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Carlos Alberto García Moreno (born October 23, 1951), better known by his stage name Charly García, is an Argentine singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer and record producer, considered one of the most important rock musicians in
Argentine Argentines, Argentinians or Argentineans are people from Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their ...
and
Latin American music The music of Latin America refers to music originating from Latin America, namely the Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese-speaking regions of the Americas south of the United States. Latin American music highly incorpor ...
. Named "the father of rock nacional", García is widely acclaimed for his recording work, both in his multiple groups and as a soloist, and for the complexity of his music compositions, covering genres like
folk rock Folk rock is a fusion genre of rock music with heavy influences from pop, English and American folk music. It arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music re ...
,
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
,
symphonic rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed "progressive pop", the ...
,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
, new wave,
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
,
funk rock Funk rock is a fusion genre that mixes elements of funk and Rock music, rock. James Brown and others declared that Little Richard and his mid-1950s road band, The Upsetters (American band), the Upsetters, were the first to put the funk in the ...
, and
synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...
. His lyrics are known for being transgressive and critical towards modern Argentine society, especially during the era of the
military dictatorship A military dictatorship, or a military regime, is a type of dictatorship in which Power (social and political), power is held by one or more military officers. Military dictatorships are led by either a single military dictator, known as a Polit ...
, and for his rebellious and extravagant personality, which has drawn significant media attention over the years. In his teenage years, García founded the folk-rock band
Sui Generis ( , ) is a Latin phrase that means "of its/their own kind" or "in a class by itself", therefore "unique". It denotes an exclusion to the larger system an object is in relation to. Several disciplines use the term to refer to unique entities. ...
with his classmate Nito Mestre in the early 70s. Together, they released three successful studio albums which captured the spirit of a whole generation producing a string widely sung anthems that became a staple of campfires and part of the Argentinian cultural landscape. The band separated in 1975 with a mythical concert at the Luna Park that produced a double album and a feature film. García then became part of the supergroup PorSuiGieco and founded another supergroup, La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros, with whom he released key albums to establish progressive rock in the Latin American music scene. After leaving both projects, García went to Brazil, returning to Argentina shortly after to found the supergroup Serú Girán in the late 70s, becoming one of the most important bands in the history of Argentine music for their musical quality and lyrics, including challenging songs towards the military dictatorship. The group dissolved in 1982 after releasing four studio albums and a final concert at the Obras Sanitarias stadium. Following the composition of the soundtrack for the film ''Pubis Angelical'', and his album, ''Yendo de la cama al living'' (1982), García embarked on a prolific solo career, composing several generational songs of Latin music and pushing the boundaries of
pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...
. His successful trilogy was completed with the new wave albums ''
Clics modernos ''Clics modernos'' (; Spanish for "modern clicks") is the second solo studio album by the Argentine musician Charly García, released on November 5, 1983, on SG Discos and Interdisc. It was a decisive work to consolidate the modern trends that wou ...
'' (1983) and '' Piano bar'' (1984), ranked among the best albums in the history of Argentine rock by Liam Young. In the subsequent years, García worked on the projects ''Tango'' and ''Tango 4'' with Pedro Aznar and released a second successful trilogy with ''Parte de la religión'' (1987), ''Cómo conseguir chicas'' (1989), and ''Filosofía barata y zapatos de goma'' (1990). Simultaneously, he began to be involved in various media scandals due to his exorbitant and extravagant behavior, and he suffered his first health accident due to increasing drug addiction during the 90s. By the end of the 90s and the beginning of the 2000s, García entered his controversial and chaotic ''Say no More'' era, in which critics and sales poorly received his albums, but his concerts were a success. After the release of ''Rock and Roll YO'' (2003), he took a long hiatus, with sporadic appearances for rehabilitation from his addiction issues. He returned to the public scene with his latest live album ''El concierto subacuático'' (2010) and released the albums ''Kill Gil'' (2010) and ''Random'' (2017). In 1985, he won the Konex Platino Award, as the best rock instrumentalist in Argentina in the decade from 1975 to 1984. In 2009, he received the
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
for Musical Excellence. He won the Gardel de Oro Award three times (2002, 2003, and 2018). In 2010, he was declared an Illustrious Citizen of Buenos Aires by the Legislature of the City of Buenos Aires, and in 2013, he received the title of
Doctor Honoris Causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...
from the
National University of General San Martín The National University of General San Martín (, UNSAM) is an Argentine public university whose main campus is located in the city of San Martín, Buenos Aires Province. The university was established in 1992, when the executive approved law n ...
.


Biography


Early years

Carlos Alberto García was born in the city of
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
on October 23, 1951, into an upper-middle-class family. He was the firstborn of Carmen Moreno and Carlos Jaime García Lange, an entrepreneur who owned the first
Formica ''Formica'' is a genus of ants of the subfamily Formicinae, including species commonly known as wood ants, mound ants, thatching ants, and field ants. ''Formica'' is the type genus of the Formicidae, and of the subfamily Formicinae. The type ...
factory in
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
. The family included three brothers: Enrique, Daniel, and Josi. His mother was dedicated to the care and education of her children, with the help of professional nannies. The family home was a large apartment located on the fifth floor of José María Moreno Street 63, in the heart of the Caballito neighborhood, and ten blocks from Parque Centenario, where Charly often went to draw
dinosaurs Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...
at the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences. Dinosaurs, planets, and Greek myths were the three topics that fascinated Charly as a child. The family also had a weekend country house in Paso del Rey. In 1958, he began his primary education at the public school No. 3, "Primera Junta," located two blocks from his home. In 1959, the family's economic situation went into crisis when the factory closed, leading to the subsequent loss of most of the family's properties, including the house on José María Moreno Street and the country house in Paso del Rey. The García family then had to move to a rented apartment located in Darregueyra and Paraguay, in the then neighborhood of Palermo Viejo. His father began working as a physics and mathematics teacher, and his mother started working as a producer of radio and later television programs dedicated to
tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries from a combination of Arge ...
and Argentine folklore, which was experiencing what came to be known as "the folklore boom." Due to her work, it became common for the mother to invite prominent folklore musicians to their home, where "Carlitos" would play the piano. The family's economic situation improved, and they moved to an apartment located in where the musician lived until 1972 when he moved in with his future partner María Rosa Yorio to a nearby boarding house. The photos included in the album '' Vida'' were taken nearby. As both parents had to go out to work, García was sent to finish primary school at the Argentine Aeronautical School, located on Quilmes Street in the Pompeya neighborhood, due to its double schooling system. Music began very early in García's life: at two years old, he learned to play a
zither Zither (; , from the Greek ''cithara'') is a class of stringed instruments. The modern instrument has many strings stretched across a thin, flat body. Zithers are typically played by strumming or plucking the strings with the fingers or a ...
by ear and later continued with a small toy piano that his maternal grandmother gave him. When García's parents went on a trip to
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
, the children were left under the care of nannies and a grandmother. The stress caused by his parents' absence triggered a nervous crisis in Charly, a disorder that caused his characteristic
vitiligo Vitiligo (, ) is a chronic autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment or color. The cause of vitiligo is unknown, but it may be related to immune system changes, genetic factors, stress, or sun exposure, and susceptibili ...
. When his parents returned from the trip, his mother noticed that Charly had learned to play "Torna a Surriento," a famous Neapolitan melody that was in a family music box, by ear. Charly has mentioned that he believes the solo of "Seminare" was derived from that melody. Recognizing "Carlitos'" innate talent and
absolute pitch Absolute pitch (AP), often called perfect pitch, is the ability to identify or re-create a given musical note without the benefit of a reference tone. AP may be demonstrated using linguistic labelling ("naming" a note), associating mental image ...
, his parents enrolled him in 1956 in the Thibaud Piazzini Conservatory. However, his mother arranged for him to take piano and music lessons at home. His teacher was Julieta Sandoval, whom Charly describes as a very strict, "super Catholic" teacher who believed in suffering and pain as necessary to become a good classical concert pianist: His first public performance was on October 6, 1956, at just four years old, at the Conservatory, presented in the program as "Carlitos Alberto García Moreno." He performed two classical pieces, one anonymous and the other written by his teacher. As a child, Charly loved classical music and despised popular music, just like his parents. He barely slept – feeling that doing so was a waste of time – and spent whole days playing works by Chopin and
Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
. However, he also felt the urge to compose, something his teacher systematically repressed. At the age of 9, in 1960, he composed his first piece, "Corazón de hormigón" (included in '' Kill Gil''), but he did not reveal it due to fear of his teacher's reaction. In 2004, García paid tribute to his childhood piano teacher by unexpectedly appearing at the centenary celebration of the Thibaud Piazzini Conservatory to perform two of his own compositions from the Serú Girán era, "Desarma y sangra" and "Veinte trajes verdes," the latter dedicated to the composer
Erik Satie Eric Alfred Leslie Satie (born 17 May 18661 July 1925), better known as Erik Satie, was a French composer and pianist. The son of a French father and a British mother, he studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, Paris Conservatoire but was an undi ...
. In 1962, a musical television program called " El Club del Clan" aired in Buenos Aires, gaining a large youth audience due to the presence of very young singers like Palito Ortega, who performed original songs of the so-called "new wave" (
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
, twist, and
beat music Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a British popular music Music genre, genre that developed around Liverpool in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The genre melded influences from British rock and roll, British and Music of the United St ...
) in Spanish. At this time, García began to break away from the classical piano concert career that his family's education was imposing on him. While watching the program and after arguing with his mother, he composed his first song, “Corazón de hormigón,” attributing his mother's hardness of heart to the song. In 2010, nearly fifty years later, García recorded the song with Palito Ortega and included it in the album '' Kill Gil''. In his later songbook, he revisited the theme of "the new wave" in "Mientras miro las nuevas olas." In 1963, at the age of twelve, he received a diploma as a teacher of theory and solfeggio, but the following year, in 1964, García, like tens of thousands of young Argentines, heard
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
for the first time, which caused a radical change in his life: With The Beatles came other influential artists such as
The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
,
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
,
The Byrds The Byrds () were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) being the so ...
, and
The Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...
. This marked the end of his classical music career. He passionately requested an
electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external electric Guitar amplifier, sound amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar. It uses one or more pickup (music technology), pickups ...
, let his hair grow long, and started to clash with his father, who had hoped he would become a concert pianist or an engineer. This relationship never fully recovered; although they were no longer struggling financially, his father started insisting that he get a job to finance his "vices." However, his relationship with his mother was different: Among the anecdotes from his childhood as a prodigy, Sergio Marchi recounts that, in the mid-1960s, Mercedes Sosa went to dinner at García Moreno's house. Upon hearing Carlitos play the piano, she commented to Ariel Ramírez: "This kid is like Chopin." Another story tells of a show by Eduardo Falú organized by his mother, where he pointed out to the folk musician that his guitar's fifth string was out of tune, something no one else had noticed. In 1965, Charly began his secondary education at the Instituto Social Militar Dr. Dámaso Centeno, a nearby school in his birth neighborhood, attended by military family members. This was a time when the Armed Forces had overthrown the constitutional government of Juan D. Perón, imposing a regime in which dictatorships alternated with unstable civilian governments under military tutelage, with the legitimacy questioned due to the proscription of
Peronism Peronism, also known as justicialism, is an Argentine ideology and movement based on the ideas, doctrine and legacy of Juan Perón (1895–1974). It has been an influential movement in 20th- and 21st-century Argentine politics. Since 1946, P ...
. García had a Winco record player in his room where he listened to rock records he exchanged at the Centro Cultural del Disco in return for promotional albums his mother received. García recalls that among the records he especially listened to was
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
's "Like a Rolling Stone" in 1965, which caused him a paroxysm. During his time in secondary school, he often skipped classes to play the piano in the auditorium. Here, he was invited by Alberto "Beto" Rodríguez, the drummer, to form a band. They called it To Walk Spanish, a name given by García that expresses the act of expelling or throwing a person out by grabbing them by the neck of the jacket and the belt. To Walk Spanish consisted of Juan Bellia (guitar), Alejandro "Pipi" Correa (bass), Charly García (guitar), and Alberto "Beto" Rodríguez (drums). The band composed their songs in English, with music by García and lyrics by Correa. They also performed a few covers, including "Feel a Whole Lot Better" by
The Byrds The Byrds () were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) being the so ...
, which Charly would later include in the album ''Filosofía barata y Zapatos de goma'' under the title "Me siento mucho mejor," with changed lyrics ("I feel much stronger without your love"), but without altering the meaning.


