Soda Stereo
Encyclopedia
Soda Stereo were an Argentine rock
band who are recognized as one of the most influential and important Latin American and Ibero-America
n bands of all time. They were a power trio
formed in 1982 by lead singer-songwriter and guitarist Gustavo Cerati
, bassist and backing vocalist Héctor "Zeta" Bosio
, and drummer Charly Alberti
at Buenos Aires
, Argentina
.
Soda Stereo were the first Latin rock group to achieve success throughout South and Central America. They helped popularize the Rock En Español
, Ibero-American Rock, and Latin Rock genres to a mainstream audience. The band established what would become the template for many other popular Spanish-speaking
rock music groups. Soda Stereo has topped the all time lists in much of Latin America and in their native Argentina
, where they set landmarks in record sales and concert attendances. In theirs active career they sold over 7 million of albums only in Latin America and this number has continued to rise after the separation of the band. In 2002 Soda Stereo was awarded the Legend Prize by MTV Latin America, the first prize to be awarded of its kind.
Their career spanned from 1982–1997, followed by a short comeback tour in 2007-2008. Soda Stereo began as a new wave outfit influenced by The Police
, The Specials
, Television
, The Cure
, XTC
, and other Argentine rock. Their music evolved toward a heavier alternative rock
sound throughout the 90’s, eventually drawing influences from classic rock
, grunge
, progressive rock
, shoegaze, and Britpop
.
Four of their albums have been included in the list of Top 250 all time Latin rock: Canción Animal
(Nº. 2), Comfort y Música Para Volar
(Nº. 15), Signos
(Nº. 40), Sueño Stereo
(Nº 41), and two of their albums have been included in the Rolling Stone
Argentina list, "Los 100 mejores discos del rock nacional" (The 100 best albums of national rock): Canción Animal
(No. 9) and Signos
(No. 25).
In the summer of 1982 Gustavo Cerati at 22 years of age and Hector Zeta Bosio at 23 years of age collided at Punta del Este
, Uruguay
. Cerati with his group Sauvage and Bosio with The Morgan, a band he shared with Sandra Baylac, Hugo Dop, Christian Hansen, Pablo Rodriguez,(Los Auténticos Decadentes
), Charly Amato, Osvaldo Kaplan, and Andres Calamaro
. Cerati and Bosio established a friendship and a musical bond that encourage them to start playing together. Cerati first joined Bosio’s group The Morgan, then formed Stress with Charly Amato and drummer Pablo Guadalupe. He also worked on the project Erekto with Andres Calamaro
. According to Cerati both projects did not meet his expectations.
At the time Carlos Ficcichia, legal name of Charly Alberti
would incessantly call Cerati's house asking for Maria Laura Cerati, Gustavo’s sister. Alberti wanted to ask her out, but she thought he was too “pesado” (stiff) and did not want to go out with him. In one instance when Gustavo answered the phone, they entered a lengthy conversation about music. Alberti mentioned that he was a drummer and the son of the famous Jazz
drummer, Tito Alberti
, songwriter of a well known Argentinian children's song, “El Elefante Trompita” (Little Trunk Elephant). After hearing Alberti play, they asked him to join the band, but first he had to cut his hair.
After a few experiments (Aerosol, Side Car) the three adopted the name Los Estereotipos (The Stereotypes), referencing a song by The Specials which they passionately listened to for few months. During that time period they record a demo with Richard Coleman on guitars. Soda initially recruited Coleman to beef up the guitar sound but Coleman recognized that the band sounded better without him and quit in good terms, leaving the definitive trio of Gustavo Cerati, Zeta Bosio, and Charly Alberti. The songs recorded were, “Porque No Puedo Ser Del Jet Set?” (Why Can’t I be Part of the Jet Set?), “Dime Sebastian” (Tell Me Sebastian), and “Debo Soñar” (Must Dream) by Ulises Butrón, in which Ulises Butrón played guitars and Daniel Melero played keyboards. Following that episode, the names “Soda” and “Stereo” appeared, which resulted in “Soda Stereo.
Regarding the meaning and use of the word “soda:”
The first show under the name "Soda Stereo" occurred on December 1982. The occasion was Alfredo Lois birthday party. Lois was Cerati and Bosio's university classmate. He would go on to become Soda's video director as well as their visual and stylistic guru. Lois was later recognized by Cerati himself as “the fourth Soda”.
In July 1983 the band made their debut at the discothèque Airport in the Buenos Aires
neighborhood of Belgrano. According to the band:
Following that gig, Soda Stereo began to play the underground circuit of Buenos Aires
, making a name for themselves alongside other emerging bands of the time, such as Sumo
, Los Twist
, Los Encargados (with Daniel Melero), and other bands. Soda took up residency at the traditional and deteriorated Cabaret Marabú, located at Maipú 359. In those early shows, Soda would play songs like “Héroes de la Serie” (Heroe of the series), “La Vi Parada Alli” (I saw her standing there), and “Vamos a La Playa” (Let’s go to the beach), along with other songs that appeared on their second demo. On one occasion at the Café Einstein, Luca Prodan
approached Cerati, whom he considered “a chetito,"A 'chetito' is a somewhat derogatory term used by Argentineans to describe someone from the upper class."” and joined Soda in a cover of a Police song.
The band began to attract a bit of notoriety. One night they were called to a pub to substitute for the group Nylon. There began a period of constant shows which concluded at Bar Zero, a place that excluded the Porteño underground, along with Café Einstein. On their third show, Horacio Martinez, a historic Argentinian rock producer and “talent hunter” heard them and quickly took them to record for CBS
. This came to fruition in 1984 when Soda signed to the Rodríguez Ares agency.
At the time Soda Stereo was already known as being a band that worked hard on their image and long before the recording of their first album they decided to film a video clip
, which they financed with their own money. was in charge of the visuals and the graphic designs featured on the fliers and posters for their live performances. It was Alfredo who decided to edit a video clip before the release of the album, something that is quite common today but totally unusual for the time. The song chosen was “Dietético” (Dietitian). The filming was realized with “borrowed” equipment from Cablevision, where Zeta Bosio worked as a production assistant.
on Paraguay street. The end result was cooler sound than of the live shows, which the bands were pleased with. The trio was aided by Daniel Melero on keys and Gonzo Palacios on sax. Both were listed as “guest musicians,” a practice which would become common for Soda throughout their career. Such guest musicians would be recognized by the public as the “fourth Sodas”.
The attention garnered by Soda was manifested in their playing of larger and larger venues. First was “La Esquina Del Sol” in Palermo
. “El Recital De Los Lagos” on the 1st and 2 December was their first multi-headlining show with top Argentinian acts . The show was hosted by Argentinean Television personality Juan Alberto Badía.
Soda Stereo presented their debut album at El Teatro Astros on the 14th of December 1984, it was their first show there. The stage was designed by Alfredo Lois, who for the occasion located 26 television sets in the background. The TV's were turned on and out of sync with each other - the theme of “Sobredosis de TV” (TV Overdose). The TV's, together with a large amount of smoke, created an unusual but captivating visual effect
On the 26th of January 1985 Soda played the Rock in Bali festival in Argentinian port city of Mar Del Plata
. On the 17th of March they played the Festival Chateu Rock ’85 at the Estadio Olímpico Chateau Carreras
in Córdoba Province. The official biography of the band attach great importance to this appearance indicating that the band played for 15 thousand people and that they were the revelation of the festival.
However, Córdoba media outlets claim that, "only half the number of people actually showed up and that Soda were hardly noticed because their first record had was just released a few months earlier.” They also added “Raul Porchetto
was the biggest draw of the night”. Regardless, their presence at Chateau sparked a personal relationship between the band the youth of Córdoba, it marked the moment that the band began to take flight toward national stardom.
The success of the band began at a very pecuiliar time, related, on the one hand with the return of democracy to Argentina
(December 10, 1983), and on the other hand, with increasing notions of postmodernism
, particularly in the way the 80’s youth created their role in a newly democratic society, one that had just emerged from bloody Dictatorship
and War
.
Years later, Zeta Bosio
would reflect on this juncture:
On the 13th of October of that year, Soda played in front of a large audience in Buenos Aires as part of the third night of the Festival of Rock and Pop Held at the José Amalfitani Stadium
home of the soccer club Velez Sarsfield
. They shared the stage with INXS
, Nina Hagen
, Charly Garcia
, Virus, and Sumo, among others. By then Fabian “Vön” Quintero and Gonzo Palacios were “stable guests.”
, and Pinamar
. Finalizing the tour with a consecrating concert at the Festival De la Falda in Córdoba
, which featured Andres Calamaro
and Charly García
on keyboards on “Jet Set.”
In April the band decided to officially present the album at a concert at the Estadio Obras Sanitarias
in Buenos Aires
. There they realized four historic shows with a total attendance of 20,000 spectators. Footage from the first show was edited into a long play video., the noted music critic and founder of the groundbreaking Rock & Pop Radio in Buenos Aires, thus ending his chronicle of the concert, had this to say:
"We are facing the most powerful group in the country ... The best parameter to measure this presentation is that it was short, it seemed to have lasted ten minutes or so and people were left wanting more. The outpouring of the stadium was a general murmur of the songs from Soda Stereo. The rain, the traffic on Avenida del Libertador
was cluttered by those entering and leaving. The last hot dog of the night and a healthy sense of well being, leave no room for existential questions. I then put my jaw back in place and went singing softly “Estoy Azulado” between the rain on Libertador. "
After these concerts records sales began to increase at an accelerated rate, quickly passing the Gold certification that they had achieved during the summer, platinum certification, and finally double platinum in the following months. Without abandoning the danceable rhythms, the second LP resulted in more depth in the lyrics and a melodical maturity. The album marked the definitive consecration of Soda Stereo to the Argentenian public.
, Costa Rica
Peru
, and Chile
with considerable success. In Chile they realized four shows in Santiago
, on the 21,22,24, and 25 November, and one in Valparaíso
on the 22nd of November of 86 In November 1986 Soda arrived in Peru for the first time and revolutionized the market. Their album sales were enormous and their three shows at the Amauta Coliseum were unforgettable.
At that time Latin Rock was not that popular with the youth of Latin America (with the exceptions of Argentina
and Uruguay
) and bands were not accustomed to international tours.
On the 10th of November 1986 the band released their third album Signos
. Signos
with its lead single "Persiana Americana" (American Blinds) was a key step for Soda Stereo who by now had come under a great deal of stress due to ever increasing factors: sales expectations, external pressures, the risk of failure, and internal tensions. The band was joined in the studio by Fabián Vön Quintiero on keys, Richard Coleman on guitar and Celsa Mel Gowland on back up vocals. Signos became the first Argentinian Rock album to be released on Compact Disc. It was manufactured in the Netherlands and distributed throughout Latin America.
On the 3rd of December Soda made their first appearance in Ecuador. In early 1987 Soda returned to Chile, this time to the Viña del Mar International Song Festival
where they won the prize “Antorcha de Plata” (Silver Torch). The festival was broadcast via television to many Latin American countries, expanding the band’s fame throughout the continent. It did not take long to transform itself into a massive unconditional adhesion which was called “Sodamania”.
On the 23rd of April 1987, Soda broke records for ticket sales in Paraguay
with their show at the Yacht Club. Meanwhile Signos
reached Platinum status in Argentina
, triple platinum in Perú
and double platinum in Chile
. Soda’s first show in Mexico occurred on the 4th of August in 1987 at the Magic Circus in Mexico City
.
The Signos tour was a milestone for Soda as they played 22 concerts in 17 cities to almost 350,000 fans, in the process opening up the idea that Latin Rock can transcend the nationalities of the bands, something that would come to fruition in the upcoming decade. With live recordings from different shows, a live album Ruido Blanco was compiled in 1987. Mixed in Barbados, it was considered by Rolling Stone
(Argentina) to be one of the top 5 live albums of Argentinean Rock
In late 1988 Soda began to work on a new album alongside Puerto Rican producer Carlos Alomar
. Alomar had worked with David Bowie
, Mick Jagger
, Simple Minds
, Iggy Pop
, and Paul McCartney
, among others. Doble Vida
(Double Life) was recorded and mixed in New York City
. It was the first record by an Argentinean band to be completely recorded abroad.
The album produced four singles, "Picnic en el 4B" (Picnic in Room 4b), "En la Ciudad de la Furia
" (In the City of Fury), and "Lo Que Sangra (La Cúpula)" (That Which Bleeds (The Dome), and “Corazon Delator” (Tell-Tale Heart
). The video for “En La Ciudad de La Furia” was a finalist for an MTV Video Award
in the category of best foreign video (there was no Latin MTV at the time).
