^{There's a lot of culture and history that the argentinian music covers. The contribution made by argentinian artists in Latin America was very important, making this country one of the most avant-garde countries on this side of earth. One of the things that I want to do is show our latin music to the anglo-people. Latin america is covered of darkness, but also, culture and too much to say. We have lived some of the worst governments (May be it's our fault) but we, the musicians from the soul, we are capable of making beautiful songs despite that. The reason why I'm talking about argentinian rock is because this movement was born from a dictatorship. Every message they sang had a reason. There's a lot of songs that didn't lose their value, those bands and musical gods that sang for us.}

^{For me, it's a pleasure to come back with an amazing artist who changed my life. I have to admit that a lot of people (months ago, years ago...) insisted me to listen to Charly's music, but I wasn't ready to understand his songs, till this day. I was waiting for the perfect moment! So, recently I found Serú Girán, one of the Charly's bands (the third band founded by him) Their music was so incredible that people used to call them the latin american Beatles (and so did I). I was so obsessed with them that I wrote two articles about Serú Giran in the first and second edition that you can read in the last links on this post! And this is how I ended up listening to Charly.}

This is Rock and roll talks!

I have to say that it's very hard to talk about this incredible man and all his trajectory. Charly is one of the most prodigious musicians in Latin America. He founded the most important bands of those times and the beginning of his soloist career brought him a creative explosion, a big contribution to the national music, achievements and a life full of rock and roll.

^{Gif made by @exzorltg, sources in the end of the post.}

^{Collage made by @exzorltg}

Carlos Alberto García Moreno was born on October 23, 1951. Raised in a rich family, Carlos (later called "Charly" by an english teacher and using this name in his musical career many years later) was a musical genius since the first years of conscience. At two years of age, he received a gift of his grand-mother: a piano toy. He learned very fast and played his firsts melodies imitating "Torna a sorrento", a song from a musical box.

When the Charly's mother discovered his talent through the melodies he played on the piano, she took him to practice on a big piano that was on their neighbours house. He played some melodies, showing to the family his musical abilities. After this, Carmen (his mother) bought a piano for Carlos that he used for his lessons in the academy of music.

At 5 years old, he was already giving piano concerts and playing songs of the most incredible composers of classical music. Later, (maybe at 8 years old) the family discovered that he had an absolute pitch. (Recently, Charly said in an interview that he used to listen little birds singing everywhere). When Charly was a kid, he used to read, paint, and play football. He had used to be shy, quiet and calm boy. But he was getting tired of the same songs classical songs on the piano, so he started to make his own songs. The first was "Corazón de hormigón" dedicated to his mom and recorded fifty years after.

In fact, Charly was a perfect kid. When he was 10 years old, he was introduced to rock through The Beatles. That beautiful melody of "There's a place" was playing on the old radio of the house. At that moment, Carlos changed; he discovered bands like Los Gatos, Manal, Rolling Stones, The Shakers, and others. But The Beatles where the reason he ended up in world of rock and roll.

When he turned 13 years, he became a teacher of Musical language and piano. During high-school, he met what would be his perfect musical partners of the band To Walk Spanish after called Sui Generis. This turned to be the beginning of a new Carlitos; he became "Charlie (And "Charly" after the album "La grasa de las capitales" with Serú Girán). With a big english influence of Elton John, Bob Dylan and The Beatles, Charly's songs with Sui Generis talked about everything; his childhood, the society, his dreams, his fears and of course, love. Sui Generis became one of the most important folk-rock bands of Latin American.

Sui Generis

^{Made by @zaxan. (Sources at the end of post)}

^{One of the most incredible hits of Argentina of Sui Generis was "Canción para mi muerte", written by Charly in the Military Service with an amphetamine's trance. Since that moment the song became as an argentinian anthem for young and old people.}

Click here to listen "Canción para mi muerte"

The changes

 
After four albums full of stories and folk-rock, they discovered that the group was not the same. Charly was anxious. He felt he was in a different page, so Nito and Charly decided to make a last concert to say goodbye to the band. The presentation was recorded in video and audio.

Click here to watch "Adiós Sui Generis"

Charly was looking for a different musical projects. One of them was PorSuiGieco, a musical meeting with incredible friends (Raul Porchetto, Nito Mestre, Charly García, Leon Gieco y Maria Rosa Yorio) The name was born from Raul Porchetto, Sui from Sui Generis (Charly, Maria and Nito) and Gieco from Leon Gieco. The project intended to be a publishing company, but ended up becaming a band with just one album.

Click here to listen the Porsuigieco's album

After this album, Charly felt he needed something more solid, more explosive, more like "cinema"... Uh, did you mean soundtracks, movies, orchestral arrangements and fantasy? Of course! That's how "La máquina de hacer pájaros" was born.

