Los Enanitos Verdes “En Vivo”
José Guillermo Villarreal
A thesis submitted to the faculty at Berklee College of Music in Valencia Spain in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master’s degree for Contemporary Performance, Production Concentration.
Berklee College of Music 2015
Approved by:
Victor Mendoza
Israel Sandoval
Perico Sambeat
© 2015 Jose Guillermo Villarreal ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
ABSTRACT
Jose Guillermo Villarreal: Los Enanitos Verdes En Vivo (Under the direction of Victor Mendoza)
For my thesis, I will be making a book with note-for-note guitar transcriptions of the 2004 album, En Vivo by Los Enanitos Verdes, a
Spanish-Rock band from Mendoza, Argentina. The album was recorded on May 2nd 2004 in Phoenix (Arizona, USA) and May 11th 2004 in
Tijuana (Baja-California-Mexico) during the Amores Lejanos tour. The album itself contains a total of 16 tracks ranging from Hits such as
“Lamento Boliviano,” “La Muralla Verde,” “Por el Resto” as well as two new unreleased versions of “Tu Cárcel” by Marco Antonio Solís and “Mil
Horas” by Andrés Calamaro among others. Additionally, a DVD of the bands performances was released soon after. The DVD features 6 new tracks that were not released on the album. This project is being done for 2 reasons. First, there is absolutely no sheet music, charts, TAB, or anything published via traditional format of the bands music. After searching online extensively, the very few things that were found were very poorly notated and incorrect.
Besides really wanting to learn, play and analyze this music for my own musical development, the ultimate goal is to publish this music and make it available to all the public.
These transcriptions have taken a total of 8 months to complete
(September 2014 - March 19, 2015). The process for this project was more or less transcribing one song a week until all 16 were completed. I had already used TAB to write out all of the songs (something I began doing slowly since High-School) but needed to figure out all of the rhythms write them out in standard music notation. The end product will have tablature, music notation above that, and chord progressions.
Tempo, chord voicing’s, dynamics, and a notation guide will be included as well.
Example 1: Guns N’ Roses, Sweet Child o’ Mine. mm. 1-4.1 http://guitarinternational.com/2010/11/14/tab-of-the-day-guns-n- roses-sweet-child-of-mine/
I used an App on my IPhone and computer called AnyTune Pro to
slow down the tracks and help facilitate in the transcribing process. I
used a musical notation software called Sibelius to notate the
transcriptions.
PERFORMANCE NOTES
1. Amores Lejanos
The first track is the second single from their newest album with
the same name. After the fade in of the roaring crowd, Amores
Lejanos begins with an improvised acoustic guitar solo followed by
the actual song. On bar 6 of the guitar solo, Felipe plays what I like to
call the “Staiti Lick.” It is an a minor 9 arpeggio played via sweep-
picking (guitar technique in which the guitar player plays single
notes on consecutive strings with a “sweeping” motion of the pick)
and it is an example that is seen on three of Staiti’s solos throughout
the album. After the crowd takes over after the guitar solo and sings
the Chorus, there is a “call and response” section between the lead
guitar and the vocals.
2. Tequila
“Track 2 is one off their 1999 Grammy nominated album Nectar.”2
The first guitar solo features the bands rhythm guitarist, Marcelo
Lucero, on lead. Lucero uses a combination of pentatonic licks and
bends in his playing, and finishes by sustaining a note for about 15
seconds; reminiscent to Carlos Santana’s approach to guitar playing. The final guitar solo returns the spotlight to Staiti, in which he
utilizes the wah-wah pedal and distortion throughout, allowing him
to produce an interesting variety of artificial harmonics, especially
when they’re treated to whammy bar use.
3. Por El Resto
A classic of the band. Unlike the smooth-rock version off of 1987’s
Habitaciones Extrañas, this version sounds much heavier. It begins
with a rock drum solo followed by the melody, played on a distorted
electric guitar. During the choruses, we hear a classic riff from a track
called Lords of Karma from the 1987 album Surfing with the Alien by
guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani. The first example of many on this album
where we hear guitarist Felipe Staiti quote other legendary guitar
players and their riffs. The solo, played by Staiti, begins with a note
that once again is held for quite a long time (about 12 seconds). The
song goes to a Half-Time feel and has a somewhat esoteric, free-jazz
feel to it. Staiti uses a variety of modern guitar techniques including
high-pitched harmonics, heavy use of whammy bar, and a very fast
tapping section using the edge of the pick. The outro solo features a
sequence of minor pentatonic, minor blues and Dorian licks ending with one of the most brutal and violent uses of the whammy bar I’ve
ever heard.
