6186, 1977. 

FAZ A –

Hasta Luego Cocodrilo

La Larga Noche

Dame

My Bonnie

Dejame Ir

Que Amor

Submarino Amarillo

FAZ B –

Esta es Mi Fiesta

No Fuimos

Solo Quiero Estar Contigo

Pelota de Goma Roja

Nena Baila Shake

Estoy Pensando

Quiero ser Tu Hombre

Enjoy,

NØ

Argentina

Reuploaded 11/27/2025

2 Minutos is an Argentine punk band formed in Valentin Alsina in 1987. Valentín Alsina is a city in the Lanús Partido of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is located next to Buenos Aires in the Gran Buenos Aires urban area. 2 Minutos played their first gig on July 8, 1989, the same day that Raúl Alfonsín was forced out of office early due to rioting after the election of new neo-liberalist Peronist candidate Carlos Menem. They are probably the most popular punk band in South America & across most of the Spanish speaking world. They are also very popular in the U.S. They have opened for Motorhead in Vélez before 45,000 spectators & for the Ramones at River Plate for their Global Farwell '96 tour with a stage on the verge of exploding. They even sold out legendary punk venue CBGBs during their 95 U.S. tour.

The original group consisted of: Wálter 'Mosca' Velásquez – vocals & guitar; Luis Aguirre vocals & guitar; El Indio – guitar; Alexander 'Papa' Aidnajian – bass; & Marcelo – drums. 'Mosca' & 'Papa' are the only original members of the band left. Their present members are: Wálter 'Mosca' Velásquez – vocals; Alexander 'Papa' Aidnajian – bass; Marcelo 'Pedro' Pedrozo & Pablo 'Coll' Velmondo– guitars; & Monti 'Burns' Montaña – drums. 

 

Valentin Alsina is the title of their first release, in recognition of their city of origin. They had a hit with the song "Ya No Sos Igual" , a song about a neighborhood kiosquero or newsstand owner who also worked for the Federal Police. The majority of the songs on their album tell of the district they grew up in, the reality of the wage-slaves crushed by the low wages & the extensive working hours. The band sold 50,000 copies of this first release. They got to open for Motorhead in Vélez before 45,000 spectators & for the Ramones at River Plate for their Global Farewell '96 tour with a stage on the verge of exploding. They even sold out legendary punk venue CBGBs during their 95 U.S. tour.

 

 

 2 Minutos – Valentin Alsina, Interdisc 522 560-2, 1994. 

Tracklist –

Valentín Alsina

Canción De Amor

¡ Que Mala Suerte!

Novedades

Odio Laburar

Amor Suicida

14 Botellas

Vos no Confiaste

Barricada

Otra Mujer

Como Caramelo de Limón

Demasiado Tarde (La Marcha)

Pelea Callejera

Arrebato

Ya No Sos Igual

Their second release Volvio la Alegria Vieja was recorded in 1995. This disc contains hits like "Tema de Adrian", "Vago", "Todo lo Miro", & "Piñas Van, Piñas Vienen" (a tribute to famous Argentine boxers).

 2 Minutos - Volvió la Alegria Vieja!!!, Interdisc 528285-2, 1995.

Tracklist –

Copetín Al Paso

Todo Lo Miro

Ataque

Tema de Adrian

Borracho Y Agresivo

Laburantes

Mosca de Bar

El Mejor Recuerdo

Vago

Otra Vez (La Casa de Juán)

Piñas Van, Piñas Vienen

Q.E.P.D.

Their third album was entitled Postal '97. It was released in mid-1997, celebrating the bands 10 year anniversary. "Gatillo Fácil" (Trigger Happy) was first single. The album sold 15,000 copies the first month after its release, prompting their label to renew their recording deal.

 

 

 

 2 Minutos - Postal '97, Interdisc 536289-2, 1997.

Tracklist –

Qué Yeta 
1987 
El Se Va 
No Mientas Más 
La Balanza 
Mal Romance 
Recuentos En La Arena
A Veces 
Los Chuquis 
La Ladrona 
Domingos 
Postal ‘96 
Gatillo Fácil
Los Ladrones
Nada Que Hacer 
Pequeño Gran Héroe

Their fourth album, Dos Minutos de Advertencia (2 Minute Warning) was released in 1999. It contained the hits "Lejos Estoy" (I am Far Away) & "Carta a E.T." (Letter to E.T. - a song about pollution & global warming).