La máquina de hacer pájaros

^{Made by @zaxan, source at the end of post}

Charly was a progressive-rock lover, so he wanted to make a project inspired in bands like Yes, Camel and Genesis, with a cinematic essence. The name was born from a old cartoon with a character called "García". "La máquina de hacer pájaros" that means The birds making machine.

Click here to listen the first album of "La máquina de hacer pájaros"

Unfortunately, the dictatorship killed every movement of progressive rock in Argentina. The bands began to separate and "La máquina de hacer pájaros" started to have personal problems. Charly didn't want to be the leader of the group or the principal voice, he was tired of that; he just wanted to make a band, but also, he composed and produced at least a big part of the songs of the band, specially the first album.

And this is the most interesting and wonderful part of this post. At this point, Charly made the most representative band in Argentina and the most important band founded by him. After all this disaster, Charly contacts David Lebón, old member of bands like Pescado Rabioso, and Polifemo)

Serú Girán

^{I want to quote just a little part of my first post about Serú girán:}

One day, Charly visit David with his lover Zoca. At that moment, David was in a band called Seleste, a project categorized by himself as "a very emotional band". In this way, Charly sit down and said: "You are the guitarist that I would like to have in my band. Come with me, I'll pay you the ticket to Buzios. " Lebón refused the first two offers. "No thanks, I'm fine; I have my band, my family, my children, I am in peace," he answered. On the third time , García convince him and they planned to travel together to Brazil.

With the perfect musicians (Pedro Aznar, a young talent, and Oscar Moros, old member from "La máquina de hacer pájaros) Charly founded the most incredible band, called "the latin american beatles" years later. They showed us four amazing albums and too much to say about the political situation. "La grasa de las capitales" was the best album of Serú Girán with the best sentimental and political transition of the times. Sorry, i'm really in love with Serú Girán.

Click here to listen "La grasa de las capitales" from Serú Girán

But, we know that bands don't last forever. And, in this case, Aznar was invited to play bass with Pat Metheny and he starts to study in Berklee Music. Charly didn't want to continue Serú Girán without Pedro... Also, it was the perfect moment to start producing those songs that he used to keep for himself. The perfect moment to start his soloist career.

The new beginning of Charly as soloist

 

After the break up of Serú Girán, Charly was feeling really sad. But a new opportunity came up to him. A soundtrack project for the movie "Pubis angelical" directed by Raul de la Torre. This was the perfect moment to show his music and those songs that he used to keep for himself. He also composed incredible songs in times of The Falklands war inspired like always in the political situation. It was hard times.

^{Made by zaxan, sources and the end of post}

As you know, in The falklands war, the english music was censored from the national radio. That's how the argentinian rock started to be played on the radio and the concerts started to see the light and be supported by the government (a fake support, of course).

This was how "Yendo de la cama al living | Pubis Angelical" a double album with a movie soundtrack and the Charly's song was a hit. The amazing work of the lyrics, the feelings and every single melody of Charly changed the history of Argentina. García was the first soloist that filled an entire football stadium (Ferro Stadium) with more than 25k people with the album released in December, 1982. The concert was a unique experience; Charly and his team made a big city on the stage that was then exploded in the last song "No bombardeen a Buenos Aires" (translate: Don't bomb Buenos Aires). The experience was so real that people got scared. What charlie intended with this was to leave a simple question in his audience, what if this would happen in the real life?

^{Flyer of the concert in 1982.}

If you want to watch the release concert, click here! - Ferro Stadium, 1982

Some pics of the concert:

 

 

A wild Aznar appears! The musician was invited by Charly to play with him.

About the songs:

 

This first album as a soloist brought amazing lyrics that talked about the society, textual voids (as he used to do with Serú Girán) and metaphors about his personal life. It was full of melancholic sadness and despair.

Let's talk a little about the most important songs:

 

The first song is "Yendo de la cama al living" single of the album. it starts with heaving breaths of Charly, and It feels like he's getting high. This introduction makes me feel experimental fullness and spatiality. The song makes my fly and it open my senses. The lyrics talk about the fake sucessful people with fame and money but nothing more to give o to do. "Yendo de la cama al living" in pararell way about the real and mental prison. Not being able to go out to the outside world covered of grey days.

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About the video:

 
The video was in a tv musical tribute of Serú Girán where we could see the soloist works of each one of them. In the video appears an incredible charly playing his powerful song and all the instruments in the studio. Also, we can see a little tribute to the first modern video in the world by Bob Dylan, "Homesick Subterranean Blues"

^{Bob Dylan's video}

^{Charly's video}

Click here to watch the video version of "Yendo de la cama al living"

 

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No bombardeen Buenos Aires

 
Another important song to talk about is "No bombardeen Buenos Aires" with an euphoric and electric piano at the beginning. The song was growing up with the drums and the bass. The Charly's talking voice about the youth, the fears and the rich people.