4. Tu Cárcel
Track 4 is an arrangement written by Marco Antonio Solís and the
Mexican group Los Bukis. This simple yet beautiful tune, only a 5-
chord progression throughout, became the first single off of this
album. The main-melody is played entirely on the third string (G)
and is a great lesson on single string improvisation. Staiti adds many
ornaments, fills and licks giving it a real Rock’n’Roll feel and keeps
the song more interesting. For the outro, the melody is played a
Major 3rd + an octave higher (creating intensity) then returning to its
original harmony and reaching an end.
5. Mi Primer Día Sin Ti
This ballad begins with Staiti playing a beautiful progression
consisting of Major 9, minor 7 and sus chords before vocalist,
Marciano Cantero, enters. This track really shows off Marciano’s
range as a vocalist, singing as low as an A2 to as high as an F#4.
There’s a brief pause before Staiti begins the infectious melody using distortion and wah-wah. The rest of the band joins immediately. A
clean tone is used for the Verses and then Staiti changes to distortion
and does a pick scrape on strings 5 (A) and 6 (E) simultaneously,
signaling the beginning of the Pre-Chorus and Choruses. The outro
solo begins with very fast tremolo picking followed by some soulful A
Major Pentatonic soloing (using a series of bends, wah-wah pedal
and whammy bar). The final section after the solo is another instance
where we once again hear Staiti quoting another legendary guitar
player. “Again it’s Joe Satriani only this time Staiti is quoting
Satriani’s Grammy-nominated track Summer Song.”3 The guitar and
bass play a little “call and response” before changing to the IV chord
and Staiti gracefully launching into a 6-measure two-tapping (a
guitar playing technique in which the player uses their picking hand
to play notes on the fretboard) section using A Mixolydian (the fifth
mode of D Major).
6. La Muralla Verde
Quite arguably the bands greatest hit and definitely the song with
the most intriguing guitar work on the entire album. The song begins
with an up-tempo 16-bar guitar solo section alternating between the chords c# minor and B Major and a variety of “delicious” licks in- between. The band enters and the melody is played in harmony between Staiti and Lucero. The melody is played 4 times (3 of which it’s played identical and a variation the 4th) followed by the verse and chorus. The intro melody is played once again only this time, Staiti plays a pinch harmonic (a guitar technique to achieve artificial harmonics in which the player's thumb or index finger on the picking hand slightly catches the string after it is picked) on the 9th fret, 3rd string (E), followed by the verse and chorus. However, on the 7th measure of the 2nd chorus, the band (with the exception of the drums and crowd singing) drops out before Staiti begins one of the most technical and ferocious guitar solos in the History of Rock en
Español.
I like to think of this solo in 3 sections: Section A, Section B (Half-
Time feel), and Section C (Whammy Bar/Circus/Polka section).
Although the changes for the first part of the solo are just c#-7 (i) and
F#M (IV), Staiti goes through a variety of different modes and uses a wide array of impressive guitar techniques. The solo begins with a long slide on the 6th string (E) followed by an E major triad outlining the c# minor 7th chord. Over the next few measures, we see Staiti launching into a series of effortless hammer-ons, pull-offs and alternate picking runs based on the c# Dorian mode (the second mode of B Major). It’s here that we see the “Staiti Lick” once again.
This time it’s a c# minor 9 arpeggio and again it is played using sweep picking. In measure 6 of the guitar solo, we hear Stati quickly shifting between G# and G natural, the blue note, giving a bluesy feel to his playing.
Soon after, we hear his inner “Eddie Van Halen” emerge. This tapping-section is very similar to Van Halen’s solo from Beat It off of the 1982 album Thriller. In fact, it is the EXACT same pattern only 2 frets higher. Staiti uses c# Aeolian for this section (high A natural on the 17th fret he plays with his tapping finger). This section is one long string of notes, due to Staiti’s legato technique but try to pay attention to the irregular note groupings (5, 6, 7, sometimes 8 notes over one beat). It’s hard to play exactly right, and I think it´s alright to skip or add one note or another as long as you land on the B note on the “and” of beat 2 in measure 56 and the d# octaves which begins the “octaves” section from measures 59-66.