First Period - Music groups


Sui Generis (1972–1975)

García first met Nito Mestre in high school, also a student at Dámaso Centeno, who was part of the band The Century Indignation, along with Carlos "Piraña" Piegari. In the second half of 1968, both bands merged to form
Sui Generis ( , ) is a Latin phrase that means "of its/their own kind" or "in a class by itself", therefore "unique". It denotes an exclusion to the larger system an object is in relation to. Several disciplines use the term to refer to unique entities. ...
, a name chosen by García to signify not only the musical originality he aspired to but also as a defense of the 'freak,' the odd, the 'nerd,' and their path, in the face of derogatory comments they received at the time. The initial formation was a sextet comprising Charly (vocals, keyboards, and guitar), Nito (vocals and flute), Piegari (guitar), Beto Rodríguez (drums), Juan Bellia (guitar), Alejandro Correa (bass). Later, Correa was replaced by Rolando Fortich, and in 1970, Rodríguez was replaced by Francisco “Paco” Prati. Additionally, Carlos "Lito" Lareu (guitar), Diego Monteverde, Hugo Alfredo Negri (bass), Diego Fraschetti, and Daniel Bernareggi, who played bass on the 1970 album, also participated in the band. During this period, Charly composed music but initially did not write lyrics, a role filled mainly by Piegari and also by Correa. Charly has mentioned that he and Piegari were "the Lennon and McCartney of the school." In 1968, they composed a rock opera in Spanish titled "Teo," about a son of the Moon and a cat, blending bossa nova with tango and rock. It had 16 different parts in rock, blues, and bossa nova rhythms. Some of the opera's themes, such as "Teo," "Marina," and "Juana," later influenced songs like "Eiti Leda" and some riffs from La máquina de hacer pájaros. Initially, Sui Generis focused on vocal harmonization. Charly, Nito, and Piegari took singing lessons from a teacher who lived opposite Piegari's family home in Flores. Charly stated that his model for both To Talk Spanish and Sui Generis was the American band Vanilla Fudge, from whom he took the use of the organ, multi-part musical themes, psychedelia, and symphonic rock in their early stages. There are four known recordings of Sui Generis from this period, made on two Minisurco acetate discs in 1969 and 1970. The first disc contains "De las brumas regresaré," composed by Charly García and Alejandro Correa, and "Escuchando al juglar en silencio," by Correa. The second disc features two songs from the opera "Teo": "Marina" and "Grita," both credited to Charly García and Carlos Piegari. In December 1969, when most of the group members were concluding high school, the sextet Sui Generis was invited to perform at the graduation party in front of hundreds of people, held at the Instituto Santa Rosa (Rosario 638). Adolescence was ending, school was no longer the setting that brought them together, and the young members were starting their adult lives, each following their own paths. 1970 was a year of changes for the band. First, they performed at the Club Italiano in Caballito, which García recalls as the band's debut. At the same time, Nito Mestre considers the performance at the Instituto Santa Rosa as their debut. At that time, Pierre Bayona, a music producer and 'dealer' in the rock world, was known as "el gordo Pierre" and immortalized by that name in the song " Pierre, el vitricida" by Redonditos de Ricota, discovered Sui Generis when they were still a sextet. Bayona tirelessly insisted in musical production circles about the extraordinary qualities of the group, particularly Charly García. In the summer of 1971, the band acted as the opening act for Huinca, a group led by Lito Nebbia, at the Teatro Diagonal in Mar del Plata and then at the Teatro de la Comedia, directed by Gregorio Nachman, as the opening act for Pedro y Pablo. However, several members of the group were unable to attend, so Sui Generis had to perform as a duo consisting of Charly García and Nito Mestre. The performance took place on February 5 or 6. "We were very surprised because people started to like our vibe," says Nito. Two statues of Nito and Charly, located at Rivadavia and Santa Fe, where the theater used to be, commemorate that event, although the concert took place when they were still a band. Meanwhile, the band continued to visit record labels, but without any success. León Gieco invited them to participate in a concert at the Luz y Fuerza Theater. They met, mutual admiration developed, and from then on Gieco and García became "soul friends." The group also started to play frequently at the Teatro ABC, located on Esmeralda Street, near Lavalle, in downtown Buenos Aires, which at the time was a rock hub. They performed on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights to gain recognition. There, the following year, when the band had become a duo, they met María Rosa Yorio, a groupie and singer, who would become Charly's partner, a backup singer for Sui Generis, and one of the first female rock singers in Latin America. At the end of 1971, Charly was drafted by the Army to serve a year of mandatory military service, an institution that was traditional at the time but rejected by a significant part of the youth, including those who had made long hair a symbol of rebellion and change. Young people resorted to various ploys to "escape the draft." Charly García was no exception. After his hopes of escaping through a "low number" (in the preliminary lottery) were dashed, Charly resorted to all possible tricks: seeking "arrangements" with officials known to his parents (which at least managed to have him sent to the Campo de Mayo regiment, in the Buenos Aires suburbs); simulating physical and mental illnesses and fainting spells; disobeying orders; making life impossible for the soldiers; etc. As a result of these simulations, he was sent to the Central Military Hospital, where, to make his "character" credible, he took a bottle of
amphetamines Substituted amphetamines, or simply amphetamines, are a chemical class, class of compounds based upon the amphetamine structure; it includes all derivative (chemistry), derivative compounds which are formed by replacing, or substitution reacti ...
that his mother had brought to the hospital. The overdose caused an extreme state of excitement, making him think he was going to die. In those conditions, he wrote in one go the song that would become his first massive hit just a few months later: " Song for my death." An additional incident happened more or less simultaneously: Charly had to carry a stretcher with a corpse to the morgue, but instead, he took it to the Officers' Casino, causing a scandal. The military then sent him home, and a few days later, he was discharged for suffering from "hysterical neurosis, schizoid personality." Charly detailed this experience in "Botas locas," which would be included in the album '' Pequeñas anécdotas sobre las instituciones'': It was the summer of 1972: the sextet had been narrowing down. It was about to become a duo consisting of Charly and Nito. However, several of the original members of Sui Generis would continue to maintain some musical contact with Sui Generis or Charly García: Alejandro "Pipi" Correa participated as a bassist and in the albums '' Confesiones de invierno'' and '' Pequeñas anécdotas sobre las instituciones''. He joined Sui Generis in some performances between 1972 and 1974, including the BA Rock III festival in 1972. His song "Gaby" was included in García's album '' Música del alma'' (1980). He continued his career as a professional musician and composer. In 1974, Correa recorded his song "Canción para elegir" with keyboards by Charly García, released on the LP ''Rock para mis amigos Vol.4'' (1975). Carlos Piegari wrote the lyrics for several songs later performed by some of Charly García's bands, such as "Natalio Ruiz", (''Vida'', 1973); "Tu alma te mira hoy" (''PorSuiGieco'', 1976), "Monoblock" (''Sinfonías para adolescentes'', 2000). He also composed the song "Gaby," with music by Alejandro Correa, included in the album ''Música del alma'' (1980). He continued his career as a musician and professional writer. Francisco “Paco” Prati remained as the drummer for Sui Generis, even when Charly and Nito were contracted to record the first album. He participated in the Sui Generis albums, ''Vida'' and '' Confesiones de invierno'', and in performances until the end of 1973, including the BA Rock III festival of 1972. Later, he joined the band Nito Mestre y Los Desconocidos de Siempre. He graduated as an architect and dedicated himself to his profession without abandoning music, focusing on jazz. By the end of 1971, the young
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 Argentina, Argentine bands or artists mostly in Spanish. Argentine rock was the earliest inc ...
movement was going through a generational change, as Almendra, Los Gatos, and
Manal Manal was an Argentine rock group formed in 1968. Together with Almendra and Los Gatos, they are considered founders of Argentine rock. The band members were Claudio Gabis on guitar, Javier Martínez on drums and vocals, and Alejandro Med ...
(its three foundational groups) had just disbanded, and their former members were attempting to create new formations: Spinetta was founding Pescado Rabioso; Pappo was starting to rehearse with Pappo's Blues and Billy Bond. After leaving the military, Charly met María Rosa Yorio at ABC in 1972. They started dating clandestinely because the musician had his official girlfriend named Maggie, who worked in the musical ''Hair'', an emblematic work of the ''
hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, counterculture of the mid-1960s to early 1970s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States and spread to dif ...
