Guatemalan Rock - Guatemalan Rock Music

Guatemalan Rock Music

The rock movement with Spanish texts began in Guatemala in the mid 1960s. One of the first representatives of the rock movement was Luis Galich, with his band Santa Fé, who played gigs and concerts in Guatemala City and some of the towns. Bands like Plástico Pesado, later renamed Quetzalumán, were more on the side of the experimental. Other psychedelic bands of that time included S.O.S. (Rony de Leon, Chepito Hope, David de Gandarias), Caballo Loco, Apple Pie (Tito Henkle, Luis Zetina, Rico Molina & Gentry), Cuerpo y Alma, Banda Clásica, Cerebro, La Compañía, Siglo XX, Eclipse, and Pastel de Fresa. One remarkable milestone was the unprecedented creation in 1973-74 of the rock opera Corazón del sol naciente (Heart of the Sunrise) by Sol Naciente, a large youth group formed by dancers, solo vocalists, an extended chorus, as well as band which included Guatemalan percussion instruments besides "unplugged" acoustical guitars, piano, and solo violin. Some of the band members later formed the group Alción.

A very important and popular band during the 1980s and 90s was Alux Nahual, one of the Spanish lyrics writing and singing rock bands, that has published a number of recordings in Guatemala. At their beginnings they were heavily influenced by progressive rock bands such as Kansas and Jethro Tull, though they added a very important native theme to their lyrics, it never really evolved into their sound. Their members nowadays are active musicians giving reunion concerts but mostly keep working as individuals producing and performing.

Another popular band was Extincion, which opened for bands such as Control Machete and Enrique Bunbury, they characterized for their hard lyrics and speed metal sounds.

Guatemalan rock bands such as Radio Viejo, Ricardo Andrade y los Últimos Adictos (which disbanded after their leader, Ricardo Andrade, was murdered in Sanarate, El Progreso), Bohemia Suburbana, Viernes verde and Viento en Contra have enjoyed popularity among high-school and college students during the 1990s and 2000s, like Fabulas (http://www.reverbnation.com/#!/fabulas) and La Tona too, being Bohemia Suburbana the most influential band to emerge from the scene around that decade. Fusing influences like U2 and Soda Stereo, Bohemia Suburbana created something rooted on very well crafted melodies and arrangements, though never relying on Guatemalan native sounds. Their most noted influences came from underground American and European sounds and some South American and Caribbean. However, the band has not been able to sustain itself and has been coming and going without major achievements in the recent years.

On the contrary, Viernes verde, which originated almost simultaneously with Bohemia Suburbana, has remained active even with lineup changes since the year 1993 when they became active. They are also the founders of the rock festival "La Garra Chapina" which was created by them to help newcomers into the rock industry in Guatemala. According to their official band web page, the idea of this concert was to transmit their message through audiovisual aids to represent historical moments of Guatemala. This concert event was one of the first to be fully broadcast live by national radio stations in Guatemala. This concert had a full house and has been continued annually since the year of 1999. Viernes Verde started as a grunge band, but has evolved into different music styles which gives the band one of its distinctive characteristics. The sounds of Viernes Verde, based on the majority of their songs, would identify with the alternative rock genre. One of the main factors that allows this group to gain such a strong popularity is their ability to appeal to a broad audience. On their first album titled, “Cenizas Bajo Tus Pies”, they have six tracks in Spanish and four in English. Having songs in both languages allows them the opportunity to connect with a greater audience.

Some of the bands of Guatemalan rock active in the present are Razones de Cambio, El Tambor de la Tribu, Malacates Trebol Shop, Viernes verde, Redhka, La Gran Calabaza, El Clubo, Viento en Contra, "Anarkia", Sinattra, Legión, Vitriolo, Bohemia Suburbana, and Especies, among many others. Newer bands, like 4 Tiempos, have emerged in the early 2000s. Hedras Ramos http://www.hedrasramos.com is a young rock guitar player, perhaps the most prolific guitarist representing Guatemala in countries like England and Romania on rock world guitar competitions like Guitar Idol http://www.guitaridol.tv and Ziua Chitarelor 3 respectively.

Guatemalan Rock And Roll came to be an influence in the broader Guatemalan society that was synonymous with rebellion, yet it never provided a medium in which a broad base of youth from the 60s and 70s could make something influential enough to affect change in all sectors of society. There were some major factors that prohibited it from being popularly accepted among the country of Guatemala. During this time period around the 70's there was a lot of corruption and social unrest occurring in Guatemala. The police would often search and arrest audience members of these rock gigs, as well as many other types of gatherings. On occasion, musicians would go missing and would never be found or would be found dead. Another factor was that rock music was mainly produced in English. It took some time for the transition of rock music from English to Spanish to be accepted as rock among the people. Today, the sound of the bands has so much to do with what North America produces, and the only efforts to make something original have been, seeking for the fusion of native elements with the "rock" sound. A unique case in the scene is the rock band Sobrevivencia from Huehuetenango whose lyrics are sung in Mam, a Mayan language spoken in the Guatemalan northwest.

In 2011 a new movement was born called “El Ritmo de La Paz” created by the company “Impulsos Creativos”. Its main approach was to new or Amateur Rock bands who competed for a prize that onsisted in recording their first album and also promotion in the media.

13 Amateur bands joined the movement and only 7 made it to the finals; they played along with professional bands at “Parque de la Industria” such as Silent Poetry, Conciencia Sublime, Arena Rock, Nova Epica, Bhios (Huehuetenango), Artifice and Metal Requiem.

The winner of the contest was the band named “Iridium Mas Alla de Mi Tierra” who have been promoted by “Impulsos Creativos” as one of the prizes they have had appearances both in Nacional and Cable TV also the have been interviewed and their songs have been played in Nacional Radio stations. They are recording their first album as they play in numerous concerts.

“El Ritmo de La Paz” is a Rock Festival that that repeats itself each year with a message for the utopian peace that every Guatemalan desires.