The next four measures, Staiti continues playing c# Aeolian, c# minor blues pentatonic, and even (very quickly) the major third (E#), once again giving a “bluesy” feel. Staiti quickly shifts through five positions on the guitar neck of c# Aeolian before landing on the 5th,
(G# on the second string, 9th fret), and the band going into a Half-
Time feel. It is in this section that we hear an extensive use and manipulation of the whammy war as well as a long sustain of certain notes. Staiti achieved this by using a “Fernandes Sustainer” he had installed on his guitar. He used an FSK-401 Sustainer by Fernandes on his guitar. “It is an electromagnetic system powered by a 9V battery that magnetically vibrates the guitar strings once you have set them in motion, to give you nearly endless sustain (until the battery dies) as well as allowing the player to create a harmonic a 5th higher at any volume level.”4 This use the sustainer as well as the whammy bar is a very characteristic in the style of guitar virtuoso
Steve Vai (who also has an FSK-401 Sustainer installed in his guitars as well as has made significant contributions to the development of the whammy bar). This section of the solo is a clear nod to Mr. Vai.
Staiti has named Vai a huge influence on his playing and music and even more so, Staiti used Steve Vai’s signature Ibanez Jem guitar when performing and recording many of the songs from this album.
Something he continues to do to this day. Vai’s influence is heard once again in the final section of this solo.
Staiti takes off his guitar’s whammy bar, mutes all the strings with his fret hand, and brushes the metal part of the whammy bar against the strings. The result is incredibly high-pitched sounds and something that’s been referred to by fans as “the circus coming to town.” This is very much a technique borrowed by Steve Vai and something that can be seen and heard from Vai’s 2001 DVD and album, Live at the
Astoria, London. The technique is featured on the song Erotic
Nightmares at minute 3:39 during the songs “dream sequence.” After
3 measures of Staiti performing this technique by himself, the band enters playing a polka beat in 4/4 at a tempo of 125 beats per minute.
After 20 measures of this technique, the song returns to the half- time feel with Staiti still making heavy use of the sustainer, before entering the verse at the songs original tempo of 140 beat per minute. After the final chorus, the main melody is played once again, only this time a half-step higher in the key of d minor. It is played twice then again two final times only a whole-step higher in the key of e minor. After modulating the melody, the song returns to c# minor and Staiti quotes guitar legend Carlos Santana’s Oye Como Va
and the songs ends with a variation of Oye Como Va’s original ending.
7. Mil Horas
Track 7 is a Rocked out arrangement of this immensely popular
Pop tune originally by Argentinean musician and close collaborator,
Andrés Calamaro. “Calamaro previously produced two of the bands
albums in the eighties (Contrarreloj in 1986 and Habitaciones
Extrañas in 1987).”2 “It has been covered by 6 other artists, 7
including Los Enanitos Verdes, and was ranked #5 on VH1’s 100
greatest Spanish songs of the 80’s.”5 It is the second cover song on
the album along with Marco Antonio Soliss’ Tu Cárcel. This version
differs from the original in that it is played a half-step higher (g#
minor) than the original (g minor) and the tempo is much faster;
about 40 BPM’s. The melody in the original is played by a horn
section and here, we hear played it on a distorted electric guitar
played by Staiti. The solo on this song is quite a gem (no pun
intended). Staiti begins this solo with a series of sixteenth note
patterns using a combination of alternate picking, sweep-picking,
and slurs building up to the second half of the solo. The second half fuses a combination of arpeggios, melodic soloing, alternate picking, and ends with a soulful unison bend for 3 measures followed by a pick slide.
8. Francés Limón
A tribute to French-born singer Edith Piaf, the soothing melody
(played by Staiti and sung by Cantero during the choruses) is repeated a total of 9 times! Piaf’s voice can be heard at various points during the second verse at 1:58, 2:05 and again at 2:16. Staiti makes use the wah-wah pedal throughout almost the entire song except the first two times when were first introduced to the melody. The verse is a simple iv V i progression (with the exception of a c# half diminished chord) that is always followed by a lick compromised only of artificial harmonics that sets up the chorus. Cantero takes over and sings the melody here. The guitar solo, just like the intro, is basically the eight chord progression from the chorus repeated 2 times. The first time through, Staiti plays the melody with some wah- wah and the occasional whammy bar dip to make some notes more interesting. The second half however, Staiti takes off with a combination of bends, grace notes and of course, the last time we see the “Staiti Lick;” an e minor 9 arpeggio played via sweep-picking. The
solo ends with Staiti landing on a high E note (17th fret 2nd string) and
sustaining it for 4 bars. The song ends with the melody being played
2 times. The second time being an octave lower and it becoming
another guitar solo until the rest of the band comes in on Staiti’s cue
when he hits that last note.