After more than a year without playing in Buenos Aires, Soda showcased Doble Vida
at the hockey field at Obras in front of 25,000 fans. To top of a stellar year, Soda headlined the Three Days for Democracy Festival, which took place in Buenos Aires on the intersection of Avenida del Libertador and Nueve De Julio. The show was attended by 150,000 people and Soda shared the stage with Luis Alberto Spinetta
Fito Páez
, Los Ratones Paranoicos
, Man Ray, and others.
With sales of a million copies of Doble Vida
under their belt, Soda began a massive tour in early 1989. The tour began with 30 shows in Argentina, covering most of the country, which were attended by nearly 270,000 thousand fans. These shows were followed by a new Latin American tour (their third), which cemented a massive following in Mexico
.
Near the end of 1989 Soda records a new version of “Languis” (from Doble Vida
) and a new song titled “Mundo de Quimeras” (World of Chimeras). Both songs were released in the EP Languis (1989) along with remixes of “En El Borde” and “Lo Que Sangra (La Cúpula)”. Following the release of Languis Soda played two sold out shows at The Palace in Los Angeles
, becoming the second Rock en Español
to play in the United States
, following Miguel Mateos
.
at the Jose Amalfitani Stadium
in Buenos Aires.
Soda Stereo then traveled to Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida
to begin work on their fifth album. They would enlist the help of Daniel Melero, Andrea Álvarez, and Tweety González
(all very important figures in the Argentinian rock scene of the time.
The resulting album Canción Animal
(1990) is considered to be one of the best albums in the history of Latin rock. It contains their most well known song “De Música Ligera” (Of Light Music), as well as other classics such as “Cancion Animal” (Animal Song), “Un Million de Años Luz” (A Million Light Years), “En el Septimo Dia” (On the Seventh Day), and “Te Para Tres” (Tea For Three). These songs are considered to be the band's strongest and at the same time are their most popular. Overall, the album is considered as the most consistent work by the band, along with Signos.
Their Massive Tour Animal (1990–1991) included 30 Argentinean cities, many which had not been visited by a band with the reach of Soda Stereo. The cities visited in Argentina were: San Juan
, Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz, Junín, Clorinda
, Puerto Iguazú
, Trelew
, Neuquén
, Santa Rosa, Trenque Lauquen
Mendoza
, Córdoba
, Río Cuarto
, Santiago del Estero
, San Miguel de Tucumán, Salta
, Rosario, Buenos Aires
, Olavarria
, Pergamino. International cities included: Santiago de Chile, Asunción
, Punta del Este
, Barquisimeto
, Caracas
, Valencia, Mérida
, San Cristóbal, Mexico City
, Monterrey, Guadalajara
, Mexicali
, and Tijuana
.
The Tour Animal finished with 14 consecutive shows at the Grand Rex Theater in Buenos Aires
. With a 3,300 person capacity, this was a noticeable achievement at the time. Some of the Grand Rex shows would appear on the live EP Rex Mix (1991), which included remixed versions of a new song, “No Necesito Verte (Para Saberlo)” (I don’t Need to See You - To Know).
By late 1991 Soda’s continental success brought the band to the attention of MTV News Europe who began to take notice of what was taking place in Latin America, particularly with Rock en Español
. MTV unconditionally dedicated a whole show to Soda - a first for non English singing band.
In May 1992 Soda embarked on a tour of Spain with shows in Madrid
, Oviedo
, Sevilla, Valencia, and Barcelona
.The lackluster results of the Spanish tour, compared to the fervor they were accustomed to in Latin America, left a sour taste in their mouths. Nevertheless, it did serve as a valid experience, specifically in bringing the band back to earth. To put it bluntly: Spain was in no way a failure, but was far from the success that Soda had been used to in Latin America, in the end it was a good learning experience.
, Juana La Loca, Martes Menta and Tia Newton, The Sonic Movement of which Demonios de Tasmania and los Brujos would also be part of. This would be derivative of something called “El Nuevo Rock Argentino" (The New Argentinian Rock). Massacre, and El Otro Yo
were also considered part of the movement. The band also showcased the album in its entirety in a local talk-show, Fax. This was the first stereophonic
TV transmission in Argentina.
According to Gustavo Cerati, Dynamo consisted of taking Canción Animal
and destroying it." Cerati explains, "It is as if we took Canción Animal
and put it under water. And, at a sonic level, we wanted to produce that, the songs had more to do with something hypnotic. The idea was to remix it, to mix it with something more dance and include something more trance in our music. I know that those who understood that record loved it and it is the same with me.
According to AllMusic Dynamo,was Soda's least popular album and at the same time their most experimental work. Dynamo did not sell as expected, in large part because the band decided to change record company immediately after recording it. Sony at the time, had no intentions of promoting a group that had just emigrated from BMG and BMG could not promote another foreign product.
In January of 1993 Soda began their sixth tour of Latin America
, visiting Mexico
, Chile
, Paraguay
, and Venezuela
. During the middle of the tour, the trio decided to take a long rest which fueled rumors of a break up. There had been talk of dates in the United States
, Spain
and other countries, but diverse factors during late 1993 and early 1994 forced the group to take a “rest” from Soda Stereo.
1994 was the worst year for Soda. On the 4th of July, Zeta’s two young sons died in an absurd transit accident in Argentina. This event would deeply affect Zeta on both a personal and professional level. By unanimous decision Soda decided to distance themselves from the myth for a while and at the same time to evaluate the possibility of a definitive separation.
During this hiatus, Gustavo released his first solo project: Amor Amarillo
(Yellow Love), (ironically, Gustavo had mentioned that he had no interest in a solo career). Zeta dedicated himself to the production of other pands (Peligrosos Gorriones and Aguirre). Charly disappeared from the music scene to focus on personal projects.
At the end of 1994 Zona de Promesas
, a compilation of remixes and classic Soda songs, including the unreleased song that gave the album its name, was released,
(Stereo Dream), their 7th and final studio album. The album was an instant hit quickly reaching platinum disc
in Argentina 15 days after its release. The album was powered by the radio hit “Zoom” and the promotional video for “Ella usó mi cabeza como un revólver
” (She Used My Head Like a Revolver), which in 1996 won the viewers choice award presented by MTV
Latin America. This was a maximum accolade given that this award at the time, since the actual award would not be established until 2002 for Latin MTV.
According to Cerati:
The álbum bécame the axis for the extensive Gira Sueño Stereo (Sueño Stereo Tour), which began on September 8 in Buenos Aires
, at the Grand Rex Theater. It covered Venezuela
, Colombia
, Perú
, Panamá
, México
and the United States
(Los Angeles
, Chicago
, New York
, and Miami). The tour finished on the 24th of April 1996 at the Teatro Teletón in Santiago de Chile.
In mid 1996 Soda was invited to Miami by MTV
to record a session for MTV's acoustic show, MTV Unplugged
. After a few refusals by the band, Soda was able to convince the network to accept an offer where the band would play plugged in, but with modifications such as orchestration including new arrangements of some of their classic songs. The result was an eclectic mix of music, some electric, some acoustic, but all bearing the Soda Signature style. A highlight of the album was a soaring rendition of “En La Ciudad De La Furia.” where the chorus was sung by Andrea Echeverri
of the Colombian Rock en Español
band Aterciopelados
. Other songs recorded were, “Un Misil en Mi Placard” (re-arranged in a style that directly palgiarised the 1992 track 'Chrome Waves' by English band Ride) “Entre Canibales”, “Cuando pase el temblor
”, Té Para Tres”,“Angel Electrico”, “Terapia de Amor Intensiva”, “Disco Eterno”, “Ella usó mi cabeza como un revólver
”, “Paseando Por Roma” and “Génesis” (A cover of Vox Dei
). The recording of the MTV
show were partially released on the album Comfort y Música Para Volar
(Comfort and Music to Fly By) (1996), and in its entirety in a new version of Comfort released in 2007. The album cointained 4 new tracks from the Sueño Stereo
sessions as well as an interactive cd-rom with pictures and videos from the show.
On the 30th of October 1996 Soda Stereo became the first Latin American band to transmit a live concert via the internet, via the Argentinian radio program Cuál Es? (Which is?). The show was conducted by Mario Pergolini
on Argentina Rock & Pop radio. The band played live from the music store Promúsica in BuenoS Aires.
Finally, in May 1997 Soda officially announced their separation through a press release. The following day, Argentiniean newspapers echoed the news. The Argentinian daily Clarín devoted a large front page spread to the breakup. The following day, Gustavo Cerati's farewell note was published on the Clarín supplement for juveniles “Yes.” The farewell letter read:
The band carried on with a farewell tour, making stops in Mexico
, Venezuela
, and Chile
. Their last concert took place on 20 September at the River Plate Stadium
in Buenos Aires was recorded and released in two parts, El Último Concierto
A and B. A DVD of the farewell show was released in 2005. The show ended with the song “De Musica Ligera” and a memorable farewell by Cerati,
A compilation CD was released later that year titled Chau Soda ("Bye Soda"); it contains the most elaborated version of Signos
.
Seven years after the breakup and the absence of any new official releases seemed odd. Near the end of 2003 Sony Music announced the release of the first DVD by Soda Stereo, on that contained much unreleased material from compiled by Gustavo, Zeta, Charly, and people close to the band.
The finished product arrived on the streets on November 2004. It was titled, Soda Stereo: Una Parte de La Euforia (1983–1997) (Soda Stereo: A Part of the Euphoria (1983–1997)). On September 20, 2005 an Argentinian DVD of Soda’s last concert, which took place exactly 8 years before at River Plate stadium was released. It was titled El Ultimo Concierto (En Vivo) (The Last Concert – Live). The DVD
, in contrast to the HBO production, featured a 5.1 audio and included two songs that were not aired on the HBO concert, “Juego de Seduccion” and “Sobredosis de TV.” It also included a multi camera option for a soundcheck of “Primavera 0” and a 25 minute documentary about the tour featuring footage of sound checks and concerts in Mexico
, Venezuela
, and Argentina
. It also featured an interview with the long lost “fourth Soda” Alfredo Lois, the director of the DVD, one his last works before his death.
One day I dreamed that I was not going to be asked about a Soda reunion!.
In 2007, ten years after the breakup, the band decides to reunite for one time with the goal of accomplishing a grand continental tour. On the 6th of June 2007, the official news came out: Soda Stereo will return to the stage with a sole American tour called Me Veras Volver (You Will See Me Return), a phrase that’s emblematic of their song “En La Ciudad de la Furia”
In early July Sony/BMG released a new compilation album titled Me Verás Volver (Hits & +). The CD contained 18 studio recordings remastered in 2007. The CD did not contain any new material but it did contain a code to receive exclusive web footage such as live versions. The album reached number one in Argentina
and in Chile
.
On the September 20, 2007, exactly 10 years since their final concert, Soda Stereo gave a long awaited press conference at the Club Museum in Peru St., Buenos Aires, in a historical building designed at the turn of the century by the famous French architect and structural engineer Gustave Eiffel
. This was the same building which years before was used as the location for their video of “En La Ciudad De La Furia”. They surprised those there with a mini concert of two songs, “Sobredosis de TV” and “En La Ciudad de La Furia,” played in their original form. The song were played solely by the three of them. During the press conference the trio clarified that after the tour they intend on resuming their individual pursuits.
The tour was scheduled to begin on October 19 at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, and originally only two concerts were scheduled as well as performances in several American countries. However, from the time the tickets went on sale it became apparent that the original program would be completely overwhelmed and that the band was faced with a huge continent-wide cultural event. The first two shows sold out in only 24 hours (a total of 90,000 tickets). The band quickly added one more show to the schedule, and after three days, the tickets for the first three shows were sold out, so two more shows were added.
Finally on the 19th of October 2007, the time came for the triumphant return of Soda Stereo at the River Plate Stadium in Argentina. A massive banner that contained a large sentence with the name of their songs intertwined was unveiled.
The band was accompanied by one of the main “fourth Soda’s” Tweety Gonzalez
(keyboards), as well as Leandro Fresco (keyboards, percussion, and backing vocals), and Leo Garcia
on guitars and backing vocals. The concert lasted more than three hours. Soda played a total of 28 songs. The show opened with a recording of “Algun Dia” their cover of Queen's
“Someday One Day” meanwhile images of the history of Soda Stereo appeared in the background.