 

 

 2 Minutos – Dos Minutos de Advertencia, DBN CD 51602, 1999.

Tracklist –

 
Hambruna 
Lejos Estoy 
Canción Para Mi Muerte 
Destino 
Mi Marca 
Surfer’s Punk (Aquaman) 
No Me Moleste 
In the Street 
Ska de la Rutina 
Casa de Dos 
Correo de Amor 
Naif 
Perdiendo el Tiempo 
Carta a E.T.

 

 

Un Mundo de Sensaciones was recorded in 2006. It was produced by Juanchi Baleiron of Los Pericos. On this release, 2 Minutos was aided by guest musicians Sebastián Teysera of La Vela Puerca, Diego Blanco & Juanchi ( Los Pericos ) & Claudio O'Connor.

 2 Minutos - Un Mundo de Sensaciones, Sony music 8287 686797, 2006.

Tracklist –

2 Minutos 
Cacería 
Pandora Box 
Un Sueño 
Foto Rosada 
Las Piedras Rodantes 
Aeropuerto 
El Bondi 
Planetas 
Miss Muerte 
Soledad 
Somos Más Americanos 
Niño 
Cero 
Rompan Todo

Vamos A La Granja / Directo Al Infierno (Let's Go to the Farm / Straight to Hell) is the bands eleventh album. It was recorded, mixed, & mastered between December 2009 & January 2010, at El Parral Studios in Buenos Aires. Track 20 is a cover of the Clash tune "Straight to Hell".

 

 

2 Minutos - Vamos A LaGranja / Directo Al Infierno, Sony Music 8869 763476-2, 2010.

Tracklist –

Panik Atack
Cabeza de Limón
Especial (Ella)
Navaja
Resfriada
Melodía de Barrio
A.X.E. (Amnesia Por Ebriedad)
Paro General
Metal Marciano Rojo (Musa)
Todavía una Canción de Amor
900 Muy Bien
Fantasma
El Que no Salta es un Skon
Ave de Paso
El Asador
Guitarrita y Fafa
Esto no es el Italpark (La Caprichosa)
Maravillosa Mente
Efedrina
Straight to Hell
Vamos a la Granja

Enjoy,

NØ

Chile

Reuploaded 11/27/2025

Man, am I seasick. Five thousand miles across the unforgiving Southern Pacific to the treacherous Cape Horn. Sudden squalls & rain showers continued to dog me through the night. I am now getting dangerously close to the ice fields. The wind is howling at 30-40 knots & the waves are building up to 20 feet as I cross Drake's Passage. Because of the westerly winds, I am forced to approach Cape Horn from the south-west. I will have to avoid the Diego Ramirez Islands, situated just 60 miles SW of Cape Horn. I approach just as day breaks & the storm lifts a little. A beautiful rainbow appears in the sky & I see my goal…Terra Firma…finally solid ground. Hello Chile, S.A.

Today Chile is one of South America's most stable & prosperous nations. It leads all other Latin American nations in human development, competitiveness, income per capita, globalization, state of peace, economic freedom, & democratic development. But such has not always been the case. The late 60s until the late 80s was a tumultuous time for the Chilean people.

The 1964 presidential election of Christian Democrat Eduardo Frei Montalva initiated a period of major reform. Frei’s administration embarked on far-reaching social & economic programs, particularly in education, housing, & agrarian reform, including rural unionization of agricultural workers. But by 1967 however, Frei was encountering increasing opposition by those on the left, who charged that his reforms were inadequate, & from the conservative right, who found them excessive. At the end of his term, Frei had not fully achieved his party's ambitious goals.

In the 1970 election, Salvador Allende of the Socialist Party of Chile ended up stuck in a three-way contest with candidate Radomiro Tomic for the Christian Democrat Party & Jorge Alessandri for the Conservative Party. The Chilean Congress conducted a runoff vote between the leading candidates which Allende won. The economic depression in Chile in the early 70s was harsh, but Allende adopted measures including price freezes, wage increases, & tax reforms to increase consumer spending & redistribute income downward. Joint private-public works projects helped reduce unemployment. Much of the banking sector was nationalized. Many enterprises within the copper, coal, iron, nitrate, & steel industries were expropriated, nationalized, or subjected to state intervention. Industrial output increased sharply & unemployment fell during the Allende administration's first year.

 

As a result, the Richard Nixon administration, fearing the success of a Socialist Republic, organized & inserted secret CIA operatives in Chile, in order to quickly destabilize Allende’s government. In addition, American financial pressure restricted international economic credit to Chile. With the intrusion & subversion of the United States, by early 1973, inflation in Chile was out of control. A military coup overthrew Allende on September 11, 1973. As the armed forces bombarded the presidential palace, Allende reportedly 'committed suicide'.  A military junta led by General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte took over control of the country. The first years of the regime were marked by extreme human rights violations. On October 1973, at least 72 people were murdered by the Pinochet’s Caravan of Death. In all, at least 2,115 were killed, at least 27,265 were tortured (including 88 children younger than 12 years old). Many were forced to flee for their lives.

