Argentinian rock has life before the ’80s with Sui Generis and their album Vida
While I was still in diapers, rockers Carly Garcia and Nito Mestre released their first album as the duo, Sui Generis. Their music helped bring rock music to more of Latin America, which filled with crooners and regional music. Vida and Sui Generis led the way to two of the most successful careers in Latin rock music.
In the early stages of the band, they produced a more psychedelic sound; but ultimately reached a sound that would become their signature. Vida was recorded between August and October of 1972 and released in November. The album was an instant hit with the teenagers in Argentina. The album’s sound is now generally classified as folk-rock. Like most music of that era, the lyrics tell a story or are poem-like. Sui Generis captured the sound of the late ’60s, early 70’s folk-rock that was big in the US at that time. Flavored with acoustic guitars, pianos, flutes, and organs, the duo wasn’t any different than some of the most famous artists singing in English.
Sui Generis Vida is a masterpiece from the ’70s that embraces folk-rock and a simpler time for music
When I began working on the website, I wanted to touch all pop and rock music for all decades. That meant I would have to go back in time to dates prior to my birth especially to find where rock and pop began in countries like Mexico and Argentina. It appears that Argentina was for more ahead of the times of other Latin countries when it came to music. It is definitely a new world worth exploring. Sui Generis Vida album placed 66th in the Top 100 Best Argentinian Albums according to Rolling Stone magazine. That is pretty awesome when you have decades of music, beginning in the ’60s.
Carly Garcia is considered one of the best musicians from Argentina. His music and his contributions to rock music over the years almost seem untouchable. Nito Mestre has 47 years of making music, keeping with the band’s classic folk-rock sound. Together, they created Sui Generis Vida and even today is a masterpiece of music that embraces hi-fidelity stereo before the need for it. When listening to the album with a pair of headphones, you can hear the music and voices having specified highs and lows, lefts and rights. You feel like you are there with the band and are one of them back in the day. It’s a sound that I really want to explore.
We were unable to find a Twitter account for Carly Garcia, but Nito Mestre is featured at @nitomestre
Since that day, I have been study Latin pop and rock music and have become a Latin pop music historian through the publishing of articles, fanzine, and websites. My goal is to teach people about Latin pop music and the history behind it with my website, Siempre En Domingo.
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