The expected amount of fans attending the five shows was more than 300,000, making Soda Stereo one of the most watched public events in the history of Argentina. Soda became the only band to play more than five times in the Estadio Monumental in Argentina in a single tour. Me Verás Volver featured 22 concerts throughout America including three shows in the US -all but two were sold out[42].
In October 2007 Sony/BMG released Comfort Y Música Para Volar on DVD. The DVD included all of the songs recorded for the MTV unplugged session.
On the 21st of December 2007 the last concert was held at the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires. Three extra songs were played for this show, “Si No Fuera Por,” “Terapia de Amor Intensiva,” and “Lo Que Sangra (La Cúpula).” The band was joined by Andrea Álvarez for “Picnic en el 4B”, Richard Coleman for “No Existes”, Fabián “Zorrito Vön" Quintiero for “Danza Rota” and “Profugos”, Carlos Alomar for “Lo Que Sangra (La Cúpula)” and “Terapia de Amor Intensiva,” and Gillespie for “Signos” and “Fue.” Cerati returned to use his famous expression “gracias totales,” and after playing “De Musica Ligera.” Finally, Cerati played the riff of “Sueles Dejarme Solo” and smashed his guitar.
In Argentina, a country with a long tradition of Spanish rock mass with a strong local identity (which is called "rock nacional"(national rock)), Soda Stereo was the beginning of a globalization that incorporated local musicians in a great continental power rock up point lead to local analysts to wonder whether "Does it make sense to keep talking about "rock nacional"?". In many parts of Latin America, including Colombia, "Soda Stereo said musicality and poise of a new generation, sought to differentiate themselves from the 'thirties eighties' who liked the Dominican merengue, to begin to listen and sing rock in Spanish." In Chile, Soda not only marked a whole generation with his look, his lyrics and music but the intense emotional relationship developed between the band and its fans, was a decisive factor for "de-nationalize" the group and make it an expression, and not only young people in a particular country, but youth as a sector uniform social issues and common languages, something that rock and roll had not been achieved so far in the Spanish-speaking countries due to language barrier.
Carlos Polimeni told the reporter in an interview: "I was on tour with them. I saw them as heroes disembark and whites were singing in Castilian. " Something which, however, he stressed, did not prevent the first major success was obtained continental "Cuando pase el temblor
," a huayno
-carnavalito
in Andean rock line.
Something similar happened in Peru and Ecuador where the cultural impact of the band has been regarded as "the most important event in the history of rock from those countries placing the band in the collective memory of Latin American music. A similar effect in Nicaragua said that "no one doubts that Soda Stereo is the cornerstone of rock history in Latin America ...» In 1988, Zeta Bosio and the phenomenon commented in a press conference in Venezuela:
"We went to Argentina and started going to Chile, Peru, started climbing and in some countries it happened, we got us and had never been a rock band. They told us that here was a thing of another world and it would not work ... Now is a joy to see what works and what is his own power".
But the multiplier effect of Soda Stereo, beyond their own individual success, as the Latin rock original myth as such, would be concentrated mainly in Mexico. Polimeni is the Argentine who said:
"(It was Soda Stereo) that aroused the Mexican rock. Dozens of groups reacted Mexican: Why do not we do this that come to the Argentine groups? And that erupted in mid 80's in rock, in my view, is the richest and settled across the continent".
Of course the musical-cultural phenomenon that expressed Soda Stereo in Latin America exceeds the band and is inserted into the underlying reasons related to youth identity, that have made rock and roll a global cultural movement, as well as conditions Latin American cultural youth from the decade of the 80 (out of dictatorships, globalization, postmodernism, information society, exacerbating social inequalities.) When Soda Stereo starred in continental Latin rock explosion, every country in Latin America was a breeding ground, made of a new movement of bands ", as it is called in Venezuela.
In the manner of The Beatles and "Beatlemania", Soda Stereo was the band that made it just at the right time, creating aesthetic-linguistic bridges to connect Spanish-speaking youth with the global phenomenon of rock and roll. For this reason the term "sodamanía", used repeatedly to describe the effect of soda on young Latinos, is not inappropriate.
The decisive influence of Soda Stereo Latin rock music on the decades of 90 and early twenty-first century has been reflected in the opinion of the leading musicians of the continent:
In 2002 he created the MTV Latin Awards, a milestone that reflected the identity and the international level reached by the Latin American music, after two decades of growth. As reviewed Latin American press "the most memorable moment of the night was when the Legend Award was awarded to Soda Stereo, the most important and influential band of Rock in Spanish of all time".
After Soda's separation, Cerati released the studio albums Amor Amarillo
(1993), Bocanada
(1999), +Bien
(2001) and Siempre Es Hoy
(2002). In 2002 he released 11 Episodios Sinfónicos
that contained some Soda Stereo and solo songs played live with a symphony orchestra. Cerati's last release, Ahí Vamos
!, is considered as a back-to-basics return. His last album to date is Fuerza Natural
, which changes several things about their previous albums and has been very well received by fans and critics. In May 2010, Cerati suffered an aneyrism/brain damage, and unfortunately his career has been paused up to now. (2011)
Cerati was also featured in Shakira's song "The Day and the Time" in her album called Oral Fixation, Volume 2 in 2005. The Spanish version of this song is called "Dia Especial" and can be found in the 1st volume of Fijacion Oral.
In 1997 he produced Nacion Hip Hop, a CD compilation of local underground rap artists that is considered the founding stone of Argentine's hip hop scene. He also worked closely with hip hop act Tumbas (who opened for Soda Stereo in their last concert) and DJ Tortuga, who later became part of the experimental hip hop trio Koxmoz
.
In 1998, he started two new projects, URL Magazine, a culture magazine, and URL Records, a discographic label. He is also the founder of YeYeYe and Musike, two portals about music and entertainment.
Alberti recently formed another rock band with his brother, Andrés Alberti, and recorded their first album named as the band, MOLE. Alberti stated that he does not want Mole's sound to sound like Soda Stereo, he wants "Mole to live by itself."
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band who are recognized as one of the most influential and important Latin American and Ibero-America
Ibero-America
Ibero-America is a term used since the second half of the 19th century to refer collectively to the countries in the Americas that were formerly colonies of Spain or Portugal. Spain and Portugal are themselves included in some definitions, such as that of the Ibero-American Summit and the...
n bands of all time. They were a power trio
Power trio
A power trio is a rock and roll band format where the traditional power trio has a lineup of guitar, bass and drums, leaving out the rhythm guitar or keyboard that are used in other rock music to fill out the sound with chords...
formed in 1982 by lead singer-songwriter and guitarist Gustavo Cerati
Gustavo Cerati
Gustavo Adrián Cerati Clark is an Argentine rock musician, singer-songwriter, composer and record producer. He was the frontman, lead vocalist, lead guitarist and lead songwriter of the Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, one of the most influential bands of latin rock music. In the early 90s, with...
, bassist and backing vocalist Héctor "Zeta" Bosio
Zeta Bosio
Héctor Pedro Juan Bosio Bertolotti better known by his stage name Zeta Bosio, is an Argentine rock musician, record producer and DJ, better known as the bassist and backing vocalist of the influential Argentine rock band Soda Stereo...
, and drummer Charly Alberti
Charly Alberti
Carlos Alberto Ficicchia Gigliotti , known by his stage name Charly Alberti, is an Argentine rock musician, better recognized as the drummer of the influential argentine rock band Soda Stereo. Because of this, he is considered one of the most important musicians of latin and Spanish rock...
at Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
Soda Stereo were the first Latin rock group to achieve success throughout South and Central America. They helped popularize the Rock En Español
Rock en Español
Rock en español is the Spanish-language rock music. While the term is used widely in English, it is used in Spanish mainly to distinguish such music from "Anglo rock." It is a style of rock music that developed in Latin American countries and Latino communities, along with other genres like...
, Ibero-American Rock, and Latin Rock genres to a mainstream audience. The band established what would become the template for many other popular Spanish-speaking
Hispanophone
Hispanophone or Hispanosphere denotes Spanish language speakers and the Spanish-speaking world. The word derives from the Latin political name of the Iberian Peninsula, Hispania, which comprised basically the territory of the modern states of Spain and Portugal.Hispanophones are estimated at...
rock music groups. Soda Stereo has topped the all time lists in much of Latin America and in their native Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, where they set landmarks in record sales and concert attendances. In theirs active career they sold over 7 million of albums only in Latin America and this number has continued to rise after the separation of the band. In 2002 Soda Stereo was awarded the Legend Prize by MTV Latin America, the first prize to be awarded of its kind.
Their career spanned from 1982–1997, followed by a short comeback tour in 2007-2008. Soda Stereo began as a new wave outfit influenced by The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
, The Specials
The Specials
The Specials are an English 2 Tone ska revival band formed in 1977 in Coventry, England. Their music combines a "danceable ska and rocksteady beat with punk's energy and attitude", and had a "more focused and informed political and social stance" than other ska groups...
, Television
Television (band)
Television was an American rock band, formed in New York City in 1973. They are best known for the album Marquee Moon and widely regarded as one of the founders of "punk" and New Wave music. Television was part of the early 1970s New York underground rock scene, along with bands like the Patti...
, The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
, and other Argentine rock. Their music evolved toward a heavier alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
sound throughout the 90’s, eventually drawing influences from classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
, grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
, progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
, shoegaze, and Britpop
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
.
Four of their albums have been included in the list of Top 250 all time Latin rock: Canción Animal
Canción Animal
Canción Animal is the seventh album released by the Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, released in December, 1990...
(Nº. 2), Comfort y Música Para Volar
Comfort y Música Para Volar
MTV Unplugged: Comfort y Música Para Volar is a part-live, part-studio album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. The first seven tracks were recorded live at MTV Studios in Miami, Florida for the show MTV Unplugged. The remaining four tracks were Sueño Stereo outtakes recorded in studio....
(Nº. 15), Signos
Signos
Signos is the third studio album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, and released in 1986. It was remastered in 2007 at Sterling Sound Studios in New York.-Track listing:...
(Nº. 40), Sueño Stereo
Sueño Stereo
Sueño Stereo is the final studio album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. It was released by Sony BMG in 1995...
(Nº 41), and two of their albums have been included in the Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
Argentina list, "Los 100 mejores discos del rock nacional" (The 100 best albums of national rock): Canción Animal
Canción Animal
Canción Animal is the seventh album released by the Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, released in December, 1990...
(No. 9) and Signos
Signos
Signos is the third studio album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, and released in 1986. It was remastered in 2007 at Sterling Sound Studios in New York.-Track listing:...
(No. 25).
From Stereotypes to Soda Stereo (1982-1984)
Punta del Este
Punta del Este is a resort town on the Atlantic Coast in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay. It is located on the intersection of Route 10 with Route 39, directly southeast of the department capital Maldonado and about east of Montevideo...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. Cerati with his group Sauvage and Bosio with The Morgan, a band he shared with Sandra Baylac, Hugo Dop, Christian Hansen, Pablo Rodriguez,(Los Auténticos Decadentes
Los Auténticos Decadentes
Los Auténticos Decadentes is an Argentine band that mix ska with Latin American rhythms. The band was formed around the year 1986 by Cucho and Nito, who invited Gastón to join them....
), Charly Amato, Osvaldo Kaplan, and Andres Calamaro
Andrés Calamaro
Andrés Calamaro , is an Argentine musician, composer and Latin Grammy winner. His former band Los Rodríguez was a major success in Spain in the 1990s. He became one of the main icons of the Argentine rock in the last two decades and has sold over 1.3 million copies.-Abuelos de la Nada:Calamaro was...
. Cerati and Bosio established a friendship and a musical bond that encourage them to start playing together. Cerati first joined Bosio’s group The Morgan, then formed Stress with Charly Amato and drummer Pablo Guadalupe. He also worked on the project Erekto with Andres Calamaro
Andrés Calamaro
Andrés Calamaro , is an Argentine musician, composer and Latin Grammy winner. His former band Los Rodríguez was a major success in Spain in the 1990s. He became one of the main icons of the Argentine rock in the last two decades and has sold over 1.3 million copies.-Abuelos de la Nada:Calamaro was...
. According to Cerati both projects did not meet his expectations.