Among those forced to flee were the band members of Los Jaivas.

If I didn’t post up some music from Chilean band Los Jaivas, then I'd be doing a disservice to this journey. Los Jaivas first appeared on the Chilean music scene in 1963 & have been going strong to this day, now fifty years worth of fantastic prog-rock blended with native Andino folk, successfully mixing rock with South American Andes ancestral music.

The Parra brothers met Mario Mutis & Eduardo 'Gato' Alquinta when they were all still children. They joined together through their love of music. They got their first tastes of fame in Viña del Mar, Chile playing at many area parties & shows.

The band took refuge in Argentina after the military dictatorship took over in Chile in 1973. The first major line-up change for the band occurred in 1988 when Gabriel Parra died in Peru in a car crash. His daughter Juanita took his place behind the drums.

In January 2003, their lead singer Gato Alquinta died in Coquimbo, Chile of a heart attack while swimming in the ocean. After his death, Gato's three sons joined the band to help keep Eduardo’s memory & the band itself alive: Ankatu – guitar; Eloy – saxophone; & Aurora - vocals. Aurora left shortly after, & Eloy died of a heart attack in 2004. Ankatu is still a member of the band & they continue onward.

This first album was originally titled Los Jaivas, but the year following its release (privately by the band) they released an album also titled Los Jaivas on the IRT (Industria De Radio y Televisión, S.A.) label. So when the first album was re-released, the title was changed to El Volantin. To add to the confusion that we so enjoy here, the IRT release Los Jaivas had its titled changed three times. It was re-released in 1983 in Argentina, where the band had moved after the military dictatorship took over, as La Ventana. It was once again re-released, this time in 2002, again in Chile, as Todos Juntos, & last year it was re-released again on RCA Victor Chile, now back to Los Jaivas.

This first album was recorded in Santiago, Chile on June & July of 1971 at RCA’s Estudio Splendid. On the album, Los Jaivas are: Eduardo 'Gato' Alquinta - lead vocals, electric & acoustic guitar, recorder, ocarina, & congas; Claudio Parra - piano, guiro, rasca de metal, tambourine, maracas, drum, & backing vocals; Mario Mutis – vocals & backing vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, recorder, tarka, congas, drum, & tambourine; Eduardo Parra - organ, bongos, kultrún percussion, xylophone, & backing vocals; & Gabriel Parra - drums, congas, kultrún percussion, caja, maracas, cacho, trutruca, & backing vocals. (Many of the instruments listed here played by band members are traditional Andino instruments.)

The two like-titled albums were the only works produced by the band before they were forced to flee Chile.

 Los Jaivas – Los Jaivas, Grabacion Particular (private Recording) LMX-37, 1971. 

Lado A –

Cacho
La Vaquita
Por Veinticinco Empaná
Tamborcito De Milagro

Lado B -

Que O La Tumba Serás
Foto De Primera Comunión
El Último Día

By 1981, Los Jaivas had moved on from Argentina & were living in France. Alturas de Machu Picchu is the bands seventh studio album. It is probably the most important & popular of all their albums. On it, the group set to music the popular poem of the album title by Nobel winning poet Pablo Neruda published in his book Canto General in 1950. In this poem, the poet sings, overpowered by the greatness of human creation that he witnesses in the ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, sings of the glorious indigenous past of Latin America, sings of human misery, death, & pain, sings of the majesty that often occurs in those who forged that illustrious past. The poem is one of the most significant of Neruda's poems. The musical composition from Los Jaivas is regarded as masterful & faithful to the original content. The true highlight of the Alturas is "La Poderosa Muerte", a melodic & harmonic composition (11+ minutes) that starts with the typical sound of the panflute & melancholic piano notes, very beautiful & moving, followed by emotional Spanish vocals. The build up is magnificent with propulsive drums & sparkling piano play, soon accompanied by a fat sounding synthesizer & fiery electric guitar. The dramatic atmosphere is emphasized by vocal harmonies filled with intense pathos.

 Los Jaivas y Pablo Neruda – Alturas de Macchu Picchu, Sym Producciones SYML 009, 1981.

Del Aire Side -

Del Aire Al Aire
La Poderosa Muerte
Amor Americano 

Other Side -
Águila Sideral
Antigua América
Sube A Nacer Conmigo Hermano
Final

Enjoy,

NØ