Sumo (band)
Encyclopedia
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 Argentine scene, with almost the whole lyrics in English. And provided a visceral counterpoint to the progressive
and nueva canción
influences then dominant in Rock en Español
.
and Manchester
, hanging out with the members of Joy Division
, Italian-born Luca Prodan
accepted an invitation to visit a farm in the Traslasierra zone of Córdoba province to kick his heroin habit and relax (he was devastated by the death of Ian Curtis
). Arriving in 1981, he started composing and recording songs in a homemade studio. After some time, tired of the quiet life in the countryside, he took off to Buenos Aires
(specifically to Hurlingham
), looking forward to join its underground music scene.
Argentina was under a repressive military dictatorship, and many music and performing-arts acts kept a low profile to avoid problems with police (Cafe Einstein in the Balvanera
district was a favorite venue for such acts, as were some pubs in Olivos
). Luca soon found musicians willing to join his reggae-rock vision.
Sumo's initial formation was: Prodan on vocals and guitar, Germán Daffunchio on guitar, Alejandro Sokol
on bass, and Stephanie Nuttal (an English
friend of Luca's and former member of the band Manicured Noise) on drums.
The first incarnation of Sumo played mostly around Prodan's neighborhood of Hurlingham, Buenos Aires province
, and in Cafe Einstein. Nuttal returned to England when the Falklands War
started, so Sokol took on the drums, and Diego Arnedo joined on bass. Sax player (and later media star) Roberto Pettinato
was a frequent guest; he later joined the band in full.
Because they sang mostly in English, Sumo did not enjoy the extensive airplay given to Argentine bands in the wake of the war. Nevertheless, it became a pillar of the underground scene together with Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota
and Los Violadores
.
Sumo's music had different sides: hard-edged rock with an experimental touch, influenced by the sound of British post-punk
acts (such as Joy Division
or The Fall), funky post-punk guitars and strong dub-like bass lines (close to those of A Certain Ratio
and Gang of Four
), and a typically British brand of reggae and ska
. After a halt due to Prodan's spending some time in Europe
, the band committed fully to rock in 1984, and spun off the Hurlingham Reggae Band
. Ricardo Mollo was added on guitar, and Alberto Superman Troglio replaced Sokol on drums.
Sumo started achieving popularity in the mid-1980s, as Luca's in-your-face style was popular with teenagers—but he could also display a mellower streak. He would shout "fuck you" randomly, or sing a scathing song about dumb blonde
s, and immediately swoon about his appreciation for common men drinking ginebra
at a bar
.
In the later releases, some Spanish language
lyrics were added to the band's repertoire. Many of Luca's lyrics featured irony, wordplay, and references to drugs
, dance parties
, sex
, and other aspects of young people's lives, while remaining aloof of the political and economic changes of the 1980s.
Sumo's history was linked to impresario Omar Chabán
, who was the owner of Café Einstein and then of Cemento, where Sumo played many times.
Due to his drinking and a very fast rock-and-roll lifestyle, Prodan's health deteriorated. He died of a heart attack on December 22, 1987, two days after their last show. After Luca's death, the band dissolved, but its legacy was carried on by two bands, Divididos
(led by Mollo and Arnedo) and Las Pelotas (Sokol and Daffunchio). Some of Sumo's outtakes, as well as their initial effort (Corpiños en la madrugada, originally sold in cassette format only) were released commercially, as well as two solo efforts by Prodan, recorded mostly between 1981 and 1983, were released after his death in 1987: "Time, Fate, Love" and "Beautiful Losers".
Tributes to Sumo include a 1995 double disk, appropriately titled "Fuck You", in which Argentine musicians covered Sumo's songs.
On April 12 of 2007 surviving original band members reunited and played three songs - Crua Chan, Divididos por la Felicidad (Divided by Joy) and DeBeDe (Disco Baby Disco) - during Quilmes Rock Festival in River Plate Stadium: Alejandro Sokol (vocals), Ricardo Mollo (guitar), Germán Daffunchio (guitar), Diego Arnedo (bass), Alberto Superman Troglio (drums), Roberto Pettinato (sax) and Marcelo Rodríguez "Gillespi" as guest (trumpet).
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...
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...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, merging post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
with reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
and ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
. Headed by Italian-born 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...
, it remained underground
Underground music
Underground music comprises a range of different musical genres that operate outside of mainstream culture. Such music can typically share common values, such as the valuing of sincerity and intimacy; an emphasis on freedom of creative expression; an appreciation of artistic creativity...
for most of its short activity, but was extremely influential in shaping contemporary Argentine rock
Argentine rock
Argentine rock , is composed or made by Argentine bands or artists, in the Spanish language. For nearly half a century it has been a major popular genre, and it is considered part of the popular music tradition of Argentina alongside Argentine Tango, and Argentine folk music.The moment when...