9. Eterna Soledad
“An Acoustic Ballad from their 1996 album, Guerra Gaucha.”2 One of the highlights of this track is the use of the slide for all the lead guitar parts by rhythm guitarist Marcelo Lucero. This gives Lucero a very expressive and wide vibrato suiting this sentimental, romantic song very well. Staiti plays rhythm guitar on this one.
10. Ay Dolores!
Staiti’s vocal debut on the album, it shows the bands diversity and
begins as a Ranchera Valseada in 3/4. “A Ranchera is a genre of the
traditional music of Mexico originally sung by only one performer
with a guitar. Traditional Rancheras are about love, patriotism or
nature and this tune is no exception.”6 During the songs interlude, the tempo goes up a little bit and La
Banda Mariachi Plaza from Tijuana is brought on stage to perform with the band. After a few measures of the band and mariachi performing together, there is a brief pause in which Staiti salutes the roaring crowd and then immediately after, Staiti is handed his electric guitar, kicks in the distortion, and the band puts their own signature “Rock” stamp on the tune. The meter changes to 4/4 and the mariachi joins in soon after until the very end of Ay Dolores!
11. Cordillera
“The band greatly changed their arrangement of this song of their
1999 Grammy-nominated album Nectar.”2 One of the biggest things they did was by add an intro and outro, which greatly improved this already tremendous song. Opening with the solo drums and roaring crowd, Staiti soon enters with an infectious groove before the band soon joins him in a Cumbia style. After 8 measures of Cumbia, there is a brief pause before the lead guitar enters and the actual song begins. The guitar part during the verses and choruses is always played on upbeats giving the song a real reggae feel. The arrangement from the guitar solo is also different from the recorded version off of Nectar in that Staiti plays it on a clean setting with a splash of delay and delicious licks as usual.
Immediately after the guitar solo, and again in a later chorus, Staiti plays a funky groove with lots of wah-wah reminiscent of the introduction to Jimi Hendrix’s’ Voodoo Child. Lucero is also playing an interesting set of licks immediately after this section while Staiti is playing the chords. After the last chorus, the main melody is played again before a brief pause. This leaves the crowd cheering and possibly thinking the song is over until SURPRISE, the
Cumbia from the beginning is back again. This time however it is repeated four times, with rhythmic variations and Staiti playing it a minor third higher the 3rd time it played. It would have been interesting to hear Lucero and Staiti play this together in harmony.
The song ends “for real” right after.
12. Mejor No Hablemos De Amor
This catchy guitar intro and popular rock anthem features Staiti on lead vocals once again. Staiti plays a real funky, single-line guitar groove with some wah-wah for the verses and the guitar intro for the choruses. The bridge is simply a set of 4 chords but it might be worth noting that they’re all major chords. The guitar solo, which follows the form of the intro/choruses, is then followed by the “happy” bridge, then the intro (which Staiti plays solo just like the intro) and then immediately after, a fascinating piano solo by Horatio Gómez.
They should have let this guy loose more on the album! After
Gómezes’ solo, the band drops down immensely in dynamics before a drum fill that sets up an interlude of Staiti playing a daunting melody in b minor that leads to the end of the piece.
13. Luz De Día
This is another ballad and one of the most popular romantic tracks produced by the band. Although it is a simple progression,
Staiti adds plenty of licks, fills and nuances (similar to Tu Cárcel) that add another layer to this tender song. The guitar solo starts with
Staiti playing 6ths and with the exception of an a minor arpeggio, it is entirely single string improvisation starting on the 1st string “E”, then the 2nd”B,” then back to the 1st string “E.” For the end of the last chorus, Staiti plays the chords in 1st position; also adding little licks and fills in between.
14. Guitarras Blancas
Like many other of the great tracks on En Vivo, the band changes the arrangement of this tune from the recorded version by adding an introduction to this live rendition. It’s another example of “call and response” similar to Amores Lejanos and Mi Primer Día Sin Ti, only this time between Staiti and the rest of the band. After a brief pause and an explosion from the crowd, Cantero plays a lick on his bass signaling the beginning of this lively tune.
With Staiti vamping on the c minor chord, Lucero is adding another layer to the song by playing a fill with a slide. This fill is heard throughout. This is a main chunk of the tune. Vamping on c minor in that funky rhythm. For the chorus, it changes between the
VII chord (Bb Major) and i chord(c minor), and the Bridge, is just the
VI (Ab Major) and VII chord (Bb Major). The interlude is a c minor arpeggio descending chromatically and a riff in c minor as well. The tune modulates to e minor for the guitar solo, played by Staiti. Make sure to use lots of wah, vibrato and it is played exclusively on the 2nd string “B.”