'' movement. But one day María Rosa got tired and told him to choose between her or Maggie. He chose her. Due to the conflictive relationship they both had with their families, they soon moved to a boarding house in Aráoz and Soler (Palermo) and later to a slightly better one in the
San Telmo San Telmo ("Saint Pedro González Telmo") is the oldest ''Barrios of Buenos Aires, barrio'' (neighborhood) of Buenos Aires, Argentina. A well-preserved area of the Argentine metropolis, it hosts some of its oldest buildings. One of the birthplace ...
neighborhood. Neither of them had a good income, so those were difficult times. Charly even had to sell his amplifier to pay for the pension. This moment is reflected in songs like " Confesiones de invierno" ("She kicked me out of her room, shouting: 'You have no profession'"), "Quizás porque" ("Perhaps because I am none of that is why you are here in my bed"), and "Cuando comenzamos a nacer" ("And you discover that love is more than one night and together we watch the sunrise"). Yorio, for her part, would be the recipient of a large number of Charly's songs, such as " Rasguña las piedras", "Necesito", " Seminare", "Bubulina", "Dime quién me lo robó", "Pequeñas delicias de la vida conyugal" and "Antes de gira (tema para María)". The book ''Quien es la chica'' by Larrea and Balmaceda dedicates nineteen pages to Charly García's songs related to María Rosa Yorio. By mid-1972, after trying all the record companies and suffering the miseries of the music industry, Pierre Bayona's persistent efforts to get an opportunity for the duo finally paid off. Billy Bond and Jorge Álvarez (founder of the legendary label Mandioca), agreed to an audition. Both were satisfied, even though the adolescent lyrics and acoustic sound did not completely convince them, but Charly's performance and his mastery of the piano overcame any reservations they might have had. They agreed to record a single, with the song " Song for my death", which amazed them, and an album. The good performance of the duo allowed Bayona to get Charly contracted to accompany Raúl Porchetto on keyboards on his debut album, '' Cristo Rock'', which in turn convinced Billy Bond to hire him to join his band, Billy Bond y La Pesada del Rock and Roll, on a national tour. Finally, in February 1973, Sui Generis released their first album, '' Vida'', under the Talent Microfón label and produced by Jorge Álvarez. Álvarez was not convinced of the value of recording the album, and it was Billy Bond who decisively influenced the decision, recording it in an almost secretive manner. The duo was accompanied by former
Manal Manal was an Argentine rock group formed in 1968. Together with Almendra and Los Gatos, they are considered founders of Argentine rock. The band members were Claudio Gabis on guitar, Javier Martínez on drums and vocals, and Alejandro Med ...
members, Claudio Gabis (electric guitar and harmonica) and Alejandro Medina (bass), Carlos "Lito" Lareu (guitar), Jorge Pinchevsky (violin), and Francisco Prati (drums), who came from the pre-duo Sui Generis band. Among the main songs are " Canción para mi muerte" (also released as a single), "Dime quién me lo robó" (about his religious crisis), "Necesito", "Quizás porque", "Natalio Ruiz" (lyrics by Carlos Piegari), "Mariel y el capitán", "Estación", and "Cuando comenzamos a nacer". A series of songs that would remain in the popular songbook for decades, especially "Canción para mi muerte", which was chosen by the Argentine edition of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' magazine and the
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
network as song #11 among the 100 most outstanding Argentine rock songs. The biographer of Charly García, Sergio Marchi, narrates the impact of the album's release in this way: Fito Páez, who was 9 years old at the time, reflects thus: At the same time, some historical rockers criticized these two disheveled-looking adolescents as "soft". Pappo said that Sui Géneris "softened the milanesa". Spinetta also declared that he did not like Sui Generis because he found their themes childish (he likened them to the songs of
María Elena Walsh María Elena Walsh (1 February 1930 – 10 January 2011) was an Argentine poet, novelist, musician, playwright, writer and composer, mainly known for her songs and books for children. Her work includes many of the most popular children's books ...
). Argentina was at that time experiencing the moments before a brief reconquest of democracy without proscriptions, with the March 1973 elections, in a context of almost three decades of dictatorships. This generation has been known as "the seventies generation," characterized by strong youthful idealism, with flags like "liberation",
Che Guevara Ernesto "Che" Guevara (14th May 1928 – 9 October 1967) was an Argentines, Argentine Communist revolution, Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and Military theory, military theorist. A majo ...
, political militancy, and the
sexual revolution The sexual revolution, also known as the sexual liberation, was a social movement that challenged traditional codes of behavior related to sexuality and interpersonal relationships throughout the Western world from the late 1950s to the early 1 ...
. Long hair for men was a generational flag. At that time, Charly had no defined political commitment, beyond a strong rebellion against the hypocrisy of "adults", social prejudices, or the rigidity of the educational system, but this was not the case for María Rosa Yorio or Jorge Álvarez, who had a clearly left-wing stance, including sympathy for the revolutionary currents of
Peronism Peronism, also known as justicialism, is an Argentine ideology and movement based on the ideas, doctrine and legacy of Juan Perón (1895–1974). It has been an influential movement in 20th- and 21st-century Argentine politics. Since 1946, P ...
. Musically, since 1967, an original current of "national rock", as it was called at the time, had been developing mainly in Buenos Aires, with lyrics in Spanish, and having as its greatest exponents until that moment Los Gatos led by Lito Nebbia,
Manal Manal was an Argentine rock group formed in 1968. Together with Almendra and Los Gatos, they are considered founders of Argentine rock. The band members were Claudio Gabis on guitar, Javier Martínez on drums and vocals, and Alejandro Med ...
(
Medina Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...
- Gabis- Martínez), and Almendra, led by Luis Alberto Spinetta, not to mention the importance of other decisive bands like Vox Dei and their historic opera La Biblia, Arco Iris, led by
Gustavo Santaolalla Gustavo Alfredo Santaolalla (; born 19 August 1951) is an Argentine composer, record producer and musician. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Gustavo Santaolalla, numerous accolades for List of works by Gustavo S ...
, and the "blues" line headed by Pappo. Sui Generis began to establish itself at the same level, and Charly García started to rise as a leading figure of the movement, alongside Spinetta. On December 16, 1972, Sui Generis performed as a trio (Charly, Nito, and "Paco" Prati) at the third edition of the BA Rock Festival of 1972 ( B.A. Rock III), held at the Campo Las Malvinas of the Argentinos Juniors club. They performed "Canción para mi muerte". It was the first time they played for a massive audience. The trio's performance was filmed and included in the movie '' Rock hasta que se ponga el sol'', directed by Aníbal Uset, premiered on February 8, 1973. Between November 1972 and April 1973, Sui Generis became Argentina's most popular rock band, especially among the younger crowd and particularly among women. In February 1973, the film ''
Hasta que se ponga el sol ''Hasta que se ponga el sol'' ( Spanish for "Until the sun sets") is 1973 Argentine documentary film of the foundational stage of the '' rock nacional'' (Spanish for "national rock") movement. It was filmed in the third edition of the historic B. ...
'' was released and simultaneously the live version of "Canción para mi muerte" recorded in the film was launched as a single. In March, they gave a concert at the Lasalle College (of which there is a recorded version) and in April, Sui Generis surprised everyone with a massive turnout of teenagers at their first solo concert at the Astral Theatre, one of the most important in Buenos Aires, located on
Avenida Corrientes Avenida Corrientes () is one of the principal thoroughfares of the Argentina, Argentine capital of Buenos Aires. Over a central stretch it is popularly known as "The Street that Never Sleeps" (''"La calle que nunca duerme"'') widely considered B ...