. Sumo introduced British post-punk to the Argentine scene, with almost the whole lyrics in English. And provided a visceral counterpoint to the progressive
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...
and nueva canción
Nueva canción
Nueva canción is a movement and genre within Latin American and Iberian music of folk music, folk-inspired music and socially committed music...
influences then dominant in 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...
.
History
After living in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, hanging out with the members of Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
, Italian-born 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...
accepted an invitation to visit a farm in the Traslasierra zone of Córdoba province to kick his heroin habit and relax (he was devastated by the death of Ian Curtis
Ian Curtis
Ian Kevin Curtis was an English singer and lyricist, famous for leading the post-punk band Joy Division. Joy Division released their debut album, Unknown Pleasures, in 1979 and recorded their follow-up, Closer, in 1980...
). Arriving in 1981, he started composing and recording songs in a homemade studio. After some time, tired of the quiet life in the countryside, he took off to 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...
(specifically to Hurlingham
Hurlingham, Buenos Aires
Hurlingham is a city in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It forms part of the Gran Buenos Aires metropolitan area and is situated 23 km west of the city centre...
), looking forward to join its underground music scene.
Argentina was under a repressive military dictatorship, and many music and performing-arts acts kept a low profile to avoid problems with police (Cafe Einstein in the Balvanera
Balvanera
Balvanera is a neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina.-Origin of Name and Alternative Names:The official name, Balvanera, is the name of the parroquia centered around the church of Nuestra Señora de Balvanera, erected in 1831.The zone around Corrientes avenue is known as Once after Plaza Once de...
district was a favorite venue for such acts, as were some pubs in Olivos
Vicente López Partido
Vicente López is a partido located in the north of Greater Buenos Aires in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The capital is Olivos.-Districts:* Carapachay* Florida* La Lucila* Munro* Olivos* Vicente López* Villa Adelina* Villa Martelli...
). Luca soon found musicians willing to join his reggae-rock vision.
Sumo's initial formation was: Prodan on vocals and guitar, Germán Daffunchio on guitar, Alejandro Sokol
Alejandro Sokol
Alejandro Sokol was an Argentine rock musician, who was part of Sumo and Las Pelotas.Sokol was the bassist, and then the drummer, of Sumo in its early days , and left the band because the rock and roll lifestyle went against his convictions, as he was a member of the LDS church.After the death of...
on bass, and Stephanie Nuttal (an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
friend of Luca's and former member of the band Manicured Noise) on drums.
The first incarnation of Sumo played mostly around Prodan's neighborhood of Hurlingham, Buenos Aires province
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
, and in Cafe Einstein. Nuttal returned to England when the Falklands 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...
started, so Sokol took on the drums, and Diego Arnedo joined on bass. Sax player (and later media star) Roberto Pettinato
Roberto Pettinato
Roberto Pettinato is an Argentine musician, journalist and television presenter.Pettinato's father, Roberto Sr., was a high-ranking corrections officer in the administration of Juan Perón. When a coup deposed Perón in 1955, he was accused of being involved in political repression and was driven...
was a frequent guest; he later joined the band in full.
Because they sang mostly in English, Sumo did not enjoy the extensive airplay given to Argentine bands in the wake of the war. Nevertheless, it became a pillar of the underground scene together with Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota
Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota
Patricio 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....
and Los Violadores
Los Violadores
Los Violadores is a punk band from Argentina and the pioneers of the genre in Latin America.-History:Los Violadores was founded in 1981 by guitarist Hari B . The rest of the band included Stuka , Pil Trafa and Sergio Gramatika...
.
Sumo's music had different sides: hard-edged rock with an experimental touch, influenced by the sound of British post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
acts (such as Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
or The Fall), funky post-punk guitars and strong dub-like bass lines (close to those of A Certain Ratio
A Certain Ratio
A Certain Ratio are a Post-punk band formed in 1977 in Manchester, England. While originally part of the punk rock movement, they soon added funk and dance elements to their sound. They are sometimes referred to as "post punk funk"...
and Gang of Four
Gang of Four (band)
Gang of Four are an English post-punk group from Leeds. Original personnel were singer Jon King, guitarist Andy Gill, bass guitarist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham. They were fully active from 1977 to 1984, and then re-emerged twice in the 1990s with King and Gill...
), and a typically British brand of reggae and ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
. After a halt due to Prodan's spending some time in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the band committed fully to rock in 1984, and spun off the Hurlingham Reggae Band
Hurlingham Reggae Band
The Hurlingham Reggae Band was an Argentine reggae band spun off Sumo in 1984, to allow the motherband to concentrate on rock and roll. The band was primarily active between 1982 and 1984...
. Ricardo Mollo was added on guitar, and Alberto Superman Troglio replaced Sokol on drums.