The outro solo is a thing of beauty! Staiti starts with a series of unison bends that keep getting higher and higher until he reaches a high Bb. What follows is a series of creamy, legato c minor blues and
Dorian licks that Staiti ends by landing on the 4th “F.” Upon landing in this note, he just goes absolutely crazy with the whammy bar. This abuse of the whammy bar, along with excessive use of the wah-wah pedal, is something I’ve heard Steve Vai refer to as the “Donald Duck
Rape.” This technique is followed by one of the most challenging licks on the album. It is a 3-measure tapping section that is similar to the tapping section in La Muralla Verde and the outro to Lamento
Boliviano in that has irregular note groupings (5, 6, 7,8). For the final section, Staiti goes up the c Aeolian scale one octave until reaching that high c note on the 20th fret, 1st string. He plays that note a couple of times adding some vibrato and creating lots of tension until ending the piece on a good ol’ c minor power chord.
15. Lamento Boliviano
“Off of their 1995, 7th studio album Big Bang, Lamento Boliviano marked a very important step in the musical evolution of the band and one of the biggest, most successful songs in their repertoire.”7
Although it’s just a simple 5-chord tune, don’t let that fool you. It has arguably the most astonishing and technical soloing on En Vivo. The first guitar solo (1:32) is a lot more laid-back than the final solo Staiti takes at the end (Almost 3 minutes long!). The first solo begins pretty much the same as the Big Bang version: the notes he plays in the first four measures as well as the clean guitar tone.
Immediately after, Staiti treats us to a series of e Aeolian, e minor pentatonic licks full of bends, grace notes, vibrato, arpeggio’s and fast runs similar to the style of Carlos Santana.
Similar to the first guitar solo, the outro (3:18) begins the same as the album version only instead of ending the tune where we’re used to and where the album version ends, the band goes into a 3-chord progression of e minor, C major and D major (i, VI, VII). It is here that
Staiti shows his technical prowess and training on the instrument. It begins with the same e minor 9th arpeggio Staiti uses on the beginning of the first solo. In fact, he repeats that figure 5 times: each time ending with a different series of notes. Staiti continues soloing using e Dorian (second mode of D Major) before launching into a series of blazing fast, yet flowing guitar licks still in e Dorian but also incorporating the b5 (Bb) or “blue note” very much as well. Notice these licks, from measures 126-135, are pretty repetitive although
Staiti does vary it up a bit when incorporating the “blue note.” All of these licks lead to arguably the most technical section of the solo. Starting on measure 138 and goes on for four measures, Staiti plays a whirlwind of notes that just seem to keep going and going.
Besides this being a monster of a lick, this section is interesting because it’s the only time during this solo that the rhythm section changes. Cantero, Lucero, and Gómez all play e minor, f# minor, G major and A Major. All of this tension, created by this flurry of notes and the band, is released in measure 142 when Staiti reaches the highest note his instrument can possibly reach (24th fret E) and plays a series of soulful bends. After playing some more e Aeolian licks in
17th, 19th and even 22nd position, Staiti ends his solo with an Artificial
Harmonic on the 3rd fret, 3rd string and altering its pitch using the whammy bar.
Staiti returns to the 3-chord progression and the band sets up their big finale. After the fourth time playing the progression, the band plays and holds that C power chord before on cue going to the D
Power chord (this is where Staiti plays some Artificial Harmonics over the neck), and finally again on cue, playing that final e power chord. What follows is a trill between the notes “D” & “E” and a tapping section. Again, keep in mind that this section is one long string of notes but try to pay attention to the irregular note groupings (5, 6, 7, 8, and even 9 notes over one beat!). The song ends with a short set of octaves and a tapping lick once again between the notes “D” & “E.” Only this time, these notes are in a higher register.
16. El Extraño De Pelo Largo
What a better way to end a concert than with a little bit of Rock ’n’
Roll. Along with Tu Cárcel and Mil Horas, this tune is also another popular cover that the band performs. “It’s original release in 1968 by the band La Joven Guardia sold over 1,800,000 copies!”8 “It was first recorded by Los Enanitos Verdes in 1987 on their album
Habitaciones Extrañas and quickly became a must have in the band’s live repertoire: particularly encores.”7 The band’s arrangement is different from the original in that it is played a Whole step higher and features a guitar solo by Staiti. He uses wah-wah for the entire solo and other than playing the b9 (“Bb”) for the A chord, Staiti plays mostly d minor blues and d Dorian throughout. These licks consist of fast legato runs, double stops and bends. What follows is a long ritardando between D Major and D sus4 for about 10 measures until landing on D. Staiti continues by playing a D sus4 lick using the notes F#, D, and the open G string. After playing this lick a few times and
depressing the whammy to change the pitch, he lets the open notes D
and G ring for about 6 seconds until hitting that last D Major chord to
end the concert.