At the time Carlos Ficcichia, legal name of Charly Alberti
Charly Alberti
Carlos Alberto Ficicchia Gigliotti , known by his stage name Charly Alberti, is an Argentine rock musician, better recognized as the drummer of the influential argentine rock band Soda Stereo. Because of this, he is considered one of the most important musicians of latin and Spanish rock...
would incessantly call Cerati's house asking for Maria Laura Cerati, Gustavo’s sister. Alberti wanted to ask her out, but she thought he was too “pesado” (stiff) and did not want to go out with him. In one instance when Gustavo answered the phone, they entered a lengthy conversation about music. Alberti mentioned that he was a drummer and the son of the famous Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
drummer, Tito Alberti
Tito Alberti
Tito Alberti was a noted Argentine jazz drummer.-Life and work:Tito Alberti was born Juan Alberto Ficicchia in the port city of Zárate to an Argentine mother and a Sicilian father in 1923. Enjoying a gregarious childhood, he formed a band at age 7 with two brothers, Virgilio and Homero Expósito...
, songwriter of a well known Argentinian children's song, “El Elefante Trompita” (Little Trunk Elephant). After hearing Alberti play, they asked him to join the band, but first he had to cut his hair.
After a few experiments (Aerosol, Side Car) the three adopted the name Los Estereotipos (The Stereotypes), referencing a song by The Specials which they passionately listened to for few months. During that time period they record a demo with Richard Coleman on guitars. Soda initially recruited Coleman to beef up the guitar sound but Coleman recognized that the band sounded better without him and quit in good terms, leaving the definitive trio of Gustavo Cerati, Zeta Bosio, and Charly Alberti. The songs recorded were, “Porque No Puedo Ser Del Jet Set?” (Why Can’t I be Part of the Jet Set?), “Dime Sebastian” (Tell Me Sebastian), and “Debo Soñar” (Must Dream) by Ulises Butrón, in which Ulises Butrón played guitars and Daniel Melero played keyboards. Following that episode, the names “Soda” and “Stereo” appeared, which resulted in “Soda Stereo.
Regarding the meaning and use of the word “soda:”
They say that they make music with bubbles. But instead of referring to luxurious champagne bubbles, they affirm that they assume the representative ordinary and popular Sifón, or carbonated soft drinks
The first show under the name "Soda Stereo" occurred on December 1982. The occasion was Alfredo Lois birthday party. Lois was Cerati and Bosio's university classmate. He would go on to become Soda's video director as well as their visual and stylistic guru. Lois was later recognized by Cerati himself as “the fourth Soda”.
In July 1983 the band made their debut at the discothèque Airport in the Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
neighborhood of Belgrano. According to the band:
Our debut was at a fashion show at the Disco Airport, which was close to where we practiced in Buenos Aires. Nobody gave us a nod. The three of us played on a very deficient sound system. But we were happy, even though no one paid attention. We really looked like a punk group, we didn’t know how to play and the sound was loud, even though it was just that
Following that gig, Soda Stereo began to play the underground circuit of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, making a name for themselves alongside other emerging bands of the time, such as Sumo
Sumo (band)
Sumo was a 1980s Argentine alternative rock band, merging post-punk with reggae and ska. Headed by Italian-born Luca Prodan, it remained underground for most of its short activity, but was extremely influential in shaping contemporary Argentine rock. Sumo introduced British post-punk to the...
, Los Twist
Los Twist
An Argentine rock group known for its campy and often satirical songs. Many of their songs have a 50s rockabilly sound, others have ska, rock and roll and twist.The members of Los Twist are:* Pipo Cipolatti * Daniel Melingo...
, Los Encargados (with Daniel Melero), and other bands. Soda took up residency at the traditional and deteriorated Cabaret Marabú, located at Maipú 359. In those early shows, Soda would play songs like “Héroes de la Serie” (Heroe of the series), “La Vi Parada Alli” (I saw her standing there), and “Vamos a La Playa” (Let’s go to the beach), along with other songs that appeared on their second demo. On one occasion at the Café Einstein, Luca Prodan
Luca Prodan
Luca Prodan was a Scottish musician.He was the son of an Italian father and a Scottish mother, born in Rome after the return of the Prodan family from China, where Luca's father had set up a prosperous business becoming an expert in ancient Chinese pottery, because of the Japanese invasion...
approached Cerati, whom he considered “a chetito,"A 'chetito' is a somewhat derogatory term used by Argentineans to describe someone from the upper class."” and joined Soda in a cover of a Police song.
The band began to attract a bit of notoriety. One night they were called to a pub to substitute for the group Nylon. There began a period of constant shows which concluded at Bar Zero, a place that excluded the Porteño underground, along with Café Einstein. On their third show, Horacio Martinez, a historic Argentinian rock producer and “talent hunter” heard them and quickly took them to record for CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
. This came to fruition in 1984 when Soda signed to the Rodríguez Ares agency.
At the time Soda Stereo was already known as being a band that worked hard on their image and long before the recording of their first album they decided to film a video clip
Video clip
Video clips are short clips of video, usually part of a longer recording. The term is also more loosely used to mean any short video less than the length of a traditional television program.- On the Internet :...
, which they financed with their own money. was in charge of the visuals and the graphic designs featured on the fliers and posters for their live performances. It was Alfredo who decided to edit a video clip before the release of the album, something that is quite common today but totally unusual for the time. The song chosen was “Dietético” (Dietitian). The filming was realized with “borrowed” equipment from Cablevision, where Zeta Bosio worked as a production assistant.
First Album and Chateau Rock '85 (1984-1985)
Soda Stereo recorded their debut during the second half of 1984. The album was produced by Federico Moura, vocalist for Virus. By that time, Moura and Cerati had developed a fruitful artistic relationship. The recording took place in the defunct studios of CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
on Paraguay street. The end result was cooler sound than of the live shows, which the bands were pleased with. The trio was aided by Daniel Melero on keys and Gonzo Palacios on sax. Both were listed as “guest musicians,” a practice which would become common for Soda throughout their career. Such guest musicians would be recognized by the public as the “fourth Sodas”.
The attention garnered by Soda was manifested in their playing of larger and larger venues. First was “La Esquina Del Sol” in Palermo
Palermo, Buenos Aires
Palermo is a neighborhood, or barrio of the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. It is located in the northeast of the city, bordering the barrios of Belgrano to the north, Almagro and Recoleta to the south, Villa Crespo and Colegiales to the west and the Río de la Plata river to the east. With a total...
. “El Recital De Los Lagos” on the 1st and 2 December was their first multi-headlining show with top Argentinian acts . The show was hosted by Argentinean Television personality Juan Alberto Badía.
Soda Stereo presented their debut album at El Teatro Astros on the 14th of December 1984, it was their first show there. The stage was designed by Alfredo Lois, who for the occasion located 26 television sets in the background. The TV's were turned on and out of sync with each other - the theme of “Sobredosis de TV” (TV Overdose). The TV's, together with a large amount of smoke, created an unusual but captivating visual effect
On the 26th of January 1985 Soda played the Rock in Bali festival in Argentinian port city of Mar Del Plata
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"...
. On the 17th of March they played the Festival Chateu Rock ’85 at the Estadio Olímpico Chateau Carreras
Estadio Olímpico Chateau Carreras
The Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, formerly known as Estadio Córdoba and popularly Estadio Olímpico Chateau Carreras, is a stadium in the Chateau Carreras neighborhood of Córdoba, Argentina....
in Córdoba Province. The official biography of the band attach great importance to this appearance indicating that the band played for 15 thousand people and that they were the revelation of the festival.
However, Córdoba media outlets claim that, "only half the number of people actually showed up and that Soda were hardly noticed because their first record had was just released a few months earlier.” They also added “Raul Porchetto
Raul Porchetto
Raul Porchetto is an Argentine musician and song writer.- History :Porchetto emerged into the Acoustic movement of argentine rock during the early 1970s releasing his debut record in 1972 following the sub-genre's popular rise in the wake of the Acusticazo.By the mid 70s he would become a member...
was the biggest draw of the night”. Regardless, their presence at Chateau sparked a personal relationship between the band the youth of Córdoba, it marked the moment that the band began to take flight toward national stardom.
The success of the band began at a very pecuiliar time, related, on the one hand with the return of democracy to Argentina
Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín was an Argentine lawyer, politician and statesman, who served as the President of Argentina from December 10, 1983, to July 8, 1989. Alfonsín was the first democratically-elected president of Argentina following the military government known as the National Reorganization...
(December 10, 1983), and on the other hand, with increasing notions of postmodernism
Postmodernism
Postmodernism is a philosophical movement evolved in reaction to modernism, the tendency in contemporary culture to accept only objective truth and to be inherently suspicious towards a global cultural narrative or meta-narrative. Postmodernist thought is an intentional departure from the...
, particularly in the way the 80’s youth created their role in a newly democratic society, one that had just emerged from bloody Dictatorship
Dirty War
The Dirty War was a period of state-sponsored violence in Argentina from 1976 until 1983. Victims of the violence included several thousand left-wing activists, including trade unionists, students, journalists, Marxists, Peronist guerrillas and alleged sympathizers, either proved or suspected...
and War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
.
Years later, Zeta Bosio
Zeta Bosio
Héctor Pedro Juan Bosio Bertolotti better known by his stage name Zeta Bosio, is an Argentine rock musician, record producer and DJ, better known as the bassist and backing vocalist of the influential Argentine rock band Soda Stereo...
would reflect on this juncture:
The democracy produced the adrenalin of something new, something was occurring, I knew I was going to make changes without knowing how. There was more air for us to make things and to wander, and we were a band of kids that wanted to make trouble. Our attention was on punk and on trying to show that there was something else that was more direct
On the 13th of October of that year, Soda played in front of a large audience in Buenos Aires as part of the third night of the Festival of Rock and Pop Held at the José Amalfitani Stadium
Estadio José Amalfitani
The Estadio José Amalfitani is a stadium located in the Liniers neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The venue is mainly used for football matches and is the home of the Argentine Primera División club Vélez Sársfield. The stadium is nicknamed El Fortín or El Fortín de Liniers...
home of the soccer club Velez Sarsfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield is a sports club based in the Liniers neighborhood of western Buenos Aires, Argentina. Vélez is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División, the top level of the Argentine league system...
. They shared the stage with INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
, Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen is a German singer and actress.-Early years:Hagen was born as Catharina Hagen in the former East Berlin, East Germany, the daughter of Hans Hagen , a scriptwriter, and Eva-Maria Hagen, an actress and singer...
, Charly Garcia
Charly García
Charly García is a singer-songwriter, pianist and keyboardist from Argentina with a long career in rock music, forming successful groups such as Sui Generis and Serú Girán, cult status groups like La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros, and as a solo musician.-Early years:Charly García was the eldest son in...
, Virus, and Sumo, among others. By then Fabian “Vön” Quintero and Gonzo Palacios were “stable guests.”
Nada Personal and Obras 1985-1986
Soda’s second álbum Nada Personal was edited on October 1985. During the summer the group toured the touristic centers of Argentina, playing in Mar de Plata, Villa GesellVilla Gesell
Villa Gesell is a seaside village in Villa Gesell Partido, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It was founded in 1931, afforestating a dune field. The growth of the city allowed it to annex the nearby cities of Mar de las Pampas, Las Gaviotas and Mar Azul....
, and Pinamar
Pinamar
Pinamar is an Argentine coastal resort town located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in Buenos Aires Province. It has about 20,000 inhabitants as per the ....
. Finalizing the tour with a consecrating concert at the Festival De la Falda in Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
, which featured Andres Calamaro
Andrés Calamaro
Andrés Calamaro , is an Argentine musician, composer and Latin Grammy winner. His former band Los Rodríguez was a major success in Spain in the 1990s. He became one of the main icons of the Argentine rock in the last two decades and has sold over 1.3 million copies.-Abuelos de la Nada:Calamaro was...
and Charly García
Charly García
Charly García is a singer-songwriter, pianist and keyboardist from Argentina with a long career in rock music, forming successful groups such as Sui Generis and Serú Girán, cult status groups like La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros, and as a solo musician.-Early years:Charly García was the eldest son in...
on keyboards on “Jet Set.”
