A Hard Day's Blog

Oh, by all means, I'd be quite prepared for that eventuality.
OCTOBER 5, 2009 9:11AM

Are You Ready For the Uruguayan Invasion?

Rate: 14 Flag

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Although it happened forty-some years ago, I think it's time to do it again! A tip of the hat to my brother-in-law, Bill, for sending me  a link to this video of Los Shakers. 

This is the kind of thing that sets my heart aflutter so, naturally, I had to find out more.

When The Beatles crossed the pond in 1964 and the British Invasion gained full force, it's not surprising that young people from all over the world picked up on this new sound.  After all, it was youthful energy personified.  It must have really taken hold in Uruguay, as bands like Los Shakers - Hugo! Osvaldo! Pelin! Caio! - (who seemed more influenced by The Beatles) and Los Mockers (who chose The Rolling Stones as their inspiration), started to break into the mainstream in neighboring Argentina.  (Apparently, musical invaders in South America weren't required to travel as far.)  Oddly enough, these bands sang English lyrics.

And although there are definite parallels in hair, clothing, chord progressions and even stage mannerisms, these guys do manage to make it their own. Popular music has a history of constant "stealing", but I think that almost every "thief" winds up putting his or her own individual and cultural stamp on the finished product.

This next clip seems to be a scene from a movie, in which the boys are plucked from the production line at a soda bottling factory and given a ticket to the big time. I think that the referenced "Escala Musical" was roughly the equivalent of our "American Bandstand".  (If anyone can translate the dialogue, that would be much appreciated!)

 

 Here's yet another video (which I can't embed), of their first hit "Break it All", which is taken straight from the antics of A Hard Day's Night. (WARNING:  It is completely awesome, and it will be stuck in your head for days.)  It makes me incredibly happy to know that kids on this far-away continent were rocking out to the same sounds as kids in places like London and New York.  (I'm sure that, had I been a teenager in Argentina in 1965, I would have been writing "Hugo" all over my school notebooks.  He was dreamy!) 

 
As is the story with most bands, creative differences and disputes with the record label proved impossible to overcome.  Their 1968 album, "The Secret Conference at Toto's Bar" (is that one of the best album titles ever?), combining psychedelic sounds with tango and candombe (a Uruguayan drum-based musical style based on African Bantu drumming), sounds like it could have been their "Sergeant Pepper", but EMI didn't like it, and gave it no support or promotion.  
 
The band broke up, and sadder still, the military dictatorship that took over Uruguay in 1973 effectively put an end to pop music (not to mention human rights) in that country, until some semblance of democracy was restored in 1984.  (The 70's, and 80's were dark decades in many South American countries.)  Brothers and founding members Hugo and Osvaldo Fattorusso were able to continue their musical careers in the United States, and the two others members of the band also continued to work in the music business in South America. 
 
The video below is Los Shakers in 2007.  It's good to see they're still around. Heck they even have a MySpace page.
 
 
All invasions should be this much fun! 
 
(This is Part 3 in my "Cultural Mash-Ups" series.  See Part One and Part Two.) 
 
And for more on the passing of a legendary Argentine musical artist, who spoke out - and sang out - forcefully against totalitarian regimes, please read the following post by Marcela in English, which can be found here.

Author tags:

60's pop, argentina, uruguay, los mockers, los shakers

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I almost bought their album in a record store on 8th street in New York called Venus Records. The store was on the 2nd floor and the stairway stunk from cat piss.

Rated
littlewillie
October 05, 2009 10:01 AM
Willie, too bad you didn't get it - because I would buy it from you! (And maybe it would have some residual cat urine scent on it, which would be a real bonus!)
Jeanette DeMain
October 05, 2009 10:09 AM
There was a lot of good rock music that came from South America in the late 60's and early 70's, what with Os Mutantes from Brazil and Sui Generis from Argentina. Never heard of Los Shakers, but I'll definitely check 'em out.
Gus Sanchez
October 05, 2009 10:45 AM
HI, Jeanette; fun post!
The Beatles were HUGE in Uruguay and Argentina. So, there were local bands which were influenced by their music, and bands that directly imitated the Beatles. The Shakers from Uruguay is a good example. From Argentina you have The Beats, who are very famous too.
The short dialogue on the video says:
- What´s up? What´s up? What´s up? What´s up?
- I got pemission from the plant´s manager, so that you can show how you sing... Mr. Orellón, founder of Escala Musical (a pub,k I guess), will listen to you.
- Great, Thanks, cool, it´s our moment at last, yes!

I know that these bands are quite popular among the Beatle fans here in South America, but I really don´t follow them. I like our "national rock" bands better, they sing in Spanish, and their music is great. But again, the Beatles´influence is always noticeable everywhere.
Rated!
Marcela

PS: You included a link to my post, I was not expecting that, thank you!
Marcela in English
October 05, 2009 12:04 PM
Marcela, thanks so much for the translation, and for your comments!

Marcela and Gus, I hope to do some more exploring of South American music. I'm always glad to listen to new stuff!
Jeanette DeMain
October 05, 2009 12:13 PM
Thanks for the post. I have so much catching up to do. Used to be a saying: All intelligent life is moving West. Looks like some of it is moving South these days.
Billy Glad
October 05, 2009 01:04 PM
Thanks for turning me on to these guys, Jeanette. I'll keep this short because I want to hear them again.

R
john blumenthal
October 05, 2009 02:00 PM
Fantastic post. I love to learn about music from all over the world.
Gwendolyn Glover
October 05, 2009 02:53 PM
This is super-cool Jeanette. Thanks!
MJwycha
October 05, 2009 04:32 PM
Thanks BBE and Billy and John and Gwen and MJ!

The most fun about finding something like this is sharing it with other people, so I am glad you all stopped by!
Jeanette DeMain
October 05, 2009 04:51 PM
Wow, I would have missed it if I did not whine. thanks....!!
Stellaa
October 06, 2009 11:51 AM
And thanks to Stellaa's whining, I got to see it too! :)
Lainey
October 06, 2009 12:23 PM
This is very cool. Viva Los Shakers.
Roger Fallihee
October 06, 2009 12:28 PM
Great post. I'll check out their facebook page.
fins2theleft
October 06, 2009 12:47 PM
What a wonderful series this is. Glad to have stumbled upon your blog.
marcelleqb
October 06, 2009 01:38 PM
What an absolute blast this was. I'm scurrying off to catch up on the first two posts of this series! Thanks for bringing this to world at large, and to me in particular!
Notes From Joblessville
October 06, 2009 11:40 PM
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Congratulations! The Newsflash editorial board in consultation with local 1223 brotherhood of typists, immaterialists and itinerant doodlers has awarded this post six ampersands.
newsflash
October 09, 2009 11:47 AM
just in Kansas City alone there are more bands that make great sounds that will never be heard by the world at large and there is less than 2million people here. Thanks for sharing.
handymn
October 09, 2009 05:18 PM