TAB EXPLANATION GUIDE
"S = SLIDE: Strike the N.H = NATURAL LET RING: Letting the first note and then HARMONIC: Strike the strings play out their slide the same fret and note while the fret sound after you've finger up or down to hand lightly touches struck a note(s) or the second note. The over the fret indicated. chord. second note is not struck. P.H = PINCH CRESCENDO: A HARMONIC: The note gradual, steady H = HAMMER-ON: is fretted normally and increase in loudness or Strike the first (lower) a harmonic is force. note with one finger, produced by adding then sound the higher the edge of the thumb note (usually on the or the tip of the index same string) with finger of the pick hand another finger by to the normal pick fretting it without attack. DECRESCENDO: A picking. gradual, steady P.S = PICK SCRAPE: decrease in loudness P = PULL-OFF: Place The edge of the pick is or force. both fingers on the rubbed down (or up) notes to be sounded. the string, producing a Strike the first note scratchy sound. and without plucking, pull the finger off to P.M = PALM MUTING: VIBRATO: is a musical sound the second The note is partially effect consisting of a (lower) note, muted by the pick regular, pulsating hand lightly touching change of pitch. T = TAPPING: the string(s) just Hammer (“tap”) the before the bridge. fret indicated with the pick hand index or RIT. = RITARDANDO: middle finger and pull- Gradually slowing FERMATTA: a symbol off to the note fretted down. of musical notation by the fret hand. indicating that the note ACCEL. = should be prolonged TS = TAP SLIDE: Tap a ACCELERANDO: beyond its normal note, then, with your Gradually speeding up. duration or note value right hand, slide to would indicate.”9 another note and back RAKE: Drag the pick to the original. across the strings indicated with a single motion.
History of Rock in Latin America
“Rock en Español is a style of rock music that developed in Spain,
Latin American countries and Latino communities that began in the late-1950s. The first Latin rock bands during this time included acts like
Los Millonarios del Jazz, Conjunto Astoria, Los Incas Modernos, and Los
Zodiacs. Then in 1958, Daniel Flores, often referred to as the "Godfather of Latin Rock", performed his hit song Tequila, which became a #1 hit on both the pop and R&B charts at the time of its release. Later that year,
Californian-born Ritchie Valens covered the Mexican folk song La
Bamba, popularizing Spanish-language Rock music throughout Latin
America.”10
“By the early 1960’s, Carlos Santana moved to northern California and joined the San Francisco rock scene. Forming the band “Santana” towards the end of the sixties, they would become one of the most popular acts of the 1970s in the U.S., Mexico and in Europe. The bands sound featured Santana’s melodic, blues-based guitar lines set against
Latin and African rhythms featuring percussion instruments such as timbales and congas that at the time were not generally heard in rock music. They are arguably the most successful crossover Latin Rock band to date, and were immensely important in spreading interest in Latin
Music, percussion and drumming around the world.”11
“The late 1960s/early 1970’s in Argentina brought a movement called "Rock Nacional" (Argentinean national rock). It is Rock music composed or made by an Argentine bands or artists, in the Spanish language. For nearly half a century it has been a major popular genre, and it is considered part of the popular music tradition of Argentina, along with tango and folk music. Argentinian National Rock is linked with the sexual revolution of the country and the spirit of freedom against military dictatorships.”12
Band Bio
“Los Enanitos Verdes are a Rock trio from Mendoza, Argentina that formed in November 1979. The band started with Marciano Cantero on bass guitar, keyboards and vocals, Felipe Staiti on guitar and vocals and
Daniel Piccolo on drums. They began performing extensively in different pubs and then on to small theaters. Los Enanitos Verdes soon became the most popular and sought after group in Mendoza and the region of
Cuyo.”2 “Now, 35years later, they have become one of the most successful bands in Rock en Español throughout the entire world.”13
“In 1984, the trio was invited to perform at the “Festival de la
Falda” in Cordoba, Argentina where they were voted “Grupo
Revelacion.” Soon after the success of the festival, the band added members Sergio Embrioni on guitar and vocals and Tito Dávila on keyboard. As a quintet, they published their self-titled debut album, Los
Enanitos Verdes. The hit Aún sigo cantando resulted in heavy radio airplay throughout the entire country and quickly turned into a classic of Argentinean Rock.”2
“In 1986, they published their second album entitled Contrarreloj with the artistic production of Argentine musician, composer and Latin-
Grammy winner Andrés Calamaro. The album included songs such as "Tus viejas cartas" and "La Muralla Verde," the hit that solidified the group as one of the most popular bands in Rock en Español as well as extend their popularity not only in all of Argentina, but their neighboring countries as well. With the popularity of the band increasing, they released their third album, Habitaciones Extrañas, the following year. The album was once again produced by Calamaro and included hits such as "Por el Resto" and "El Extraño de Pelo Largo."14
Both of which are performed on the album En Vivo.