In April the band decided to officially present the album at a concert at the Estadio Obras Sanitarias
Arena Obras Sanitarias
Arena Obras Sanitarias, also known as Estadio Obras Sanitarias is an indoor arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Built in 1978, it holds 3,030 people, and 4,700 for concerts....
in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. There they realized four historic shows with a total attendance of 20,000 spectators. Footage from the first show was edited into a long play video., the noted music critic and founder of the groundbreaking Rock & Pop Radio in Buenos Aires, thus ending his chronicle of the concert, had this to say:
"We are facing the most powerful group in the country ... The best parameter to measure this presentation is that it was short, it seemed to have lasted ten minutes or so and people were left wanting more. The outpouring of the stadium was a general murmur of the songs from Soda Stereo. The rain, the traffic on Avenida del Libertador
Avenida del Libertador
Avenida del Libertador is one of the principal thoroughfares in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and in points north, extending 25 km from the Retiro District of Buenos Aires to the northern suburb of San Fernando.-History:...
was cluttered by those entering and leaving. The last hot dog of the night and a healthy sense of well being, leave no room for existential questions. I then put my jaw back in place and went singing softly “Estoy Azulado” between the rain on Libertador. "
After these concerts records sales began to increase at an accelerated rate, quickly passing the Gold certification that they had achieved during the summer, platinum certification, and finally double platinum in the following months. Without abandoning the danceable rhythms, the second LP resulted in more depth in the lyrics and a melodical maturity. The album marked the definitive consecration of Soda Stereo to the Argentenian public.
The Conquest of Latin America (1986-1989)
In 1986 Soda Stereo realized their first Latin American tour, called Signos - still touring with the Nada Personal record. The band played in ColombiaColombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
with considerable success. In Chile they realized four shows in Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, on the 21,22,24, and 25 November, and one in Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
on the 22nd of November of 86 In November 1986 Soda arrived in Peru for the first time and revolutionized the market. Their album sales were enormous and their three shows at the Amauta Coliseum were unforgettable.
At that time Latin Rock was not that popular with the youth of Latin America (with the exceptions of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
) and bands were not accustomed to international tours.
On the 10th of November 1986 the band released their third album Signos
Signos
Signos is the third studio album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, and released in 1986. It was remastered in 2007 at Sterling Sound Studios in New York.-Track listing:...
. Signos
Signos
Signos is the third studio album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, and released in 1986. It was remastered in 2007 at Sterling Sound Studios in New York.-Track listing:...
with its lead single "Persiana Americana" (American Blinds) was a key step for Soda Stereo who by now had come under a great deal of stress due to ever increasing factors: sales expectations, external pressures, the risk of failure, and internal tensions. The band was joined in the studio by Fabián Vön Quintiero on keys, Richard Coleman on guitar and Celsa Mel Gowland on back up vocals. Signos became the first Argentinian Rock album to be released on Compact Disc. It was manufactured in the Netherlands and distributed throughout Latin America.
On the 3rd of December Soda made their first appearance in Ecuador. In early 1987 Soda returned to Chile, this time to the Viña del Mar International Song Festival
Viña del Mar International Song Festival
The Viña del Mar International Song Festival is a music festival held annually during February since 1960 in Viña del Mar, Chile. It is considered the most important musical event in Latin America....
where they won the prize “Antorcha de Plata” (Silver Torch). The festival was broadcast via television to many Latin American countries, expanding the band’s fame throughout the continent. It did not take long to transform itself into a massive unconditional adhesion which was called “Sodamania”.
On the 23rd of April 1987, Soda broke records for ticket sales in Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
with their show at the Yacht Club. Meanwhile Signos
Signos
Signos is the third studio album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, and released in 1986. It was remastered in 2007 at Sterling Sound Studios in New York.-Track listing:...
reached Platinum status in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, triple platinum in Perú
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and double platinum in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. Soda’s first show in Mexico occurred on the 4th of August in 1987 at the Magic Circus in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
.
The Signos tour was a milestone for Soda as they played 22 concerts in 17 cities to almost 350,000 fans, in the process opening up the idea that Latin Rock can transcend the nationalities of the bands, something that would come to fruition in the upcoming decade. With live recordings from different shows, a live album Ruido Blanco was compiled in 1987. Mixed in Barbados, it was considered by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
(Argentina) to be one of the top 5 live albums of Argentinean Rock
In late 1988 Soda began to work on a new album alongside Puerto Rican producer Carlos Alomar
Carlos Alomar
Carlos Alomar is an American guitarist, composer and arranger best known for his work with David Bowie, having played on more Bowie albums than any other musician...
. Alomar had worked with David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
, Simple Minds
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
, Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
, and Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, among others. Doble Vida
Doble Vida
Doble Vida is the fourth album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo and was released in 1988. It was remastered in 2007 at Sterling Sound Studios in New York.-Track listing:...
(Double Life) was recorded and mixed in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It was the first record by an Argentinean band to be completely recorded abroad.
The album produced four singles, "Picnic en el 4B" (Picnic in Room 4b), "En la Ciudad de la Furia
En la Ciudad de la Furia
"En la Ciudad de la Furia" is a song and single of the Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, written by the lead vocalist and guitarist Gustavo Cerati. Was released in 1989 as the first single from their album Doble Vida, released in 1988. Is considered one of the best songs of the band and of latin rock...
" (In the City of Fury), and "Lo Que Sangra (La Cúpula)" (That Which Bleeds (The Dome), and “Corazon Delator” (Tell-Tale Heart
The Tell-Tale Heart
"The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe first published in 1843. It follows an unnamed narrator who insists on his sanity after murdering an old man with a "vulture eye". The murder is carefully calculated, and the murderer hides the body by dismembering it and hiding it under the...
). The video for “En La Ciudad de La Furia” was a finalist for an MTV Video Award
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
in the category of best foreign video (there was no Latin MTV at the time).
After more than a year without playing in Buenos Aires, Soda showcased Doble Vida
Doble Vida
Doble Vida is the fourth album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo and was released in 1988. It was remastered in 2007 at Sterling Sound Studios in New York.-Track listing:...
at the hockey field at Obras in front of 25,000 fans. To top of a stellar year, Soda headlined the Three Days for Democracy Festival, which took place in Buenos Aires on the intersection of Avenida del Libertador and Nueve De Julio. The show was attended by 150,000 people and Soda shared the stage with Luis Alberto Spinetta
Luis Alberto Spinetta
Luis Alberto Spinetta , is an Argentine musician. He is one of the most influential rock musicians of South America, and together with Charly García is considered the father of Argentine rock. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the residential neighbourhood of Belgrano...
Fito Páez
Fito Páez
Rodolfo "Fito" Páez Ávalos is an Argentine popular rock and roll pianist, lyricist, Spanish language singer and film director.-Early career:...
, Los Ratones Paranoicos
Los Ratones Paranoicos
Los Ratones Paranoicos was a Argentine rock band , formed in 1986 in Buenos, Aires Argentina. Originally formed by Juanse , Pablo Memi , Paul "Sarcophagus" Cano , Ruben "Roy" Quiroga . In October 2007, Fabian "von" Quintiero split from the band after it has been built since 1997. In its place came...
, Man Ray, and others.
With sales of a million copies of Doble Vida
Doble Vida
Doble Vida is the fourth album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo and was released in 1988. It was remastered in 2007 at Sterling Sound Studios in New York.-Track listing:...
under their belt, Soda began a massive tour in early 1989. The tour began with 30 shows in Argentina, covering most of the country, which were attended by nearly 270,000 thousand fans. These shows were followed by a new Latin American tour (their third), which cemented a massive following in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Near the end of 1989 Soda records a new version of “Languis” (from Doble Vida
Doble Vida
Doble Vida is the fourth album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo and was released in 1988. It was remastered in 2007 at Sterling Sound Studios in New York.-Track listing:...
) and a new song titled “Mundo de Quimeras” (World of Chimeras). Both songs were released in the EP Languis (1989) along with remixes of “En El Borde” and “Lo Que Sangra (La Cúpula)”. Following the release of Languis Soda played two sold out shows at The Palace in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, becoming the second Rock en Español
Rock en Español
Rock en español is the Spanish-language rock music. While the term is used widely in English, it is used in Spanish mainly to distinguish such music from "Anglo rock." It is a style of rock music that developed in Latin American countries and Latino communities, along with other genres like...
to play in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, following Miguel Mateos
Miguel Mateos
Miguel Mateos is a rock singer/songwriter from Villa Pueyrredón, Argentina. Outside of Argentina, he is considered one of the most important exponents of Rock en Español, specially in the 1980s when he along with Charly Garcia, Soda Stereo, Enanitos Verdes, Virus, Sumo, Fabulosos Cadillacs, Rata...
.
The Consecration: Canción animal (1990-1991)
In early 1990 the band co-headlined a show for 32,000 people with British new wave band Tears for FearsTears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...
at the Jose Amalfitani Stadium
Estadio José Amalfitani
The Estadio José Amalfitani is a stadium located in the Liniers neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The venue is mainly used for football matches and is the home of the Argentine Primera División club Vélez Sársfield. The stadium is nicknamed El Fortín or El Fortín de Liniers...
in Buenos Aires.
Soda Stereo then traveled to Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
to begin work on their fifth album. They would enlist the help of Daniel Melero, Andrea Álvarez, and Tweety González
Tweety González
Fabián A. González Amado , know with his stage name Tweety González, is an Argentine musician and record producer. He is best known for his work as collaborator keyboardist for the Argentine rock band Soda Stereo....
(all very important figures in the Argentinian rock scene of the time.
The resulting album Canción Animal
Canción Animal
Canción Animal is the seventh album released by the Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, released in December, 1990...
(1990) is considered to be one of the best albums in the history of Latin rock. It contains their most well known song “De Música Ligera” (Of Light Music), as well as other classics such as “Cancion Animal” (Animal Song), “Un Million de Años Luz” (A Million Light Years), “En el Septimo Dia” (On the Seventh Day), and “Te Para Tres” (Tea For Three). These songs are considered to be the band's strongest and at the same time are their most popular. Overall, the album is considered as the most consistent work by the band, along with Signos.
Their Massive Tour Animal (1990–1991) included 30 Argentinean cities, many which had not been visited by a band with the reach of Soda Stereo. The cities visited in Argentina were: San Juan
San Juan, Argentina
San Juan is the capital city of the Argentine province of San Juan in the Cuyo region, located in the Tulúm Valley, west of the San Juan River, at above mean sea level, with a population of around 112,000 as per the ....
, Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz, Junín, Clorinda
Clorinda, Formosa
Clorinda is a city in the province of Formosa, Argentina. It is the head town of the Pilcomayo Department, and has 47,240 inhabitants as per the . It is located 115 km north-northeast from the provincial capital Formosa, at the easternmost tip of the province, 4 km from the Paraguayan border, on...
, Puerto Iguazú
Puerto Iguazú
Puerto Iguazú is a frontier city in the province of Misiones, Argentina. With a population of 82.227 ,it is the fifth largest city in the Province, after Posadas, Oberá, Eldorado and San Vicente....
, Trelew
Trelew
-References:La Pasión según Trelew, Espejo de la Argentina, 1997, Editorial Planeta Argentina S.A.I.C.; Third Edition: April 2000, Buenos Aires, ISBN 950-742-859-3-External links:* * * *...
, Neuquén
Neuquén
Neuquén is the name of the following things:* Neuquén, Argentina* Neuquén Province* Neuquén River* Neuquén Group...
, Santa Rosa, Trenque Lauquen
Trenque Lauquen
Trenque Lauquen is a city in the west of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, from Buenos Aires City and from the border with the province of La Pampa, on the intersection of National Routes 5 and 33...
Mendoza
Mendoza, Argentina
Mendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993...
, Córdoba
Córdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
, Río Cuarto
Río Cuarto, Córdoba
-References:* - Official website....
, Santiago del Estero
Santiago del Estero
Santiago del Estero is the capital of Santiago del Estero Province in northern Argentina. It has a population of 244,733 inhabitants, making it the twelfth largest city in the country, with a surface area of 2,116 km². It lies on the Dulce River and on National Route 9, at a distance of...
, San Miguel de Tucumán, Salta
Salta
Salta is a city in northwestern Argentina and the capital city of the Salta Province. Along with its metropolitan area, it has a population of 464,678 inhabitants as of the , making it Argentina's eighth largest city.-Overview:...
, Rosario, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Olavarria
Olavarría
Olavarría is a city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, located. It is the capital of the Olavarría Partido and has over 111,320 inhabitants, per the ....
, Pergamino. International cities included: Santiago de Chile, Asunción
Asunción
Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
, Punta del Este
Punta del Este
Punta del Este is a resort town on the Atlantic Coast in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay. It is located on the intersection of Route 10 with Route 39, directly southeast of the department capital Maldonado and about east of Montevideo...
, Barquisimeto
Barquisimeto
Barquisimeto is the capital city of the State of Lara located in west central Venezuela, halfway between Caracas and Maracaibo on the Turbio River.-Overview:...
, Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, Valencia, Mérida
Mérida, Mérida
Santiago de los Caballeros de Mérida, Venezuela, is the capital of the municipality of Libertador and the state of Mérida, and is one of the principal cities of the Venezuelan Andes...
, San Cristóbal, Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, Monterrey, Guadalajara
Guadalajara
Guadalajara may refer to:In Mexico:*Guadalajara, Jalisco, the capital of the state of Jalisco and second largest city in Mexico**Guadalajara Metropolitan Area*University of Guadalajara, a public university in Guadalajara, Jalisco...
, Mexicali
Mexicali
Mexicali is the capital of the State of Baja California, seat of the Municipality of Mexicali, and 2nd largest city in Baja California. The City of Mexicali has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the population of the entire metropolitan area reaches 936,826.The city...
, and Tijuana
Tijuana
Tijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics...
.
The Tour Animal finished with 14 consecutive shows at the Grand Rex Theater in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. With a 3,300 person capacity, this was a noticeable achievement at the time. Some of the Grand Rex shows would appear on the live EP Rex Mix (1991), which included remixed versions of a new song, “No Necesito Verte (Para Saberlo)” (I don’t Need to See You - To Know).
Rock en Español
Rock en español is the Spanish-language rock music. While the term is used widely in English, it is used in Spanish mainly to distinguish such music from "Anglo rock." It is a style of rock music that developed in Latin American countries and Latino communities, along with other genres like...
. MTV unconditionally dedicated a whole show to Soda - a first for non English singing band.
In May 1992 Soda embarked on a tour of Spain with shows in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Oviedo
Oviedo
Oviedo is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city....
, Sevilla, Valencia, and Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
.The lackluster results of the Spanish tour, compared to the fervor they were accustomed to in Latin America, left a sour taste in their mouths. Nevertheless, it did serve as a valid experience, specifically in bringing the band back to earth. To put it bluntly: Spain was in no way a failure, but was far from the success that Soda had been used to in Latin America, in the end it was a good learning experience.
The Experimentation: Dynamo (1992-1994)
After that moment, Soda came to the realization that they were at the center of the scene. Therefore, they decided to give some space to the musical experimentation and openly propel what would be known as La Movida Sonica (The Sonic Movement). Nearing the end of 1992 Soda released their sixth studio album Dynamo. Dynamo was christened with six concerts at Obras. Each show featured a different band as support, BabasonicosBabasónicos
Babasónicos is an Argentine rock band, formed in the early 1990s along with others such as Peligrosos Gorriones and Los Brujos. After emerging in the wave of Argentine New Rock bands of the late '80s and early '90s, Babasonicos became one of the banner groups of the "sonic" underground rock...
, Juana La Loca, Martes Menta and Tia Newton, The Sonic Movement of which Demonios de Tasmania and los Brujos would also be part of. This would be derivative of something called “El Nuevo Rock Argentino" (The New Argentinian Rock). Massacre, and El Otro Yo
El Otro Yo
El Otro Yo is an Argentine band of alternative rock and originally of Temperley, Buenos Aires, formed at the beginning of the decade of 1990 and influenced mainly by Nirvana, Pixies and Sonic Youth...
were also considered part of the movement. The band also showcased the album in its entirety in a local talk-show, Fax. This was the first stereophonic
Stereophonic sound
The term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective...
TV transmission in Argentina.
According to Gustavo Cerati, Dynamo consisted of taking Canción Animal
Canción Animal
Canción Animal is the seventh album released by the Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, released in December, 1990...
and destroying it." Cerati explains, "It is as if we took Canción Animal
Canción Animal
Canción Animal is the seventh album released by the Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, released in December, 1990...
and put it under water. And, at a sonic level, we wanted to produce that, the songs had more to do with something hypnotic. The idea was to remix it, to mix it with something more dance and include something more trance in our music. I know that those who understood that record loved it and it is the same with me.
According to AllMusic Dynamo,was Soda's least popular album and at the same time their most experimental work. Dynamo did not sell as expected, in large part because the band decided to change record company immediately after recording it. Sony at the time, had no intentions of promoting a group that had just emigrated from BMG and BMG could not promote another foreign product.
In January of 1993 Soda began their sixth tour of Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, visiting Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
, and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. During the middle of the tour, the trio decided to take a long rest which fueled rumors of a break up. There had been talk of dates in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and other countries, but diverse factors during late 1993 and early 1994 forced the group to take a “rest” from Soda Stereo.
1994 was the worst year for Soda. On the 4th of July, Zeta’s two young sons died in an absurd transit accident in Argentina. This event would deeply affect Zeta on both a personal and professional level. By unanimous decision Soda decided to distance themselves from the myth for a while and at the same time to evaluate the possibility of a definitive separation.
During this hiatus, Gustavo released his first solo project: Amor Amarillo
Amor Amarillo
Amor Amarillo is the first solo album by the Argentine rock musician Gustavo Cerati, as a side-project, while he was still active in Soda Stereo, his ex-band.-Track listing:...
(Yellow Love), (ironically, Gustavo had mentioned that he had no interest in a solo career). Zeta dedicated himself to the production of other pands (Peligrosos Gorriones and Aguirre). Charly disappeared from the music scene to focus on personal projects.
At the end of 1994 Zona de Promesas
Zona de Promesas
Zona de Promesas: mixes 1984-1993 is an album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. Their tenth album was released by Sony Music Entertainment in 1994...
, a compilation of remixes and classic Soda songs, including the unreleased song that gave the album its name, was released,
Sueño Stereo (Stereo Dream) (1995-1997)
After a three year absence, on the 29th of June 1995, Soda release Sueño StereoSueño Stereo
Sueño Stereo is the final studio album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. It was released by Sony BMG in 1995...
(Stereo Dream), their 7th and final studio album. The album was an instant hit quickly reaching platinum disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
in Argentina 15 days after its release. The album was powered by the radio hit “Zoom” and the promotional video for “Ella usó mi cabeza como un revólver
Ella usó mi cabeza como un revólver
Ella usó mi cabeza como un revólver is a rock song by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo featured as the second track on the Sueño Stereo album of 1995. After been released in 1985 "Ella usó mi cabeza como un revólver" became one of Soda Stereo's better known songs together with "De Música Ligera"...
” (She Used My Head Like a Revolver), which in 1996 won the viewers choice award presented by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Latin America. This was a maximum accolade given that this award at the time, since the actual award would not be established until 2002 for Latin MTV.
According to Cerati:
Sueño Stereo took two years to conceive. It would be illogical to say that this was Soda’s masterpiece, but it was the most real expression by the group at the time, because we were stripped of the need of having a group in the future, or of being the best for another ten years. We had already passed through a lot of things and the band itself felt classic. On the other hand, we were very proud of what Dynamo had promoted and its subsequent interpretation. Then, Sueño Stereo had the pressure of not pressuring us. The band had to deliver something important, it couldn’t be a little record. Besides, we had to find ourselves again after a while and allow the music to flow, without thinking too much about taking or step or something like that. In the end, Sueño Stereo is one of the most innovative records of our career, without us trying to make it so -because of its sonic combinations, its lyrics, and because of its sound.
The álbum bécame the axis for the extensive Gira Sueño Stereo (Sueño Stereo Tour), which began on September 8 in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, at the Grand Rex Theater. It covered Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Perú
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, Panamá
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, México
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and Miami). The tour finished on the 24th of April 1996 at the Teatro Teletón in Santiago de Chile.
In mid 1996 Soda was invited to Miami by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
to record a session for MTV's acoustic show, MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged is a TV series showcasing many popular musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show has received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades.-Unplugged:...
. After a few refusals by the band, Soda was able to convince the network to accept an offer where the band would play plugged in, but with modifications such as orchestration including new arrangements of some of their classic songs. The result was an eclectic mix of music, some electric, some acoustic, but all bearing the Soda Signature style. A highlight of the album was a soaring rendition of “En La Ciudad De La Furia.” where the chorus was sung by Andrea Echeverri
Andrea Echeverri
Andrea Echeverri is a Colombian rock/pop singer and guitarist, born in Bogotá in 1965. She is the lead singer in Aterciopelados where she also plays the acoustic guitar. Echeverri has long captivated audiences with her potently melodic brand of feminism...
of the Colombian Rock en Español
Rock en Español
Rock en español is the Spanish-language rock music. While the term is used widely in English, it is used in Spanish mainly to distinguish such music from "Anglo rock." It is a style of rock music that developed in Latin American countries and Latino communities, along with other genres like...
band Aterciopelados
Aterciopelados
Aterciopelados , also referred to as los Aterciopelados on some albums and other promotional materials, are a rock band from Colombia. Led by Andrea Echeverri and Héctor Buitrago, they have been one of the first rock bands from Colombia to gain international notice and is among the country's top...
. Other songs recorded were, “Un Misil en Mi Placard” (re-arranged in a style that directly palgiarised the 1992 track 'Chrome Waves' by English band Ride) “Entre Canibales”, “Cuando pase el temblor
Cuando pase el temblor
"Cuando pase el temblor" is a rock song by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo featured as the second track on the 1985 Nada personal album. After being released in October 1985, "Cuando pase el temblor" became one of Soda Stereo's better known songs together with "De música ligera"...
”, Té Para Tres”,“Angel Electrico”, “Terapia de Amor Intensiva”, “Disco Eterno”, “Ella usó mi cabeza como un revólver
Ella usó mi cabeza como un revólver
Ella usó mi cabeza como un revólver is a rock song by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo featured as the second track on the Sueño Stereo album of 1995. After been released in 1985 "Ella usó mi cabeza como un revólver" became one of Soda Stereo's better known songs together with "De Música Ligera"...
”, “Paseando Por Roma” and “Génesis” (A cover of Vox Dei
Vox Dei
Vox Dei is an Argentine rock band credited for recording the country's first concept album, The Bible. Its most prolific years were the 1970s, having recorded 10 albums.-History:...
). The recording of the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
show were partially released on the album Comfort y Música Para Volar
Comfort y Música Para Volar
MTV Unplugged: Comfort y Música Para Volar is a part-live, part-studio album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. The first seven tracks were recorded live at MTV Studios in Miami, Florida for the show MTV Unplugged. The remaining four tracks were Sueño Stereo outtakes recorded in studio....
(Comfort and Music to Fly By) (1996), and in its entirety in a new version of Comfort released in 2007. The album cointained 4 new tracks from the Sueño Stereo
Sueño Stereo
Sueño Stereo is the final studio album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. It was released by Sony BMG in 1995...
sessions as well as an interactive cd-rom with pictures and videos from the show.
On the 30th of October 1996 Soda Stereo became the first Latin American band to transmit a live concert via the internet, via the Argentinian radio program Cuál Es? (Which is?). The show was conducted by Mario Pergolini
Mario Pergolini
Mario Daniel Pergolini is an Argentine journalist, media producer and businessman, best known as the former main host of the television programme Caiga Quien Caiga broadcast on Argentina's Telefe....
on Argentina Rock & Pop radio. The band played live from the music store Promúsica in BuenoS Aires.
Band Breakup (1997)
A long silence preceded the final farewell, except for band’s participation on a Rock En Español Tribute album, Tribute a Queen: Los Grandes del Rock en Español. Soda covered “Someday One Day,” from Queen’s 1974 album, Queen II, and sung it in Spanish, as “Algun Dia.”Finally, in May 1997 Soda officially announced their separation through a press release. The following day, Argentiniean newspapers echoed the news. The Argentinian daily Clarín devoted a large front page spread to the breakup. The following day, Gustavo Cerati's farewell note was published on the Clarín supplement for juveniles “Yes.” The farewell letter read:
These lines were inspired from what I have seen on the street these days, fans who have approached me, the people around me, and from my own personal experience. I share the sadness that has been created in many by our separation. I, myself, am immersed in that state because few things have been so important to me in my life as Soda Stereo. Everyone knows that it is impossible to lead a band without a certain level of conflict. It is a fragile equilibrium in the battle of ideas that very few are able to handle for fifteen years, as we proudly did. But, ultimately, different personal and musical misunderstandings began to compromise that equilibrium. At that juncture, excuses are generated for not confronting ourselves, excuses for a future group that we no longer believed in as we did in the past. To end for the health of the band is, in its redundancy, to enforce value to our mental health and above all to show respect for all of our fans who followed us for such a long time. Goodbye.