. An article of the time, from the magazine Pelo, highlights the presence of "girls who are not the usual ones at concerts, who had come in groups of four or five", drawn by songs in which "true love, tenderness as a genuine gesture of giving" were intertwined. The overwhelming success of "Canción para mi muerte" at that time generated a sort of thematic and musical misunderstanding, which tended to pigeonhole the duo outside of rock, within the romantic pop genre. Nito Mestre recognized this situation in a 1973 interview: In October 1973, Sui Generis released their second album: '' Confesiones de invierno''. The intention of the album was to make it clear to their audience that Sui Generis was a rock band and to correct any misunderstanding about the band's profile. "We don't want to disappoint the audience," Charly summed up when explaining what the album was about at that time. This was a much more polished album than the first one, which had to be recorded "on the sly" when the label did not believe Sui Generis could be successful. "It was a much more polished album," says Mestre. That year both musicians had grown, gained experience, and adopted a more professional demeanor. The album was recorded on eight tracks at the RCA studios. They hired Eduardo Zvetelman to arrange the orchestra and Juan José Mosalini (1943–2022) to play the bandoneón in "Cuando ya me empiece a quedar solo." The album's title carries the name of the song of the same title, an intimate theme that Charly asked Nito to perform alone, reflecting the fears and sacrifices involved in launching into the life of an artist, against his family's opinion: Like in ''Vida'', the album again is composed of songs that almost entirely entered the popular songbook. Foremost among them is " Rasguña las piedras", a heartrending cry for freedom that the ''Rolling Stone'' magazine and MTV network considered as the third best Argentine rock song. It is accompanied by other classic songs from Charly García's songbook, such as "Cuando ya me empiece a quedar solo", "Bienvenidos al tren", "Lunes otra vez", "Aprendizaje", and "Tribulaciones, lamentos y ocaso de un tonto rey imaginario, o no ". The album achieved exceptional sales and reaffirmed that Sui Generis' explosive popularity over the past year was not due to a misunderstanding or a one-off hit. The success of the album dispelled Charly's fears and insecurities about the real possibility of making a living from music, which he had expressed in the song that gave the album its title. On July 1, 1974, President Juan D. Perón died, and the country entered a spiral of political violence. The Alianza Anticomunista Argentina (Triple A), financed by the CIA and the Italian lodge Propaganda Due and led by Minister
José López Rega José López Rega (17 November 1916 – 9 June 1989) was an Argentine politician who served as Minister of Social Welfare from 1973 to 1975, first under Juan Perón and continuing under Isabel Perón, Juan Perón's third wife and presidential ...
, known as "the sorcerer" (Charly would allude to him in " Song of Alice in the country"), launched a campaign of persecution and extermination of militants, artists, and intellectuals labeled as "leftists". However, influenced by Yorio, Álvarez, and especially by the writer David Viñas, Charly had become politically committed to the ideas of the Revolutionary Communist Party of Argentina, a splinter group from the Communist Party of Argentina that had adopted a
Maoist Maoism, officially Mao Zedong Thought, is a variety of Marxism–Leninism that Mao Zedong developed while trying to realize a socialist revolution in the agricultural, pre-industrial society of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic o ...
position, which would be noticeable in his themes. Towards the end of the year, Sui Generis released their third album, '' Pequeñas anécdotas sobre las instituciones''. The band had ceased to be a duo and was now a quartet, also including Rinaldo Rafanelli on bass and guitars and Juan Rodríguez on drums. The album surprised both critics and fans with a
symphonic rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed "progressive pop", the ...
style, including innovative electronic instruments for the time and a marked political critique of the basic "institutions" of society: the family, the military, police repression, censorship, political assassinations. García specified that the institutions "were Power, the military, well, those who had appropriated the institutions". Notable songs include "Instituciones", " El tuerto y los ciegos", "Para quien canto yo entonces", and "Las increíbles aventuras del Sr. Tijeras". The original project for the album had a political directness that was moderated at the suggestion of Jorge Álvarez (director of the Talent label), for safety, to avoid putting Sui Generis on the Triple A's death threat list. Some lyrics were modified, and two songs were excluded, "Botas locas" and "Juan Represión". The following year, Sui Generis performed a concert in
Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
, which was governed by a civic-military dictatorship, with the original songs and lyrics. Charly, Nito, and the rest of the band were illegally detained in Uruguay, beaten, and interrogated by intelligence services, without legal counsel or communication with the Argentine embassy. Twenty years later, when the album was reissued by Microfón in digital format, the two excluded tracks were included as 'bonus tracks'. Musically, the album represented a fundamental stylistic shift, more complex, conceptual, and oriented towards r''o''ck sinfónico. In some ways, "Instituciones" marked a return to the original style of Sui Generis, before it became a duo, when they followed the model of Vanilla Fudge. The album also featured backing vocals by María Rosa Yorio and contributions from guest musicians such as Alejandro Correa (bass), Carlos Cutaia (Hammond organ), León Gieco (harmonica), David Lebón, Oscar Moro (drums), Jorge Pinchevsky (violin), and Billy Bond (chorus). On his part, Charly began to play complex keyboards, newly acquired Yamaha Strings, Rhodes piano, mini Moog, clavinet Hohner,
mellotron The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which causes a length of magnetic tape to contact a Capstan (tape recorder), capstan, which pulls i ...
, ARP strings, and string ensemble. The album was highly praised though it did not sell as expected. The public and producers struggled to understand Charly's musical evolution and demanded a return to the acoustic and simple style of the first two albums. Meanwhile, García, Mestre, and the rest of the band had begun using
lysergic acid diethylamide Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known as LSD (from German ; often referred to as acid or lucy), is a Semisynthesis, semisynthetic, Hallucinogen, hallucinogenic compound derived from ergot, known for its powerful psychological effects and ...
. Charly then decided to create a new concept album around
psychedelia Psychedelia usually refers to a Aesthetics, style or aesthetic that is resembled in the psychedelic subculture of the 1960s and the psychedelic experience produced by certain psychoactive substances. This includes psychedelic art, psychedelic ...
and thought of a name: ''Ha sido''. The band recorded the entire album, but the 'managers' and producers refused to release it, pressuring the group to return to the initial ballads that had guaranteed commercial success. Reluctantly, they had to settle for releasing an EP, with only one of the new album's tracks (" Alto en la torre") and three tracks from previous albums. The complete content and recordings of the frustrated album ''Ha sido'' have never been publicly disclosed. It is known that at least it included "Entra eléctrico", " Nena (Eiti Leda)", " Bubulina", " Fabricante de mentiras", and possibly also "La fuga del paralítico", an instrumental by Rinaldo Rafanelli. Rafanelli himself commented on this: Charly's frustration at being unable to release the fourth album was decisive in his decision to leave Sui Generis, which essentially meant dissolving the group. The cycle was complete and it was evident to Nito as well. For the fans and the rock world, it was a cold shower. Businessmen screamed and even reproached him for being a "fool" who was "killing the goose that laid the golden eggs". As a compromise, the company proposed to García to do a farewell concert at Luna Park, the country's largest indoor stadium, something that no Argentine rock artist had even dreamed of. The proposal was completed with the idea of filming the concert live and making a movie. The city was plastered with advertising posters with the legend "Adiós Sui Géneris" over which multitudes of young people full of disbelief and pain wrote "Why are they separating?". The call exceeded all expectations and it was decided to hold a second concert, immediately after the first. ''Adiós Sui Géneris'' was a show that gathered more than twenty-five thousand people and set a record audience for national rock that would take a long time to be surpassed. At the concert, several of the ''Ha sido'' songs were played, such as " Nena (Eiti Leda)", " Bubulina", "Fabricante de mentiras", and "censored" songs like "Botas locas" and " El fantasma de Canterville". Before the end of the year, Talent released the concert recording, in a double album titled '' Adiós Sui Géneris, parte I & parte II''. In 1996, a third part, '' Adiós Sui Géneris volumen III'', was released. Nito Mestre recounts that after the concert, he went to live with Charly and María Rosa, to prepare their next projects: On March 24, 1976, a
coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
installed a civic-military dictatorship in power, imposing a regime of
state terrorism State terrorism is terrorism conducted by a state against its own citizens or another state's citizens. It contrasts with '' state-sponsored terrorism'', in which a violent non-state actor conducts an act of terror under sponsorship of a state. ...
that caused thousands of disappearances, murders, kidnappings, torture, rapes, baby thefts, and exiles, with a network of clandestine detention centers and
task forces A task force (TF) is a Military organization, unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NA ...
, in what is remembered as "the greatest tragedy in our history and the most savage" (prologue to the '' Nunca más'' report). On September 2, 1976, the film '' Adiós Sui Géneris'', directed by Bebe Kamin, with production and supervision by
Leopoldo Torre Nilsson Leopoldo Torre Nilsson (5 May 1924 – 8 September 1978), also known as Leo Towers and as Babsy, was an cinema of Argentina, Argentine film director, producer and screenwriter. Born as Leopoldo Torres Nilsson (he later changed his paternal s ...
, was released, rated "prohibited for minors under 18 years old".