“In 1988 they did an extensive 6-month tour of Latin America.
During these six months, three particular concerts stood out: Viña del
Mar (50,000 spectators), Mendoza, Argentina (35,000) and Santiago,
Chile (32,000). That same year, they published their LP, Carrousel that resulted in the “Carrousel Tour” throughout all of Argentina, México,
Honduras, Costa Rica and Guatemala. The band took a “3-year break” from 1989 until 1992, when they released Igual que Ayer. The album quickly sold over 50,000 copies and reached “Disco de Oro.” “El Jurassic
Tour” of all of Latin America began soon after.”14
“1994 saw the release of their album Big Bang, one of their biggest albums to date. The album sold over 100,000 copies and reached “Disco de Platino” in Argentina. The hit song Lamento Boliviano has become a staple of Rock en Español through the entire world. The “Big Bang
Tour,” with a total of 129 shows throughout all of Argentina, Latin
America and USA, became the most extensive tour by any rock band from Argentina to date.”2
“After recording two more albums and one Greatest Hits album, in
1998 they released their album Tracción Acústica, with the US record company Polygram. This album made them the first Argentine group and third Argentine artist to sign with a US company. Tracción Acústica was nominated for a Grammy in the category of "Best Latin Rock
Album." The following year, the band released Nectar. The album was co-produced by singer-songwriter, Coti Sorokin and brought them their second consecutive Grammy nomination in the category of “Best Latin
Rock/Alternative Performance.”13
“After 2 years of touring and promotion, the band began pre- production on their 12th studio album. Amores Lejanos was released on
October 29, 2002 under Universal Music. Besides an extensive tour of the U.S. and Latin America, the release of Amores Lejanos brought the band to their first tour of Europe, performing in major cities such as
London, Madrid and Barcelona.”2 “In 2004, the band released their first live album entitled En Vivo.
The shows were recorded in May 2004 in Phoenix, Arizona and Tijuana,
Mexico. The album itself contains a total of 16 tracks ranging from Hits such as “Lamento Boliviano,” “La Muralla Verde,” “Por el Resto” as well as two new unreleased arrangements of great classics in Latin American music. “Tu Cárcel” by Marco Antonio Solís and “Mil Horas” by Andrés
Calamaro. En Vivo quickly transformed into an absolute success. “The single “Tu Carcel” reached the charts in the U.S., Mexico and the rest of
Latin America. The album went Gold in Mexico as well as the U.S., where it has sold over 100,000 copies. En Vivo was also nominated for “Best
Rock Album by a Duo/Group with Vocals” in the 2005 Latin Grammy
Awards.”15
“2009 saw the departure of drummer and founding member
Daniel Piccolo. Drummer Jota Morelli of La Torre and Luis Alberto
Spinetta, replaced Piccolo. In 2011, the band was invited to perform at
Vive Latino, an annual rock music festival held in Mexico City. It is one of the most important Rock en Español music festivals in the world. With a sold-out audience of over 60,000, the event takes place at the Foro Sol and features a great variety of Latin and Spanish groups of many genres. In 2014, Los Enanitos Verdes were invited to perform again only this time, they were asked to headline the festival.”2
There have been many musicians that have collaborated and worked with the band, but only a few have been considered actual members. The following is a timeline of all band members:
Example 2: Los Enanitos Verdes Band Member Timeline, http://www.cmtv.com.ar/biografia/show.php?bnid=107
“The trio that began by playing small pubs in Mendoza, Argentina has now become a pioneer of Rock music in Latin America and their compositions have become a pillar for the genre. They have achieved mainstream success and have countless fans all over the world. With 17 albums under their belt, another on the way, several Grammy nominations and over 35 years of touring and performing, Los Enanitos Verdes have become one of the most important and influential bands in
Rock in Español.”2
NOTES
1 Guns N’ Roses, Sweet Child o’ Mine. mm. 1-4. http://guitarinternational.com/2010/11/14/tab-of-the-day-guns-n- roses-sweet-child-of-mine/
2 “Biografía” Los Enanitos Verdes - Sitio Oficial. 2013. http://www.losenanitosverdes.net/sitio/bio_esp.html
3 “Joe Satriani Awards.” Accessshowbiz. 2013. http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/joe_satriani/awards.html#axzz 3cftpskNM
4 “The Power of Infinite Sustain.” Fernandes Guitars. 2015. http://www.fernandesguitars.com/sustainer/sustainer.html
5 “Biografía Completa.” VH1 Latino. 2015. http://www.vh1la.com/musica/artistas/andr%C3%A9s-calamaro/
6 “Ranchera Music.” Urban Dictionary. 20 October 2009. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Ranchera+Music
7 Crosby, Nick. “Biografía de Enanitos Verdes.” Música.com. 2006. http://www.musica.com/letras.asp?info=10466&biografia=5492&idf=5
8 “Biografía.” La Joven Guardia. 2015. http://lajovenguardia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=articl e&id=1&Itemid=2
9 Aledort, Andy, Gress, Jesse and Marchall, Wolf, Joe Satriani: Surfing with The Alien authorized guitar edition. New York: Cherry Lane, 1988.