The band carried on with a farewell tour, making stops in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. Their last concert took place on 20 September at the River Plate Stadium
Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti
Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, is a stadium in the Belgrano district of Buenos Aires, Argentina at the intersection of Figueroa Alcorta and Udaondo. It is the home venue of Club Atlético River Plate and is named after former club president Antonio Vespucio Liberti...
in Buenos Aires was recorded and released in two parts, El Último Concierto
El Último Concierto
El Último Concierto is a live album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. The album was released in 1997 as two different albums, El Último Concierto A and El Último Concierto B. The album was recorded on September 20 at the last concert by the band at the River Plate Stadium, Buenos Aires...
A and B. A DVD of the farewell show was released in 2005. The show ended with the song “De Musica Ligera” and a memorable farewell by Cerati,
“¡No solo no hubiéramos sido nada sin ustedes, sino con toda la gente que estuvo a nuestro alrededor desde el comienzo; algunos siguen hasta hoy! ¡Gracias totales!”
“Not only we would not have been anything without you, but without all of the people that were around us since the beginning; some continue till this day! Thanks a lot!”
A compilation CD was released later that year titled Chau Soda ("Bye Soda"); it contains the most elaborated version of Signos
Signos
Signos is the third studio album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, and released in 1986. It was remastered in 2007 at Sterling Sound Studios in New York.-Track listing:...
.
Post Soda
Regardless of the constant rumors of a reunion, which ironically started shortly after the breakup, little was heard regarding Soda, except for a TV special on “El Ultimo Concierto” (The Last Concert) produced by HBO and an MTV documentary titled Soda Stereo: La Leyenda (Soda Stereo: The Legend). Finally, in 2002 the trio was reunited at the MTV Latin Music Video Awards where they were awarded the Legend award in honor of their musical and visual trajectory.Seven years after the breakup and the absence of any new official releases seemed odd. Near the end of 2003 Sony Music announced the release of the first DVD by Soda Stereo, on that contained much unreleased material from compiled by Gustavo, Zeta, Charly, and people close to the band.
The finished product arrived on the streets on November 2004. It was titled, Soda Stereo: Una Parte de La Euforia (1983–1997) (Soda Stereo: A Part of the Euphoria (1983–1997)). On September 20, 2005 an Argentinian DVD of Soda’s last concert, which took place exactly 8 years before at River Plate stadium was released. It was titled El Ultimo Concierto (En Vivo) (The Last Concert – Live). The DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, in contrast to the HBO production, featured a 5.1 audio and included two songs that were not aired on the HBO concert, “Juego de Seduccion” and “Sobredosis de TV.” It also included a multi camera option for a soundcheck of “Primavera 0” and a 25 minute documentary about the tour featuring footage of sound checks and concerts in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. It also featured an interview with the long lost “fourth Soda” Alfredo Lois, the director of the DVD, one his last works before his death.
You Will See Me Return (2007)
The reunification of Soda stereo was a mandatory topic for journalists whenever faced with a former member. So much so, that Zeta Bosio once declared:One day I dreamed that I was not going to be asked about a Soda reunion!.
In 2007, ten years after the breakup, the band decides to reunite for one time with the goal of accomplishing a grand continental tour. On the 6th of June 2007, the official news came out: Soda Stereo will return to the stage with a sole American tour called Me Veras Volver (You Will See Me Return), a phrase that’s emblematic of their song “En La Ciudad de la Furia”
In early July Sony/BMG released a new compilation album titled Me Verás Volver (Hits & +). The CD contained 18 studio recordings remastered in 2007. The CD did not contain any new material but it did contain a code to receive exclusive web footage such as live versions. The album reached number one in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
and in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
.
On the September 20, 2007, exactly 10 years since their final concert, Soda Stereo gave a long awaited press conference at the Club Museum in Peru St., Buenos Aires, in a historical building designed at the turn of the century by the famous French architect and structural engineer Gustave Eiffel
Gustave Eiffel
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel was a French structural engineer from the École Centrale Paris, an architect, an entrepreneur and a specialist of metallic structures...
. This was the same building which years before was used as the location for their video of “En La Ciudad De La Furia”. They surprised those there with a mini concert of two songs, “Sobredosis de TV” and “En La Ciudad de La Furia,” played in their original form. The song were played solely by the three of them. During the press conference the trio clarified that after the tour they intend on resuming their individual pursuits.
The tour was scheduled to begin on October 19 at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, and originally only two concerts were scheduled as well as performances in several American countries. However, from the time the tickets went on sale it became apparent that the original program would be completely overwhelmed and that the band was faced with a huge continent-wide cultural event. The first two shows sold out in only 24 hours (a total of 90,000 tickets). The band quickly added one more show to the schedule, and after three days, the tickets for the first three shows were sold out, so two more shows were added.
Finally on the 19th of October 2007, the time came for the triumphant return of Soda Stereo at the River Plate Stadium in Argentina. A massive banner that contained a large sentence with the name of their songs intertwined was unveiled.
The band was accompanied by one of the main “fourth Soda’s” Tweety Gonzalez
Tweety González
Fabián A. González Amado , know with his stage name Tweety González, is an Argentine musician and record producer. He is best known for his work as collaborator keyboardist for the Argentine rock band Soda Stereo....
(keyboards), as well as Leandro Fresco (keyboards, percussion, and backing vocals), and Leo Garcia
Leo Garcia
Leo Garcia was a Major League Baseball player who played outfield for the Cincinnati Reds in 1987 and 1988. He was born November 6, 1962 in Santiago, Dominican Republic. He debuted on April 6, 1987 and managed 1 RBI in his debut. His last game in the majors was June 1, 1988. He is currently the...
on guitars and backing vocals. The concert lasted more than three hours. Soda played a total of 28 songs. The show opened with a recording of “Algun Dia” their cover of Queen's
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
“Someday One Day” meanwhile images of the history of Soda Stereo appeared in the background.
The expected amount of fans attending the five shows was more than 300,000, making Soda Stereo one of the most watched public events in the history of Argentina. Soda became the only band to play more than five times in the Estadio Monumental in Argentina in a single tour. Me Verás Volver featured 22 concerts throughout America including three shows in the US -all but two were sold out[42].
In October 2007 Sony/BMG released Comfort Y Música Para Volar on DVD. The DVD included all of the songs recorded for the MTV unplugged session.
On the 21st of December 2007 the last concert was held at the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires. Three extra songs were played for this show, “Si No Fuera Por,” “Terapia de Amor Intensiva,” and “Lo Que Sangra (La Cúpula).” The band was joined by Andrea Álvarez for “Picnic en el 4B”, Richard Coleman for “No Existes”, Fabián “Zorrito Vön" Quintiero for “Danza Rota” and “Profugos”, Carlos Alomar for “Lo Que Sangra (La Cúpula)” and “Terapia de Amor Intensiva,” and Gillespie for “Signos” and “Fue.” Cerati returned to use his famous expression “gracias totales,” and after playing “De Musica Ligera.” Finally, Cerati played the riff of “Sueles Dejarme Solo” and smashed his guitar.
The legendary latin rock band
Soda Stereo has been repeatedly considered the legendary Latin rock band. It was the first band to come out strongly in the local limits of their country of origin and to consider Latin America as a unified cultural space for the language, including the U.S.. The result was a popular and widespread identification of Latino youth, above countries, which was made for the Anglo-Saxon rock, but not for the Latin rock, rock in Spanish and Latin American rock, different variants the same cultural-musical phenomenon.In Argentina, a country with a long tradition of Spanish rock mass with a strong local identity (which is called "rock nacional"(national rock)), Soda Stereo was the beginning of a globalization that incorporated local musicians in a great continental power rock up point lead to local analysts to wonder whether "Does it make sense to keep talking about "rock nacional"?". In many parts of Latin America, including Colombia, "Soda Stereo said musicality and poise of a new generation, sought to differentiate themselves from the 'thirties eighties' who liked the Dominican merengue, to begin to listen and sing rock in Spanish." In Chile, Soda not only marked a whole generation with his look, his lyrics and music but the intense emotional relationship developed between the band and its fans, was a decisive factor for "de-nationalize" the group and make it an expression, and not only young people in a particular country, but youth as a sector uniform social issues and common languages, something that rock and roll had not been achieved so far in the Spanish-speaking countries due to language barrier.
Carlos Polimeni told the reporter in an interview: "I was on tour with them. I saw them as heroes disembark and whites were singing in Castilian. " Something which, however, he stressed, did not prevent the first major success was obtained continental "Cuando pase el temblor
Cuando pase el temblor
"Cuando pase el temblor" is a rock song by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo featured as the second track on the 1985 Nada personal album. After being released in October 1985, "Cuando pase el temblor" became one of Soda Stereo's better known songs together with "De música ligera"...
," a huayno
Huayno
Huayno is a genre of popular Andean Music and dance from Andean countries. It is especially common in Peru. It originated in Serrania, Peru as a combination of traditional rural folk music and popular urban dance music...
-carnavalito
Carnavalito
The Carnavalito is a traditional South American dance from the Altiplano and Puna regions that is practiced in relation to religious festivities. The current form of the dance is an expression of syncretism between indigenous and Spanish colonial culture....
in Andean rock line.
Something similar happened in Peru and Ecuador where the cultural impact of the band has been regarded as "the most important event in the history of rock from those countries placing the band in the collective memory of Latin American music. A similar effect in Nicaragua said that "no one doubts that Soda Stereo is the cornerstone of rock history in Latin America ...» In 1988, Zeta Bosio and the phenomenon commented in a press conference in Venezuela:
"We went to Argentina and started going to Chile, Peru, started climbing and in some countries it happened, we got us and had never been a rock band. They told us that here was a thing of another world and it would not work ... Now is a joy to see what works and what is his own power".
But the multiplier effect of Soda Stereo, beyond their own individual success, as the Latin rock original myth as such, would be concentrated mainly in Mexico. Polimeni is the Argentine who said:
"(It was Soda Stereo) that aroused the Mexican rock. Dozens of groups reacted Mexican: Why do not we do this that come to the Argentine groups? And that erupted in mid 80's in rock, in my view, is the richest and settled across the continent".
Of course the musical-cultural phenomenon that expressed Soda Stereo in Latin America exceeds the band and is inserted into the underlying reasons related to youth identity, that have made rock and roll a global cultural movement, as well as conditions Latin American cultural youth from the decade of the 80 (out of dictatorships, globalization, postmodernism, information society, exacerbating social inequalities.) When Soda Stereo starred in continental Latin rock explosion, every country in Latin America was a breeding ground, made of a new movement of bands ", as it is called in Venezuela.
In the manner of The Beatles and "Beatlemania", Soda Stereo was the band that made it just at the right time, creating aesthetic-linguistic bridges to connect Spanish-speaking youth with the global phenomenon of rock and roll. For this reason the term "sodamanía", used repeatedly to describe the effect of soda on young Latinos, is not inappropriate.
The decisive influence of Soda Stereo Latin rock music on the decades of 90 and early twenty-first century has been reflected in the opinion of the leading musicians of the continent:
In 2002 he created the MTV Latin Awards, a milestone that reflected the identity and the international level reached by the Latin American music, after two decades of growth. As reviewed Latin American press "the most memorable moment of the night was when the Legend Award was awarded to Soda Stereo, the most important and influential band of Rock in Spanish of all time".
Records and achievements
- The First Latin American artist to use the compact discCompact DiscThe Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
format (CD) in the album SignosSignosSignos is the third studio album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, and released in 1986. It was remastered in 2007 at Sterling Sound Studios in New York.-Track listing:...
. - The First Latin American group to have a TV broadcast with stereo sound during the presentation of their album Dynamo in the program "Fax en Concierto", in 1992.
- The First Spanish rock group to play in the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as the only group of the event. - The first Spanish-language band to tour Latin America. Formerly the Spanish rock groups rarely left their home country and if they did not obtain much success. Soda Stereo was the first group to exploit the idea of expansion across the region.
- The First Ibero-American band to include an interactive track in a album, in this case with his MTV Unplugged album, Comfort y Música Para VolarComfort y Música Para VolarMTV Unplugged: Comfort y Música Para Volar is a part-live, part-studio album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. The first seven tracks were recorded live at MTV Studios in Miami, Florida for the show MTV Unplugged. The remaining four tracks were Sueño Stereo outtakes recorded in studio....
, in 1996. - The first Latin American band in transmit over the Internet a concert (1996), in the Argentinean radio program "Cuál Es?" of the Rock & Pop radio.