1974-1975: PorSuiGieco

In 1974, when Charly García had achieved widespread recognition in the rock world and was enjoying the massive popularity attained with Sui Generis, a proposal emerged to form a supergroup of musicians from the so-called "acoustic rock" to embark on a tour without a formal musical project, but to "share good times, have fun playing and singing." Charly García, Raúl Porchetto, Nito Mestre, León Gieco, and María Rosa Yorio formed PorSuiGieco y su Banda de Avestruces Domadas. The name combines the men but omits the only woman, one of the few active in Argentine rock at the time. The band took inspiration from what North American artists like
David Crosby David Van Cortlandt Crosby (August 14, 1941 – January 18, 2023) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He first found fame as a member of the Byrds, with whom he helped pioneer the genres of folk rock and psychedelic music, psych ...
,
Stephen Stills Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American musician, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; and Manassas (band ...
,
Graham Nash Graham William Nash (born 2 February 1942) is a British and American musician, singer and songwriter. He is known for his light tenor voice and for his contributions as a member of the Hollies and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Crosby, Stills ...
, and
Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...
were doing with
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) was a folk rock Supergroup (music), supergroup comprising the American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and the English-American singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by the Canadian singer-so ...
, one of Charly García's musical/choral models since his high school musician days. In May, PorSuiGieco began their group activities with a concert at the Auditorio Kraft, located on calle Florida. In July 1974, they went on a tour through the province of Buenos Aires, performing in
Bahía Blanca Bahía Blanca (; English: ''White Bay''), colloquially referred to by its own local inhabitants as simply Bahía, is a city in the Buenos Aires Province, Buenos Aires province of Argentina, centered on the northwestern end of the eponymous Blanc ...
,
Tandil Tandil is the main city of the homonymous partido (department), located in Argentina, in the southeast of Buenos Aires Province, just north-northwest of Tandilia hills. The city was founded in 1823, and its name originates from the '' Piedra M ...
, and
Mar del Plata Mar del Plata is a city on the coast of the Argentine Sea, Atlantic Ocean, in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It is the seat of General Pueyrredón Partido, General Pueyrredón district. Mar del Plata is the second largest city in Buenos Aires ...
. On July 5, 1975, they returned to perform in Tandil. In 1976, after Sui Generis had disbanded and following several delays and issues, they recorded an album under the group's name, '' PorSuiGieco''. The album suffered from the pressure of self-censorship imposed by the actions of the Alianza Anticomunista Argentina (Triple A) and the coup groups preparing to overthrow the constitutional government. It had to be released without the track " El fantasma de Canterville", which was nonetheless included unannounced in the inner sleeve. Years later, in 2002, a CD reissue of the album would set things right. The original acoustic folk proposal evolved into a more electric and sophisticated style, though without losing the freshness that characterized the group. On March 24, 1976, a civic-military dictatorship took power, imposing a regime of
state terrorism State terrorism is terrorism conducted by a state against its own citizens or another state's citizens. It contrasts with '' state-sponsored terrorism'', in which a violent non-state actor conducts an act of terror under sponsorship of a state. ...
, with clandestine detention centers and
task forces A task force (TF) is a Military organization, unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NA ...
, responsible for kidnappings, assassinations, forced disappearances, rapes, confiscations, baby thefts, identity thefts, and forcing thousands into exile. Argentina was entering its darkest hour, with
external debt A country's gross external debt (or foreign debt) is the liabilities that are owed to nonresidents by residents. The debtors can be government, governments, corporation, corporations or citizens. External debt may be denominated in domestic or f ...
, extremely high inflation, and mass impoverishment from which it would not recover in the following decades. Sui Géneris was already a thing of the past, and Charly had begun to explore other musical paths. At the same time, he started going to a psychoanalyst as he continued to feel very anguished. He spent all day locked in his apartment, playing and composing, virtually without speaking to anyone.


1976-1977: La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros

After recording the album ''PorSuiGieco'', García's next project was La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros (a name taken from a comic strip by Argentine cartoonist Crist), with Carlos Cutaia (keyboards), Gustavo Bazterrica (guitar and backing vocals), José Luis Fernández (bass and backing vocals), and Oscar Moro (drums and percussion). La Máquina was Argentina's most complex and profound attempt at
symphonic rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed "progressive pop", the ...
, in which García introduced the novelty of two simultaneous keyboard players. This band was one of the most meticulously crafted Argentine bands in terms of sound, but it was not well received by critics and the public. The dictatorship established on March 24, 1976, had created a regime of terror in which no one was safe. Charly lived in fear and went out as little as possible, believing that his name could appear on the blacklists at any moment. They debuted in Cosquín, where they premiered some of the songs that would later compose the album bearing the same name as the band. For several months, from Thursday to Sunday, they performed at La Bola Loca, Atilio Stampone's club, which hosted more than two hundred people each night to see them play live. In July 1976, María Rosa became pregnant and gave birth to :es: Migue García in March 1977. Despite the arrival of the baby, the marriage was not going well. Charly García was deeply involved in his projects, focusing solely on his music, and María Rosa felt alone. A few months later, they decided to separate. It wasn't long before María Rosa found new companionship: none other than Nito Mestre, Charly's best friend. During that winter, La Máquina gathered in a basement that flooded whenever it rained, to shape a second album: '' Películas''. At the time, they had a peculiar record; their first album had been the most expensive in Argentine history, costing more than double the production of a common album. In 1977, García attended an interview with the newspaper ''La Opinión'', which brought together Argentine personalities from various genres. There, García was accused of making "foreignizing" music "that had nothing to do with the national sentiment", apart from lacking "the quality of the old tangos" and that "in 20 years, no one would remember him". This experience would inspire García to compose "Los sobrevivientes" and "A los jóvenes de ayer". The '' Festival del Amor'' marked the last performance of La Máquina, at a packed Luna Park, on November 11, 1977, where they shared the stage with Nito Mestre, León Gieco, Raúl Porchetto,
Gustavo Santaolalla Gustavo Alfredo Santaolalla (; born 19 August 1951) is an Argentine composer, record producer and musician. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Gustavo Santaolalla, numerous accolades for List of works by Gustavo S ...
, the , among others. García struggled to adjust to this new life as a father, distant from María Rosa. During this difficult time, he met Marisa Zoca Pederneiras, a Brazilian dancer from Oscar Araiz's ballet. Zoca would be his partner until the late 1980s and inspired several of his songs, such as "Zocacola" and "Ella adivinó".


Serú Girán (1978–1982)