10 Ventura, Will. “History of Rock En Español.” GoArticles. 13 May 2011. http://goarticles.com/article/History-of-Rock-En-Espa- ol/4643090/
11 "Carlos Santana." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 10 June 2015, http://www.biography.com/people/carlos-santana
12 Madariaga, Tamara. “Historia del Rock Nacional Argentino.” Monografias.com. 2010. http://www.monografias.com/trabajos82/historia-del-rock-nacional- argentino/historia-del-rock-nacional-argentino2.shtml
13 “Los Enanitos Verdes” CMTV. 2015. http://www.cmtv.com.ar/biografia/show.php?bnid=107
14 “Los Enanitos Verdes.” Rock.com.ar. http://www.rock.com.ar/artistas/los-enanitos-verdes
15 Cobo, Leila. Billboard Top Latin Albums. Billboard Magazine, Dec. 2004.https://books.google.es/books?id=TRMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA20&# v=onepage&q&f=false
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Guns N’ Roses, Sweet Child o’ Mine. mm. 1-4. http://guitarinternational.com/2010/11/14/tab-of-the-day- guns-n-roses-sweet-child-of-mine/
“Biografía” Los Enanitos Verdes - Sitio Oficial. 2013. http://www.losenanitosverdes.net/sitio/bio_esp.html
“Joe Satriani Awards.” Accessshowbiz. 2014. http://www.aceshowbiz.com/celebrity/joe_satriani/awards.html #axzz3cftpskNM
“The Power of Infinite Sustain.” Fernandes Guitars. 2015. http://www.fernandesguitars.com/sustainer/sustainer.html
“Biografía Completa.” VH1 Latino. 2015. http://www.vh1la.com/musica/artistas/andr%C3%A9s- calamaro/
“Ranchera Music.” Urban Dictionary. 20 October 2009. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Ranchera+M usic
Crosby, Nick. “Biografía de Enanitos Verdes.” Música.com. 2006. http://www.musica.com/letras.asp?info=10466&biografia=5492 &idf=5
“Biografía.” La Joven Guardia. 2015 http://lajovenguardia.com/index.php?option=com_content&view =article&id=1&Itemid=2
Aledort, Andy, Gress, Jesse and Marchall, Wolf, Joe Satriani: Surfing with The Alien authorized guitar edition. New York: Cherry Lane, 1988.
Ventura, Will. “History of Rock En Español.” GoArticles. 13 May 2011. http://goarticles.com/article/History-of-Rock-En-Espa- ol/4643090/
"Carlos Santana." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 10 June 2015, http://www.biography.com/people/carlos-santana
Madariaga, Tamara. “Historia del Rock Nacional Argentino.” Monografias.com. 2010. http://www.monografias.com/trabajos82/historia-del-rock- nacional-argentino/historia-del-rock-nacional-argentino2.shtml
“Los Enanitos Verdes” CMTV. 2015. http://www.cmtv.com.ar/biografia/show.php?bnid=107
“Los Enanitos Verdes.” Rock.com.ar. http://www.rock.com.ar/artistas/los-enanitos-verdes
Cobo, Leila. Billboard Top Latin Albums. Billboard Magazine, Dec. 2004. https://books.google.es/books?id=TRMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA20& #v=onepage&q&f=false