The performance with this song on The Ferro's Stadium in 1982 was amazing. With a big city on the stage destroyed with bombs caused a big shock in the public.

No Bombardeen Buenos Aires - Ferro Stadium

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Yo no quiero volverme tan loco

 

This introspective song is one of my favorite songs. It's full of sad lyrics and fears. Charly talks about his desires with the youth and the freedom. The lyrics are so sad and powerful that became into an anthem since the beginning. The Leon Gieco's voice makes a difference with the colour of his voice.

^{| Escucho un tango y un rock y presiento que soy yo, y quisiera ver el mundo de fiesta | I listen to tango and rock and it feels like it's me, and I would like to see the world dancing}

^{Please, search the lyrics and translate it! They are amazing}

Click here to listen "Yo no quiero volverme tan loco"

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Canción de dos por tres

 

I have to say that is my favorite song on the album. The song starts with a little big influence of tango on the piano. The song it's very connected with the previous song's energy. It's a confession about the fears, the madness and desires of this Charly, covered by sadness and paranoia. Is a testimony reinforced with the Spinetta's solo on guitar, full of melancholy and sad vibes but also, energetic and powerful with moments of peace. If i were Charly, I would have put this song as the last song of the album. It feels like an ending.

Click here to listen "Canción de dos por tres"

 

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Inconsciente colectivo

 

And we finish the song's review with the last song of the album "Inconsciente Colectivo", a beautiful a peaceful song about the hope, about the freedom inside us. After all this sad songs, Charly says goodbye with a little hope that everything's gonna end very soon.

Click here to listen "Inconsciente colectivo"

Another songs in the album:

Peluca telefónica - Spinetta, Aznar y García

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Superhéroes

Technical Aspects

^{Contribution by @exzorltg}

With Charly's first album, the sound that defined Serú Girán was still there. He was very influenced by British music, progressive rock and his old bandmates. Charly began his solo album when the band decided to take a break, that's why in his mind still feeling the complex musical arrangements that he made in Serú Girán and, of course, the Pedro Aznar's presence in the recording of the album was a big influence.

Another thing connected with the sound of Serú Girán in this album is the use of a Leslie effect (spatiality and panorama's effect) that makes sound travel from left to right - rotating effect - in which we listen to the instrument (mostly electric piano and moogs) traveling from right to left. These things that weren't used by commercial bands because the radio was monophonic. Also, this effect can be noticed in some voices, backing vocals and some keys.

Differences between Serú Girán and Charly as soloist

 

The beats was programmed drums, but very well-used. This happened because the budget was very limited at the moment of recording in the studio. In the featurings, the voices emulated the british sound, mostly The Beatles. Locating each vocalist on one side of the mix depending on each one and generating more fullness and spaciality.

In the instruments, we can see a great preference for the moogs (synths), being protagonists of all the songs, reached by the bass slaps. The use of the synths exploided the creativity of Charly in this album, creating sounds that would defined him works later.

Mini moog

Instruments used in the album:

Moog opus 3

^{Moog liberation Keytar}

^{Roland GR 300}

^{Roland TR 808 drum machine}

Another of the most incredible equipment used in this production was the effects processor roland gr 300 which turns any guitar into a synthesizer. Charly was always been avant-garde and that at the moment few artists had experimented with those machines.

Other of the influenced that we noticed are the Ion Studios team, who are very participative in the musical productions, seeking to get the most out of their equipments. One of them is the use of its reel recording equipment to generate a perfectly controlled and analog tape delay. Many of these things have to do with recording engineers.

It's album full of medium frequences, with few bass. It is completely related to the sound that Charly and Pedro likes. These discs were played on vinyl and most of these players didn't have too much bass definition. The intentional saturations disappears and the harmonized voices impregnated throughout the record. Nothing is wasted. It was something new and innovative; it was a creative search. The experiment was Charly's artistic search. He was searching his new soloist sound.

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I have to say it; in the moment I discovered the Charly''s music it changes my life. Many people only see the bad part of his life, but he was a BIG genius, an amazing composer, an incredible singer and multi-intrumentist. He's a big influence in Latin america. This investigation was a big experience for me in a personal and musical way. I'm gonna show you more about this genius in the next editions. We gonna talk about his masterpieces and the solid sound of Charly García.

This is Latin American with the darkness, the sadness, the society, the political fights but also, we are magic, culture, beautiful lyrics, amazing musical genius and hope. This is our culture, this is our fights.

Thanks for reading! See you in the next edition. And thanks for the music.

Sources of collages