In São Paulo, Charly García, amidst escalating tensions with the younger members of La Máquina, particularly due to his stage behavior, decided to leave the band in 1977. He traveled to Brazil with his friend David Lebón, a fellow musician from the era of Sui Géneris. With the money they had earned at the Festival del Amor ( Luna Park, November 11, 1977), they rented a house for three months in Búzios, north of
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
. This choice was driven by Charly's need to be close to his girlfriend Zoca Pederneira and to escape the repressive military dictatorship in Argentina. In São Paulo, Charly met Zoca's parents, the Pederneiras, an artistic family who were captivated by his talent. Artistically, Charly was influenced by Brazilian musicians, especially Milton Nascimento. Despite the commercial success of Sui Generis, Charly was nearly destitute. By 1978, he was living a nature-focused life with Zoca in Brazil, fishing and gathering fruit. With a new musical partner, Charly began playing again, planting the seed for a new musical project. He was determined to form a new band, despite financial challenges. Upon returning to
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
, he began searching for bandmates. Charly needed a bass player and a drummer. He found them during a live performance by the backing band of the rock duo
Pastoral The pastoral genre of literature, art, or music depicts an idealised form of the shepherd's lifestyle – herding livestock around open areas of land according to the seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. The target au ...
. There, he recruited a talented 19-year-old bass player, Pedro Aznar, and his former colleague from La Máquina, drummer Oscar Moro. The new band was composed of Charly García (vocals, keyboards), David Lebón (vocals, guitars), Pedro Aznar (bass, vocals), and Oscar Moro (drums). Charly and David were the principal songwriters. In 1978, Billy Bond met García and Lebón in São Paulo as they were shaping Serú Girán. Bond produced their eponymous album but made them sign an exploitative contract. Unsatisfied, Bond used some tracks recorded by the band that were discarded for the ''Serú Girán'' album, added his voice over them, and used them for '' Billy Bond and the Jets'', a largely unnoticed 1979 album. This album contained "Loco (no te sobra una moneda)", the ironic disco song "Discoshock" (both by García), and a new funky version of "Treinta y dos macetas" from David Lebón's celebrated solo album, renamed "Toda la gente". After this formation was disbanded, Serú Girán was officially formed, with virtuoso melodies and lyrics that depicted the situation under the Argentine dictatorship. The band's popularity was also reflected in the traditional surveys of the magazine '' Pelo''. Serú Girán won several categories from 1978 to 1981, including best guitarist, keyboardist, bassist, drummer, composer (García), and live group. Additional awards included revelation group of 1978; best singer (Lebón) in 1980 and 1981; best song in 1978 ("Seminare"), and in 1981 ("Peperina"); and best album in 1978 (''Serú Giran''). Despite returning to Buenos Aires with high expectations for Charly García's new project, the beginnings were difficult. It was 1978, and the first album did not convince a skeptical public. The band's first concert was poorly received, as the audience expected a new incarnation of Sui Generis. Serú Girán represented a complete departure, featuring a new sound where Aznar's fretless bass guitar was central, and lyrics full of poetry and striking aesthetics. The audience actively requested Sui Generis' old songs. In response to the prevailing Disco music trend in Argentina in 1978, Serú Girán played a song called ''Disco Shock'' as a joke, further alienating the audience and marred the show. The specialized press the next day dubbed Serú Girán "the worst band" in Argentina and accused David Lebón's vocals of sounding "homosexual". This led to a strained relationship with the media. A popular Argentine magazine, '' Gente'', published a disparaging article titled "Charly García: ¿Ídolo o qué?" ("Idol or what?"). Despite the cold reception, the members of Serú Girán were convinced they had a strong project and continued to organize more shows, gradually winning acceptance from an audience that warmed up to their style. Serú Girán's evolution continued in 1979. Their new LP, ''La grasa de las capitales'' ("Grease of The Capitals" or "The Fat of The Capitals"), featured a cover that mocked the magazine ''Gente''. The album's direct and strong lyrics, which criticized the media (especially magazines like ''Gente''), fashionable music, and radio, nearly resulted in the band's imprisonment. However, the album was enthusiastically received by the public. The band's performances improved, eventually being held in larger venues. The specialized press changed its attitude, and a romance developed between the people and Serú Girán. In 1980, expectations were high for Serú Girán's new album ''Bicicleta'' ("Bicycle") – a name that Charly had originally favored for the band but was rejected by the other members. The band's sound on this record was more mature, with modern and strong music marked by prominent melodies. Pedro Aznar's bass guitar played a central role. During Argentina's last military dictatorship (1976–1983), Charly almost faced imprisonment in 1979 due to the band's lyrics, which were considered too clear and direct. The political message in their songs became stronger yet concealed to avoid censorship and further confrontations with the military junta. However, the general message of protest remained discernible. The classic single "Canción de Alicia en el país" ("Song of Alice in The Country") drew a clever analogy between Lewis Carroll's ''Alice in Wonderland'' and the Argentine dictatorship. "Encuentro con el diablo" ("A Meeting with the Devil") referenced the band's encounter with Interior minister Albano Harguindeguy, informally known as "the Devil". Harguindeguy had conversations with some artists at the time, ordering them to tone down their work or threatening them with leaving the country, assassination, or forced disappearance. Serú Girán's commercial success grew, earning them the title of "The Argentine Beatles". Charly began to receive recognition as a great artist. The band was the first popular rock group to attract a following among both the rich and the poor/working class, breaking rock music out of its historically marginal position. David Lebón later reflected, "Actually, we were much more like Procol Harum than The Beatles, a legendary band: a rock 'viola' (slang for guitar) player (Lebón), a classical pianist (García), an infernal percussionist (Moro) and a virtuoso bass player (Aznar)." Luis Alberto Spinetta, another Argentine rock star of the time, would eventually cross paths with Serú. Spinetta's first band, Almendra, was one of the first in Argentine rock, predating Sui Generis. By the late 1970s, Spinetta had formed a jazz fusion/jazz rock band called Spinetta Jade. Spinetta Jade's darker and more complex style of music was harder for general audiences to understand at the time, making Spinetta a less popular star than Charly. Nevertheless, Spinetta and Charly dispelled the myth of their rivalry on September 13, 1980, when both their bands, Serú Girán and Spinetta Jade, played together for the first time. Patricia Perea, an 18-year-old student and correspondent for the magazine ''El Expreso Imaginario'', covered a concert of Serú Girán and strongly criticized them after their performance in Córdoba, claiming their shows in the interior were inferior to those in the Capital Federal. Serú Girán responded to this criticism through their fourth LP, '' Peperina'', which was named after Perea's nickname and included a song about her. The title ''Peperina'' also referred to the practice in Córdoba Province of mixing yerba mate with the herb ''menta peperina'' ('' Bystropogon mollis'', similar to
peppermint Peppermint (''Mentha'' × ''piperita'') is a Hybrid (biology), hybrid species of Mentha, mint, a cross between Mentha aquatica, watermint and spearmint. Indigenous to Europe and the Middle East, the plant is now widely spread and cultivated in m ...
), used as a tea. This album carried a political message, with the song "José Mercado" being a clear parody of José Martínez de Hoz, Minister of Economy during the last civil-military dictatorship in Argentina. The lyrics sarcastically criticized Martínez de Hoz's tenure: "José Mercado compra todo importado (...)/José es licenciado en Economía, pasa la vida comprando porquerías" ("Market Joe only buys imported stuff (...)/Joe has a degree in Economics/And spends his life buying garbage"), targeting Argentina's then-recent policy of economic neoliberalism. One of the songs on ''Peperina'', titled "Llorando en el espejo" ("Crying in The Mirror"), contained the famous verse: "La línea blanca se terminó/no hay señales en tus ojos y estoy/llorando en el espejo..." ("The white line is up/there are no signs in your eyes/and I'm crying in the mirror..."), portraying cocaine addiction in clear terms. At the time, these lyrics did not attract much attention from military censors. In early 1982, Pedro Aznar left the band to study at Boston's
Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...
. Contrary to common belief, Aznar joined
Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He was the leader of the Pat Metheny Group (1977–2010) and continues to work in various small-combo, duet, and solo settings, as well as other side pr ...
's band a full year later, in 1983. In March 1982, Serú returned to Obras Sanitarias to bid farewell to Pedro with a highly successful show, which was recorded and released that year as '' No llores por mí, Argentina'' ("Don't cry for me, Argentina"). The loss of Aznar led to the band's dissolution, as both Lebón and Charly were ready to pursue solo careers. In 2019, the surviving members of Serú Girán, including Pedro Aznar and David Lebón, announced the remastering of the album ''La grasa de las capitales''. This announcement marked a significant moment in the legacy of Serú Girán.


Second Period - Solo career


Early solo success (1982–1985)

In 1982, Argentina was undergoing political change. After the
Falklands War The Falklands War () was a ten-week undeclared war between Argentina and the United Kingdom in 1982 over two British Overseas Territories, British dependent territories in the South Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and Falkland Islands Dependenci ...
() in June, social chaos erupted and the military government lost part of its power. Charly García debuted as a soloist with a double LP, ''Pubis Angelical'' ("Angelical Pubis"), which was the eponymous movie's soundtrack, and the powerful ''Yendo de la cama al living'' ("Going from the bed to the living room"). Four hit songs from this album left their historical mark: #"No bombardeen Buenos Aires" ("Don't bomb
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
") showed the panic in lived out in the city during the Falklands War, and strongly criticized Argentina's last civil-military dictatorship (1976–1983), especially then ruling dictator
Leopoldo Galtieri Leopoldo Fortunato Galtieri Castelli (15 July 1926 12 January 2003) was an Argentine military officer who served as the ''de facto'' President of Argentina from December 1981 to June 1982. Galtieri ruled as a military dictator, military ruler d ...
(
Roger Waters George Roger Waters (born 6 September 1943) is an English musician and singer-songwriter. In 1965, he co-founded the rock band Pink Floyd as the bassist. Following the departure of the group's main songwriter Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became ...
from
Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...
, on the other side of the trenches at that time, also criticized Galtieri in their 1983 Final Cut album). #"Yendo de la cama al living" ("Going from the bed to the living room") used the experience of being trapped in a confined space as a symbol of the repression of ideas. #"Inconsciente colectivo" ("Collective unconscious") was a message of hope and liberty for the stricken Argentine people. #"Yo no quiero volverme tan loco" ("I don't want to go so crazy") was a song about the adolescent spirit of freedom and rebelliousness. The LP's presentation took place in December at the Ferrocarril Oeste Stadium (or Ferro). As the song "No bombardeen Buenos Aires" drew to a close near the end of the show, backdrop props simulating Buenos Aires were destroyed with fireworks. In 1983, Charly left Buenos Aires with a small suitcase. When he returned to Buenos Aires from New York, he brought a quality LP titled ''
Clics Modernos ''Clics modernos'' (; Spanish for "modern clicks") is the second solo studio album by the Argentine musician Charly García, released on November 5, 1983, on SG Discos and Interdisc. It was a decisive work to consolidate the modern trends that wou ...
'' ("Modern Clicks") that was different from anything previously done in Argentine rock – it was highly singable rock music you could also dance to. Its strong message referred the past years: Exodus in "Plateado sobre plateado (huellas en el mar)" ("Silver on Silver, Footprints on the Sea"), repression in "Nos siguen pegando abajo" ("They keep hitting us down there"), "No me dejan salir" ("They won't let me out") and "Los dinosaurios" ("The Dinosaurs"), a nostalgic but defiant remembrance of those who were kidnapped, tortured, or killed. On December 10, the course of Argentine history took a turn as the government became a democracy. Charly performed many well-received shows in 1984, and recorded another album during its last months. García also recorded an LP called ''Terapia intensiva'' ("Intensive care"), another movie soundtrack. One of Charly's shows that year took place in an underground bar, with his new group named "Giovanni y los de Plástico" ("Giovanni and the Plastic Ones"). ''Piano Bar'' was released in 1984, completing García's golden trilogy. During these years, García's band was home to many future Argentine music stars, including Andrés Calamaro, Fito Páez, Pablo Guyot, Willy Iturri, Alfredo Toth and
Fabiana Cantilo Fabiana Cantilo (born March 3, 1959) is an Argentine singer-songwriter. She has sold more than 6 million records in her career. Biography She was born in Buenos Aires, on March 3, 1959, daughter of Silvina Luro Pueyrredón and Gabriel Cantilo ...
.


