Manal Yagoubi
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Manal was an
Argentine rock Argentine rock (known locally as ''rock nacional'' , "national rock" in the sense of "local", "not international") is rock music composed or performed by Argentine bands or artists mostly in Spanish. Argentine rock began by recycling hits of Eng ...
group. Together with Almendra and
Los Gatos Los Gatos (, ; ) is an List of municipalities in California, incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population is 33,529 according to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is located in the San Franci ...
, they are considered founders of
Argentine rock Argentine rock (known locally as ''rock nacional'' , "national rock" in the sense of "local", "not international") is rock music composed or performed by Argentine bands or artists mostly in Spanish. Argentine rock began by recycling hits of Eng ...
.El Rock
Portal Oficial del Gobierno de la República Argentina.(Spanish)
The band members were
Claudio Gabis Claudio is an Italian and Spanish first name. In Portuguese it is accented Cláudio. In Catalan and Occitan it is Claudi, while in Romanian it is Claudiu. Origin and history Claudius was the name of an eminent Roman gens, the most important ...
on guitar, Javier Martínez on drums and vocals, and
Alejandro Medina Alejandro Medina Mayo (born 2 January 1997) is a Spanish motorcycle racer Motorcycle racing (also called moto racing and motorbike racing) is the motorcycle sport of racing motorcycles. Major varieties include motorcycle road racing and o ...
on bass and vocals. Martínez was the band's lead vocalist and leading songwriter.


Trajectory


1968–1969: Formation

The band grew out of the mythic ''"La Cueva"'' club. Martínez was a regular, and Gabis played guitar with several bands, including
Miguel Abuelo Miguel Angel Peralta, (March 21, 1946 – March 26, 1988) known by his artistic name Miguel Abuelo, was an Argentine rock musician and singer. Early days A native of Munro, in the Greater Buenos Aires industrial belt, Miguel Peralta was one of ...
's ''Los Abuelos''.Explorando el blues argentino
Claudio Gabis Biografía (Spanish)
Gabis was not keen about joining a band and regularly as he was committed to college, but eventually was persuaded by Martínez, and Manal was born. The name "Manal" was based on the word ''mano'' ("hand"), which had acquired an additional meaning among young people in
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
, to refer to "things" or "the situation" (e.g. ''cómo viene la mano'', lit. "how's the hand coming", would mean "how are things going"). Martínez would use "manal" as a made-up adjective, instead of the standard "manual". Manal was influenced by
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
,
Cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
,
Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
,
The Animals The Animals (also billed as Eric Burdon and the Animals) are an English rock band, formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in the early 1960s. The band moved to London upon finding fame in 1964. The Animals were known for their gritty, bluesy sound and ...
and other blues rock acts, bringing the
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
to Argentina's rock conscience. In 1968, after their demos being rejected by multiple record labels, the band approached long time friend and producer Jorge Álvarez, who teamed up with Pedro Pujó and created the
Mandioca ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated a ...
label, which became the first label exclusively dedicated to Argentine rock. Under the fledgling label, Manal released their first two singles in 1968. Their moment of triumph came at the 1969 ''Pinap'' Festival. On the back of their near daily performances throughout the year, the group's tightness was apparent. Fans ended up doing choruses and singing along with Manal's three members, who had resorted to a cappella vocals as their bass and drums broke down from overuse.


1970–1972: Breakthrough Success and Break-Up

Manal released a self-titled debut album in 1970. Sales were encouraging, prompting RCA to offer the band a contract. Their major label debut ''El León'' (1971) proved less successful than ''Manal''. By 1972 however, musical tastes had changed. Acoustic rock (with folk-rock influences) was on the verge of an explosion fueled by artists such as
León Gieco Raúl Alberto Antonio Gieco, pseudonym, better known as León Gieco (born on November 20, 1951 in Cañada Rosquín, Argentina) is an Argentine folk rock performer, Music composer, composer and interpreter. He is known for mixing popular Folklore, ...
, and a heavier rock had become dominant. Blues-rock fell out of favor, and Manal couldn't make the transition. Their third album in 1972 was poorly received, leading to the break-up of the band that same year.
Pappo Norberto Aníbal Napolitano (March 10, 1950 – February 25, 2005), popularly known as Pappo, was an Argentine rock musician, guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was and is one of the most influential figures in Argentine music, and in addition ...
, who was more at ease courting heavy metal audiences, would become the godfather of Argentine blues, a role he kept for over thirty years.


1980–1981: Reunion

However, in 1980, Argentine rock was caught up in a revival period of rock from the late 1960s, with Almendra successfully reuniting. Producers asked Manal to do the same, which they did, and produced one last LP in 1981, named ''Reunión'' (reunion), but due to differences between Martinez and Gabis the meeting lasted only until 1981. After that meeting,
Claudio Gabis Claudio is an Italian and Spanish first name. In Portuguese it is accented Cláudio. In Catalan and Occitan it is Claudi, while in Romanian it is Claudiu. Origin and history Claudius was the name of an eminent Roman gens, the most important ...
not accept return to play again with Javier Martinez. Manal's well-attended last concerts across Argentina led to a live album, and helped mitigate the unfortunate climate of their first separation. Furthermore, during the 1982 war, English-language music was informally banned from the airwaves for several months, resulting in increased airplay for Argentine bands, including Manal.


1987–1994: Reformations without Claudio Gabis

In 1987 Javier Martínez returned from
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and reunited Manal with Aldo Giacommino (guitars), Luis de León (bass), Jorge Iacobellis (drums) and Jorge Szajko (keyboards and saxophone). Today, Manal are credited with bringing the grittier form of blues-rock to Argentine rock,.Manal
www.VH1.com -- by Wade Kergan (Allmusic Guide contributor) Few at the time could have foreseen the strong influence Manal would have on the suburban rock explosion of the mid 1990s. Throughout their career, Manal's lyrics suggested a more mature outlook on life than their hippie-influenced colleagues. One song advised that the recipe for success was to have "cold tomato juice (flowing) in your veins".


Discography

;Studio *''
Manal Manal was an Argentine rock group. Together with Almendra and Los Gatos, they are considered founders of Argentine rock.Mandioca ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated a ...
, 1970 *''El león'' -
RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...
, 1971 *''Reunión'' -
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
, 1981 ;Live albums *''Manal en Obras'' - (Live at the
Estadio Obras Sanitarias Estadio Obras Sanitarias (also known as Arena Obras Sanitarias and Templo del Rock) is an indoor arena that is located in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The arena, home venue of club Obras Sanitarias, is mainly used to host basketball games and concerts. ...
, June 1980) Tonodisc, 1982 *''Manal En Vivo'' - (Live at the
Estadio Obras Sanitarias Estadio Obras Sanitarias (also known as Arena Obras Sanitarias and Templo del Rock) is an indoor arena that is located in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The arena, home venue of club Obras Sanitarias, is mainly used to host basketball games and concerts. ...
, June 1980) M&M, 1994 *''En vivo en el Roxy'' - (Live at the Roxy but without
Claudio Gabis Claudio is an Italian and Spanish first name. In Portuguese it is accented Cláudio. In Catalan and Occitan it is Claudi, while in Romanian it is Claudiu. Origin and history Claudius was the name of an eminent Roman gens, the most important ...
, August 1994), 1995 ;Compilation *''Cronología'' -
RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...
,
Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...
, 1992 *''Obras Cumbres'' -
Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...
, 2002


References

{{Authority control Argentine rock music groups Musical groups from Buenos Aires