Sumo started achieving popularity in the mid-1980s, as Luca's in-your-face style was popular with teenagers—but he could also display a mellower streak. He would shout "fuck you" randomly, or sing a scathing song about dumb blonde
Dumb blonde
The blonde stereotype, the stereotypical perception of blond-haired women, has two aspects. On one hand, over the history, blonde hair in women has been considered attractive and desirable...
s, and immediately swoon about his appreciation for common men drinking ginebra
Jenever
Jenever , is the juniper-flavored and strongly alcoholic traditional liquor of the Netherlands and Belgium, from which gin evolved...
at a bar
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
.
In the later releases, some Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
lyrics were added to the band's repertoire. Many of Luca's lyrics featured irony, wordplay, and references to drugs
DRUGS
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
, dance parties
Party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, or recreation. A party will typically feature food and beverages, and often music and dancing as well....
, sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
, and other aspects of young people's lives, while remaining aloof of the political and economic changes of the 1980s.
Sumo's history was linked to impresario Omar Chabán
Omar Chabán
Emir Omar Chabán is an Argentine impresario, who was imprisoned for a fatal fire in one of his businesses.Born in San Martín, Buenos Aires, Chabán became one of the major figures in the Buenos Aires underground scene during the 1980s as owner of Café Einstein and later Cemento, which became a...
, who was the owner of Café Einstein and then of Cemento, where Sumo played many times.
Due to his drinking and a very fast rock-and-roll lifestyle, Prodan's health deteriorated. He died of a heart attack on December 22, 1987, two days after their last show. After Luca's death, the band dissolved, but its legacy was carried on by two bands, Divididos
Divididos
Divididos is an Argentine rock band.The band was formed in 1988 after the death of Luca Prodan and the consequent dissolution of the band Sumo...
(led by Mollo and Arnedo) and Las Pelotas (Sokol and Daffunchio). Some of Sumo's outtakes, as well as their initial effort (Corpiños en la madrugada, originally sold in cassette format only) were released commercially, as well as two solo efforts by Prodan, recorded mostly between 1981 and 1983, were released after his death in 1987: "Time, Fate, Love" and "Beautiful Losers".
Tributes to Sumo include a 1995 double disk, appropriately titled "Fuck You", in which Argentine musicians covered Sumo's songs.
On April 12 of 2007 surviving original band members reunited and played three songs - Crua Chan, Divididos por la Felicidad (Divided by Joy) and DeBeDe (Disco Baby Disco) - during Quilmes Rock Festival in River Plate Stadium: Alejandro Sokol (vocals), Ricardo Mollo (guitar), Germán Daffunchio (guitar), Diego Arnedo (bass), Alberto Superman Troglio (drums), Roberto Pettinato (sax) and Marcelo Rodríguez "Gillespi" as guest (trumpet).
1981-1982
- Luca ProdanLuca ProdanLuca 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...
(vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, acoustic guitarSteel-string acoustic guitarA steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound...
and bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) - Alejandro SokolAlejandro SokolAlejandro Sokol was an Argentine rock musician, who was part of Sumo and Las Pelotas.Sokol was the bassist, and then the drummer, of Sumo in its early days , and left the band because the rock and roll lifestyle went against his convictions, as he was a member of the LDS church.After the death of...
(bass guitar) - Germán Daffunchio (guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
) - Stephanie Nutall (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 ....
)
1982-1984
- Luca ProdanLuca ProdanLuca 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...
(vocals, guitar) - Alejandro SokolAlejandro SokolAlejandro Sokol was an Argentine rock musician, who was part of Sumo and Las Pelotas.Sokol was the bassist, and then the drummer, of Sumo in its early days , and left the band because the rock and roll lifestyle went against his convictions, as he was a member of the LDS church.After the death of...
(drums) - Germán Daffunchio (guitar)
- Diego Arnedo (bass guitar)
1984-1987
- Luca ProdanLuca ProdanLuca 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...
(vocals) - Alberto Superman Troglio (drums)
- Roberto PettinatoRoberto PettinatoRoberto Pettinato is an Argentine musician, journalist and television presenter.Pettinato's father, Roberto Sr., was a high-ranking corrections officer in the administration of Juan Perón. When a coup deposed Perón in 1955, he was accused of being involved in political repression and was driven...
(saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
) - Diego Arnedo (bass guitar)
- Ricardo Mollo (guitar)
- Germán Daffunchio (guitar)
Discography
- 1983 - Corpiños en la madrugada (original release)
- 1985 - Divididos por la felicidad
- 1986 - Llegando los monos
- 1987 - After chabón
- 1989 - Fiebre
Recopilation
- 1991 - The Collection
- 1991 - Greatest Hits
- 1992 - Corpiños en la madrugada (remastered release)
- 2000 - Obras Cumbres
External links
- Sumo (Spanish)
- Discography (Spanish)
- Fan's page (Spanish)
- Sumo reunited after 20 years (Spanish)