Massive stardom and classic albums (1985–1989)

After the success of ''Piano Bar'', which was García's consecration as a soloist, 1985 was a year to slow down. Charly met again with Pedro Aznar in New York by chance, but they took advantage of this meeting and recorded ''Tango''. The record had some interesting material, but it did not achieve commercial success primarily due to limited distribution. In 1987, García came back with ''Parte de la Religión'' ("Part of the Religion"), a very interesting LP. Many songs from that LP became hits. Two of them, "No voy en tren" ("I don't take the train") and "Necesito tu amor" ("I need your love") are the perfect symbol of García's dichotomies: the first one says "" ("I don't need anybody around me"), and the second one says "" ("I need your love/your love saves me and is useful to me"). This LP is also featured a song, "Rezo por vos" ("I pray for you"), which was part of a project with Luis Alberto Spinetta that was never finished. In 1988, Charly made his acting debut at the age of 36, playing a nurse in the movie ''Lo que vendrá'' ("What is to come"), the soundtrack of which he also composed. Being a nurse had long been one of García's obsessions. Later that year, the
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
festival wrapped up in
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
. Starring international and local rock stars,
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
,
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
, Sting, Charly García and León Gieco were there. In 1989, Puerto Rican pop star Wilkins invited Charly to record his classic "Yo No Quiero Volverme Tan Loco", alongside Ilan Chester, from Venezuela, as a tribute to "Rock en Español"; the song was featured in Wilkins' ''L.A-N.Y.'' album. Later that year, Charly released a new album, ''Cómo conseguir chicas'' ("How to get girls"). This would probably be his last "normal" album. He described it as "Just a bunch of songs that were never published for different reasons". Charly's father had long ago told him, "Never write an anagram for someone if you don't want him or her to be pissed off". During the Serú Girán years, his friend David Lebón told him something similar: "Do not write a song for a woman if you love her, because she'll leave you". The LP includes a song titled "Shisyastawuman" (a deliberately direct transliteration of "She's just a woman"), the first song García recorded in English that was written to a woman. The woman left him after hearing the song, just like Lebón had warned. A song named "Zocacola" that Charly dedicated to Zoca was included in this LP as well. A couple of months after the record was released, Zoca left him. García had changed. Physically, he looked older. His music was dark, and the earlier symphonical García from La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros was gone. Now, Charly's sound was closer to either
punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
, with violent songs such as "No toquen" ("Do Not Touch"), or a depressive and dark style as shown in "No me verás en el subte" ("You Won't See Me in the Subway"). Different and adverse times lay ahead. For the international tour in 1989/1990, García formed a new band with Hilda Lizarazu, who sang backup vocals for Charly.


Days of excess (1990–1993)

In 1990, Charly had many ideas but no band. Another important member of the band, Fabián "Zorrito" Von Quintiero, had left to join another band, Los Ratones Paranoicos (The Paranoid Mice). Hilda Lizarazu was busy with her band called Man Ray. For ''Filosofía barata y zapatos de goma'' ("Cheap Philosophy and Rubber Shoes") Charly gathered many of his old friends, who helped record most of the songs. Assisting him, among others, were Andrés Calamaro, Rinaldo Rafanelli, Fabiana Cantilo, "Nito" Mestre, Pedro Aznar, Fabián Von Quintiero and even Hilda Lizarazu. The first issue came once the disc was released. Its last song was a rock version of the " Himno Nacional Argentino", or the Argentine national anthem. Amid controversy, García's version of the national anthem was forbidden for some days, but García was victorious, a judge authorizing the song. That year, the Government of
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
organized Mi Buenos Aires Rock (My B.A. rock), a public rock festival on Avenue 9 de Julio, the city's most famous avenue. Every act was scheduled to play 30 minutes, but Charly played for over two hours. He closed the festival playing his version of the national anthem to one hundred thousand people. In December 1992, Charly again embraced his past and surprisingly re-formed Serú Girán. Charly García, David Lebón, Pedro Aznar and Oscar Moro were back after ten years. A new album was recorded, titled ''Serú 92''. It enjoyed great commercial success, but musically was sharply different from Serú Girán's other records. Serú Girán performed two sold-out shows at the Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, the largest in Argentina. Serú Girán had always been at its best when live, the four members playing very well together. This time, in Moro's words, "the show sounded like Charly García and Serú Girán".


''Say No More'' era (1994–2000)

After not having released any new solo material since 1990, in 1994 García was ready to strike back. The new project was called ''La hija de "La Lágrima"'' ("The Tear's Daughter"). This LP would be an introduction to the future concept of ''Say No More''. Also during 1994, the Soccer World Cup was being played in the United States. Soccer player legend Diego Armando Maradona was involved in a dispute with
FIFA The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
regarding a drug test for
ephedrine Ephedrine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant and sympathomimetic agent that is often used to prevent hypotension, low blood pressure during anesthesia. It has also been used for asthma, narcolepsy, and obesity but is not the preferred ...
doping, which he failed, preventing him from playing. After Diego was sent home, Argentina lost two important matches and was knocked out of the World Cup. When the last match was about to end, Charly called Diego on his cell phone and sang to him "live" the ''Maradona's Blues'', a song he composed for him. Diego cried when he heard "Un accidente no es pecado/y no es pecado estar así" ("An accident is not a sin/And is not a sin to be like this"), and the two struck up a friendship. 1995 was again a musical year. García formed a new band for touring on summertime (with María Gabriela Epumer, Juan Bellia, Fabián Von Quintiero, Jorge Suárez and Fernando Samalea) and named it as Casandra Lange. His idea with the band was to play songs Charly had heard as a teen, such as "Sympathy for the Devil" (
Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...
Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...
) and " There's a Place" (
John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer-songwriter, musician and activist. He gained global fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles. Lennon's ...
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
). He recorded the performances and edit a live album, ' :es: Estaba en llamas cuando me acosté ("I was on fire when went to bed"). All of the songs in this album are in English except for "Te recuerdo invierno" ("I remember you, winter"), which García had written in the early 1970s but never recorded with
Sui Generis ( , ) is a Latin phrase that means "of its/their own kind" or "in a class by itself", therefore "unique". It denotes an exclusion to the larger system an object is in relation to. Several disciplines use the term to refer to unique entities. ...
. In May, Charly recorded ''Hello!
MTV Unplugged ''MTV Unplugged'' is an American television series on MTV. It showcases recorded live performances of popular music artists playing acoustic instrument, acoustic or "unplugged" variations of songs. The show aired regularly from 1989 to 1999. F ...
'', which is often considered by music critics as the last time that the rock star played his music to his full potential. ''Say No More'' arrived in 1996. ''Say No More'' was a new concept for García: "'Say No More' would be in music what painting directly on the canvas would be for a painter", he explained. He also said that the LP "will only be understood in 20 years". Today the album is considered García's masterpiece, and "Say no more" the classic slogan identifying Charly García and all his music. During 1997, García recorded ''Alta Fidelidad'' ("High Fidelity") with Mercedes Sosa. Both had known each other since his childhood, so they decided to publish a collaborative work on which Mercedes would sing her favorite García songs of all time. In 1998, ''El aguante'' ("Holding On") was released. This production featured many covers translated to Spanish by García, like "
Tin Soldier Tin soldiers are miniature toy soldiers that are very popular in the world of collecting. They can be bought finished or in a raw state to be hand-painted. They are generally made of pewter, tin, lead, other metals or plastic. Often very e ...
" (
Small Faces Small Faces were an English Rock music, rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966 ...
), or "
Roll over Beethoven "Roll Over Beethoven" is a 1956 song written by Chuck Berry, originally released on Chess Records, with "Drifting Heart" as the A-side and B-side, B-side. The lyrics of the song mention rock and roll and the desire for rhythm and blues to be a ...
" (
Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...
). A significant song which was not included was " A Whiter Shade of Pale" by
Procol Harum Procol Harum () were an English rock music, rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, in 1967. Their best-known recording is the 1967 hit single "A Whiter Shade of Pale", one of the few singles to have sold more than List of best-selling si ...
, a band that Charly has admittedly always admired. In February 1999, García performed at the closing of the free public-rock festival "Buenos Aires Vivo III" (BA Live III). There he played a huge concert for 250.000 fans who attended one of the biggest concerts in Argentina up to that date. In July 1999, Charly agreed to give a private performance on Quinta de Olivos (the Argentine Presidential residence), at the request of the president, Carlos Saúl Menem. On a televised bit of this event he was seen in good spirits, carrying out antics such as playing with the security cameras, or trying to teach the president how to play the piano. A limited edition of a disc memorializing the famous concert, ''Charly & Charly'', was released that year. Since its release, ''Charly & Charly'' has been out of print, and is currently available only in bootleg copies on Internet sites.


Maravillización (2000–2003)

In 2000, Charly and Nito Mestre decided to bring Sui Generis back to life. For the special occasion, they both composed the songs for a new LP, "Sinfonías para adolescentes" ("Symphonies for Adolescents"). This new period would be marked by García's new "sound concept" of Maravillización or "Making something marvellous", replacing the old dark "Say no more" style. Finally Sui Generis played again in the Boca Juniors's Stadium, for 25,000 fans on December 7, 2000. Charly played for almost four hours. Many journalists criticized this return, stating that the main cause for it was the money and that both members of the band had changed so much, that the new album and show had nothing to do with the "real" Sui Generis. During 2001, ''¡Si! Detrás de las paredes'' ("B he musical note Behind the Walls") was edited as the second and last Sui Generis's LP in this new era. It was a mash up between live versions of the Boca Juniors's concert, new songs (as "Telepáticamente") and some versions of old songs. (such as "Rasguña Las Piedras", featuring Gustavo Cerati, former leader of Soda Stereo). Besides on October 23, 2001, Charly reached age 50. For the occasion, a special concert in the Colliseum Theater was organized. After this interruption in his solo Career, Charly got back to the spotlight after releasing ''Influencia'' ("Influence") in 2002. This new disc contained some interesting songs that made an impact in the Latin American world of Rock, such as "Tu Vicio" ("Your Vice"), "Influencia" ("Influence", translated cover from
Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the bands Nazz and Utopia. He is known for his sophistica ...
's original "Influenza") and "I'm Not In Love" (featuring Tony Sheridan). Even though it included old songs as "Happy And Real" (from ''Tango IV'', 1991) or "Uno A Uno" ("One to one", from ''El Aguante'', 1998) and different versions of the same songs, this was probably García's best album since 1994. Live concerts of ''Influencia'' were probably Charly's best in a long, long time. With the strong support of María Gabriela Epumer in chorus and guitar, Charly showed up in many different concerts, such as two in the Luna Park Stadium, Viña del Mar and Cosquín Rock with correct performances. Finally in October 2003, Charly released ''Rock and Roll, Yo'' ("Rock and Roll, Me"), dedicated to María Gabriela. The songs weren't as good as those in ''Influencia'', his voice often sounds out of tune and, once again the LP contained too many versions and translated covers such as "Linda Bailarina" ("Pretty Ballerina", Michael Brown) or "Wonder" ("Love´S in Need of Love Today" by Stevie Wonder).