- The Me Verás Volver tourGira Me Verás VolverGira Me Verás Volver is a live album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. The album was released in 2008 as two different albums, Gira Me Verás Volver CD #1 and Gira Me Verás Volver CD #2, also was recorded a DVD of the concerts of the tour...
(You Will See Me Return), in 2007, with more than one million attendees, is the largest gathering of an Latin American rock band in history. - In his tour "Me Verás Volver 2007" reached record for perform six concerts in the Estadio Monumental de River Plate on the same tour, beating the previous mark of five concerts of The Rolling StonesThe Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
- Before the tour Me Verás Volver, Robbie Williams held the record for most tickets sold in less time in Argentina (River Plate stadium sold out in five days), but the record was broken by Soda Stereo in 2007 to sell two concerts in the River Plate Stadium in less than a day.
- In Peru, as in Argentina, won the "SOLD OUT" in just five days to put tickets on sale, and was organized a new presentation in Lima for the December 9, 2007.
- During the tour Me Verás Volver in Ecuador 2007 were 45,000 spectators present at the Modelo Alberto Spencer Stadium in Guayaquil. The largest concert has been given in the history of Ecuador.
- In Chile is the band that with more people have filled the Estadio Nacional de ChileEstadio Nacional de ChileThe Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos is the national stadium of Chile, and is located in the Ñuñoa district of Santiago). It is the largest stadium in Chile with an official capacity of 47,000, and is part of a 62 ha sporting complex which also features tennis courts, an aquatics center, a...
, surpassing to Los PrisionerosLos PrisionerosLos Prisioneros was a chilean rock band formed in San Miguel, Santiago, Chile in 1982. They began as a local band during the early 1980s, playing small shows in their neighborhood and high school...
, who held the record with two presentations in 2001. - Greater attendance at a pay concert in Venezuela. more than 55,000 fans gather at the Hippodrome de la Rinconada in Caracas in 2007, during the tour Me Verás Volver.
- Greater attendance at a pay concert in Colombia. 52,000 people gather Simon Bolivar Park Bogota, in 2007, during the tour Me Verás Volver.
- Greater attendance at a pay concert at the National Stadium, Panama, with 22,000 spectators, the November 27, 2007.
- Greater attendance at a concert at Estadio Chateau Carreras Cordoba, with 48,000 spectators, the December 15, 2007. With this fact the band snatched los RedondosPatricio Rey y sus Redonditos de RicotaPatricio Rey y Sus Redonditos de Ricota were an independent rock band originally from La Plata, Argentina whose tours in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s drew a cult-like following....
the record he had gotten years ago at the Cordoba stadium.
Gustavo Cerati
Cerati worked with Daniel Melero in his 1992 album Colores Santos, he co-wrote and produced most of the songs and although the album was never formally presented, two singles were released, "Vuelta por el Universo" and "Hoy Ya No Soy Yo". Cerati's second solo album was Amor Amarillo (1993), it contained collaborations by Zeta Bosio and Cerati's (then) wife Cecilia Amenábar.After Soda's separation, Cerati released the studio albums Amor Amarillo
Amor Amarillo
Amor Amarillo is the first solo album by the Argentine rock musician Gustavo Cerati, as a side-project, while he was still active in Soda Stereo, his ex-band.-Track listing:...
(1993), Bocanada
Bocanada
Bocanada is the heavily electronic second solo album by Argentine rock musician Gustavo Cerati. This is Cerati's first album release after the breakup of Soda Stereo, although he had been working with Plan V and Ocio, two bands oriented towards electronica. Raíz was the album's first cut played in...
(1999), +Bien
+Bien
+Bien is the eponymous soundtrack for the Argentine-produced film released in 2001. All 11 tracks were composed by Gustavo Cerati for the movie. Cerati also acted in the movie.-Track listing:...
(2001) and Siempre Es Hoy
Siempre es Hoy
Siempre es Hoy is the third album by the Argentine rock musician Gustavo Cerati.The album was advertised as "Cerati´s Rock Album", however, it has a more of an electronic style than rock...
(2002). In 2002 he released 11 Episodios Sinfónicos
11 Episodios Sinfónicos
11 Episodios Sinfónicos is a live album recorded by Gustavo Cerati at the Teatro Avenida of Buenos Aires on August 2001. Following the footsteps of other important artists, Cerati rearranged eleven tracks from his former band Soda Stereo as well as singles from his solo albums into symphonic...
that contained some Soda Stereo and solo songs played live with a symphony orchestra. Cerati's last release, Ahí Vamos
Ahí vamos
Ahí Vamos is a 2006 studio album by Argentine rock musician Gustavo Cerati. The album met with both positive reviews by critics and popularity, especially in Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Mexico. The first single released from the album was "Crimen", which received airplay starting in April 2006...
!, is considered as a back-to-basics return. His last album to date is Fuerza Natural
Fuerza Natural
Fuerza natural is the fifth album by Gustavo Cerati on stage as soloist, released on 1 September 2009. The album features a folk sound with acoustic guitars and presence of mandolins. The first cut of the album was Déjà vu. This album was certificated gold in Argentina for 40,000 copies sold on...
, which changes several things about their previous albums and has been very well received by fans and critics. In May 2010, Cerati suffered an aneyrism/brain damage, and unfortunately his career has been paused up to now. (2011)
Cerati was also featured in Shakira's song "The Day and the Time" in her album called Oral Fixation, Volume 2 in 2005. The Spanish version of this song is called "Dia Especial" and can be found in the 1st volume of Fijacion Oral.
Zeta Bosio
Bosio has had a low profile over the years. He is working with Proyecto Under, an online portal for musicians. He also produced albums with many bands, such as Aguirre and Peligrosos Gorriones. In a recent interview, he declared that he has no interest to play in a band. He is also the artistic director of an independent label, Alerta Records.In 1997 he produced Nacion Hip Hop, a CD compilation of local underground rap artists that is considered the founding stone of Argentine's hip hop scene. He also worked closely with hip hop act Tumbas (who opened for Soda Stereo in their last concert) and DJ Tortuga, who later became part of the experimental hip hop trio Koxmoz
Koxmoz
Koxmoz is an Argentine hip-hop/electronica group that became famous worldwide after their collaboration on Gotan Project's single "Mi Confesión" from their second studio album, Lunatico....
.
Charly Alberti
Alberti released only one studio album without Soda Stereo in 1994, Plum, along with his then girlfriend, supermodel Deborah de Corral, and since 1997 Alberti became interested in informatics, he was involved in running his company Cybrel Digital Entertainment, that aimed at generating and implementing content based technologies. He was named an Applemaster for his contributions to the music world.In 1998, he started two new projects, URL Magazine, a culture magazine, and URL Records, a discographic label. He is also the founder of YeYeYe and Musike, two portals about music and entertainment.
Alberti recently formed another rock band with his brother, Andrés Alberti, and recorded their first album named as the band, MOLE. Alberti stated that he does not want Mole's sound to sound like Soda Stereo, he wants "Mole to live by itself."
Band members
- Gustavo CeratiGustavo CeratiGustavo Adrián Cerati Clark is an Argentine rock musician, singer-songwriter, composer and record producer. He was the frontman, lead vocalist, lead guitarist and lead songwriter of the Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, one of the most influential bands of latin rock music. In the early 90s, with...
– lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, leadLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
& rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
(1982–1997, 2007 (tour)) - Zeta BosioZeta BosioHéctor Pedro Juan Bosio Bertolotti better known by his stage name Zeta Bosio, is an Argentine rock musician, record producer and DJ, better known as the bassist and backing vocalist of the influential Argentine rock band Soda Stereo...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, additional guitar (occasionally) (1982–1997, 2007 (tour)) - Charly AlbertiCharly AlbertiCarlos Alberto Ficicchia Gigliotti , known by his stage name Charly Alberti, is an Argentine rock musician, better recognized as the drummer of the influential argentine rock band Soda Stereo. Because of this, he is considered one of the most important musicians of latin and Spanish rock...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussion (1982–1997, 2007 (tour))
Collaborating musicians
- One of the collaborating musicians that has been most prominent and have long worked with the band is the keyboardistKeyboardistA keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
Tweety GonzálezTweety GonzálezFabián A. González Amado , know with his stage name Tweety González, is an Argentine musician and record producer. He is best known for his work as collaborator keyboardist for the Argentine rock band Soda Stereo....
, who accompanied the band on most of his career.
Studio albums
- Soda StereoSoda Stereo (album)Soda Stereo is the debut album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo and released in 1984. It was remastered in 2007 at Sterling Sound Studios in New York.-Track listing:...
(1984) - Nada PersonalNada Personal (album)Nada personal is the second album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, and released in 1985...
(1985) - SignosSignosSignos is the third studio album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, and released in 1986. It was remastered in 2007 at Sterling Sound Studios in New York.-Track listing:...
(1986) - Doble VidaDoble VidaDoble Vida is the fourth album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo and was released in 1988. It was remastered in 2007 at Sterling Sound Studios in New York.-Track listing:...
(1988) - Canción AnimalCanción AnimalCanción Animal is the seventh album released by the Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, released in December, 1990...
(1990) - Dynamo (1992)
- Sueño StereoSueño StereoSueño Stereo is the final studio album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. It was released by Sony BMG in 1995...
(1995)
Videography
- Ruido Blanco (1988)
- Canción Animal (1991)
- Una Parte de la Euforia (2004)
- El Último Concierto (2005)
- Comfort y Música Para Volar (2007)
- Gira Me Verás VolverGira Me Verás VolverGira Me Verás Volver is a live album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. The album was released in 2008 as two different albums, Gira Me Verás Volver CD #1 and Gira Me Verás Volver CD #2, also was recorded a DVD of the concerts of the tour...
(2008)
Live and remix albums
- Ruido BlancoRuido BlancoRuido Blanco is a live album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, released in 1987 and recorded on their "Signos" Latinamerican tour. This album includes a unique track, "Vita-Set" consists of the two songs bonded by their initial chords...
(1987) - LanguisLanguis (album)Languis is the first EP released by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. It was their sixth record overall and was released in 1989. It featured one new song, "Mundo de Quimeras", recorded in a "Latin rock" style, reminiscent of Carlos Santana The album also contained remixes of three songs available...
(EP) (1989) - Rex MixRex MixRex Mix is an EP Remix recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. It was their second effort EP and was released by Sony Music in 1991. The EP contains remixes and new arrangements of previous songs, two songs recorded live at El Gran Rex , and one new track: No necesito verte ...
(1991) - Zona de PromesasZona de PromesasZona de Promesas: mixes 1984-1993 is an album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. Their tenth album was released by Sony Music Entertainment in 1994...
(1994) - Comfort y Música Para VolarComfort y Música Para VolarMTV Unplugged: Comfort y Música Para Volar is a part-live, part-studio album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. The first seven tracks were recorded live at MTV Studios in Miami, Florida for the show MTV Unplugged. The remaining four tracks were Sueño Stereo outtakes recorded in studio....
(1996) - El Último Concierto AEl Último ConciertoEl Último Concierto is a live album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. The album was released in 1997 as two different albums, El Último Concierto A and El Último Concierto B. The album was recorded on September 20 at the last concert by the band at the River Plate Stadium, Buenos Aires...
(1997) - El Último Concierto BEl Último ConciertoEl Último Concierto is a live album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. The album was released in 1997 as two different albums, El Último Concierto A and El Último Concierto B. The album was recorded on September 20 at the last concert by the band at the River Plate Stadium, Buenos Aires...
(1997) - Gira Me Verás Volver #1Gira Me Verás VolverGira Me Verás Volver is a live album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. The album was released in 2008 as two different albums, Gira Me Verás Volver CD #1 and Gira Me Verás Volver CD #2, also was recorded a DVD of the concerts of the tour...
(2008) - Gira Me Verás Volver #2Gira Me Verás VolverGira Me Verás Volver is a live album recorded by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. The album was released in 2008 as two different albums, Gira Me Verás Volver CD #1 and Gira Me Verás Volver CD #2, also was recorded a DVD of the concerts of the tour...
(2008)
Compilations
- 20 Grandes Éxitos (1994)
- Chau Soda (1997) (U.S. #46)
- Rock del Milenio (1999)
- Obras Cumbres (2001)
- 20 Éxitos Originales: Soda Stereo (2005)
- Lo Esencial (2007)
- Me Verás VolverMe Verás VolverMe Verás Volver is a compilation album released in July, 2007 by Argentine rock band Soda Stereo. The album shares the name with their comeback tour that started on October of the same year.-Track listing:# Sobredosis de TV – 4:11...
(2007)