Drop into the background (2004–2008)

In 2004 García achieved one of his most remarkable and positive landmarks of that era: he played for the second time in
Casa Rosada The ''Casa Rosada'' (), , is the president of the Argentine Republic's official workplace, located in Buenos Aires. The palatial mansion is known officially as ''Casa de Gobierno'' ("House of Government" or "Government House"). Normally, the pre ...
, the Argentine Government Palace. This event took place during the presidency of
Néstor Kirchner Néstor Carlos Kirchner Ostoić (; 25 February 195027 October 2010) was an Argentine lawyer and politician who served as the president of Argentina from 2003 to 2007. A member of the Justicialist Party, he previously served as Governor of Sa ...
. On April 30, 2007, Charly performed in the
Plaza de Mayo The Plaza de Mayo (, ; ) is a city square and the main foundational site of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was formed in 1884 after the demolition of the Recova building, unifying the city's Plaza Mayor and Plaza de Armas, by that time known as ''Pl ...
in Buenos Aires at the invitation of the
Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo () is an Argentina, Argentine human rights association formed in response to abuses by the National Reorganization Process, the military dictatorship by Jorge Rafael Videla. Initially the association worked to find ...
Human Rights' Organization, commemorating their 30th Anniversary. Also around that time García routinely performed throughout Argentina and
South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...
. On June 14, 2008, the '' Clarín'' newspaper reported that Charly García was taken to a hospital in the city of Mendoza due to a violent episode in which the musician thrashed a hotel room in Mendoza. Sources related the incident to an overdose of drugs and alcohol. After the incident García's friend, the singer and former politician Palito Ortega, took Charly to his country estate in
Buenos Aires Province Buenos Aires, officially the Buenos Aires Province, is the largest and most populous Provinces of Argentina, Argentine province. It takes its name from the city of Buenos Aires, the capital of the country, which used to be part of the province an ...
, where Ortega helped him to begin a treatment with several doctors and psychiatrists to cure his addiction. The recovery process took almost an entire year.


Third Period - Comeback and status as a living legend (2009-present)


Recovery, new material

After a year-long recovery living in Ortega's estate, a cured and stable Charly came back in August 2009 with a new song called "Deberías Saber Por qué" (You Should Know Why). The song became a hit and soon Charly embarked on a large tour through Chile and Perú to promote his return. On October 23 García celebrated his 58th birthday with a concert in Velez Sarfield's Stadium, Argentina. This concert has been referred to as "The Underwater Concert" because of the heavy rain that fell that night. In October 2011, Charly was the last guest on Susana Giménez' TV show's final episode. While appearing on the show, he performed the song "Desarma y Sangra", originally from his band Serú Girán. In September 2013, Charly performed in an exclusive show called "Líneas Paralelas, Artificio imposible" (Parallel Lines, Impossible Craft) at Teatro Colón, along with two string quartets (baptized "Kashmir Orchestra" in homage to the band
Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
) and his bandmates "The Prostitution". At the venue, they made classical arrangements to Charly's own songs under his own musical direction. Charly then traveled to Mendoza City to present various compositions made across his life, specially the ones he created since the 2000s.


''Random''

In 2016 Charly had several health problems and appeared to walk in and out of clinics and medical controls. On February 24, 2017, after months of speculation about Charly's health, he surprisingly announced the release of his new studio album, ''Random'', his first studio album in seven years, which is entirely made of new original compositions. Since its release, the album has received mostly positive reviews and important record sales. On April 19, 2017, Charly accused
Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is known for his three-octave tenor vocal range, live performances, R ...
and
Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, record producer, and songwriter. He has won nine Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year for Amy Winehouse's album '' Back to Black'' (2006), as well as two for Record ...
of plagiarism, stating that their song " Uptown Funk" stole the initial chords and riff of his classic song "Fanky", from ''Cómo conseguir chicas'' (1989). In October 2021 Argentina's government organized a special event to celebrate Charly García's 70th birthday. In a historic and emotional day, the Kirchner Cultural Centre (CCK) (part of the Ministry of Culture), celebrated García's birthday with live music, a series of talks/lectures and performances. A series of live concerts were held at the CCK, where several of Argentina's most important musicians covered García's classic repertoire. Charly himself made a surprise appearance and performed for the cheering crowd. Recent Years In 2024 García released his fourteenth solo album, ''La lógica del escorpión''. It was first released in physical format (vinyl record), and then on digital platforms. It features the stellar participation of David Lebón, Pedro Aznar, Fito Páez and Luis Alberto Spinetta, the latter posthumously, using previously unreleased recordings. The band for the album is mainly composed of Kiuge Hayashida (guitar), Fernando Kabusacki (guitar), Hilda Lizarazu (backing vocals), Rosario Ortega (backing vocals), Fernando Samalea (drums), Toño Silva (drums). Among the songs on the album is a Spanish version of “Watching the Wheels” - one of the tracks on John Lennon's ''Double Fantasy'' album, an essential reference for Charly García, being the first time that
Yoko Ono Yoko Ono (, usually spelled in katakana as ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up in Tokyo and moved to New York ...
authorized the translation into Spanish of a John Lennon song. In the first week, all 13 ''tracks'' of the work entered the Spotify top 50 in Argentina, with “Rompela” at #5 and the rest within the top 35. On YouTube, more than half of the album's tracks entered the Top 30.


Discography

;
Sui Generis ( , ) is a Latin phrase that means "of its/their own kind" or "in a class by itself", therefore "unique". It denotes an exclusion to the larger system an object is in relation to. Several disciplines use the term to refer to unique entities. ...
* 1972: '' Vida'' * 1973: '' Confesiones de Invierno'' * 1974: '' Pequeñas anécdotas sobre las instituciones'' * 1975: '' Alto en la Torre'' (EP) * 1975: ''Ha Sido'' (unreleased) * 1975: '' Adiós Sui Géneris I & II'' * 1996: '' Adiós Sui Géneris III'' * 2000: ''Sinfonías para adolescentes'' * 2001: '' Si - Detrás de las Paredes'' ; PorSuiGieco * 1976: '' Porsuigieco'' ; La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros * 1976: ''La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros'' * 1977: ''Películas'' ; Billy Bond and The Jets * 1978: ''Billy Bond and The Jets'' ; With Serú Girán * 1978: '' Serú Girán'' * 1979: '' La Grasa de las Capitales'' * 1980: '' Bicicleta'' * 1981: '' Peperina'' * 1982: '' No llores por mí, Argentina'' * 1992: ''Serú '92'' * 1993: ''En Vivo I & II'' * 2000: '' Yo no quiero volverme tan loco'' ; Other Collaborations * 1980: '' Música del alma'' * 1999: '' Charly & Charly'' ; Solo * 1982: '' Pubis Angelical/Yendo de la Cama al Living'' * 1983: ''
Clics modernos ''Clics modernos'' (; Spanish for "modern clicks") is the second solo studio album by the Argentine musician Charly García, released on November 5, 1983, on SG Discos and Interdisc. It was a decisive work to consolidate the modern trends that wou ...
'' * 1984: '' Piano Bar'' * 1987: '' Parte de la Religión'' * 1989: ''Cómo Conseguir Chicas'' * 1990: ''Filosofía Barata y Zapatos de Goma'' * 1994: ''La Hija de la Lágrima'' * 1995: '' Estaba en llamas cuando me acosté'' * 1995: '' Hello! MTV Unplugged'' * 1996: '' Say No More'' * 1998: ''El Aguante'' * 1999: '' Demasiado ego'' * 2002: ''Influencia'' * 2003: ''Rock and Roll Yo'' * 2010: ''Kill Gil'' * 2017: ''
Random In common usage, randomness is the apparent or actual lack of definite pattern or predictability in information. A random sequence of events, symbols or steps often has no order and does not follow an intelligible pattern or combination. ...
'' * 2024: '' La lógica del escorpión'' ; With Pedro Aznar * 1986: ''
Tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries from a combination of Arge ...
'' * 1991: '' Radio Pinti'' (with Enrique Pinti) * 1991: '' Tango 4'' ; With Mercedes Sosa * 1997: '' Alta fidelidad''


Bibliography

* * * *


References


External links


Charly García fanpage
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Garcia, Charly 1951 births Living people 20th-century Argentine male singers Musicians from Buenos Aires Argentine male singer-songwriters Argentine singer-songwriters 21st-century Argentine male singers Singers from Buenos Aires Illustrious Citizens of Buenos Aires Rock en español musicians Argentine multi-instrumentalists Argentine people of Spanish descent People with bipolar disorder EMI Latin artists Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners People with vitiligo Gramavision Records artists Latin music songwriters Argentine bossa nova musicians