The long road to recording rock in Venezuela

The rock in Venezuela lacks record. If there is still plenty of work to do in the reissue of albums that are considered fundamental in the history of the genre in the country, the gap is greater when it comes to books and documentaries that investigate the trajectory of emblematic groups.

In 2008 Felix Allueva, president of the New Bands Foundation, published Chronicles of rock made ​​here. 50 years of Venezuelan rock (Ediciones B), a key to get into the pioneering groups work premises that prompted the call moved, the sound experiments, bad copies and other mergers that led to the sound we have today. Gregorio Montiel Cupello did the same, in a much more summarized in the Rock in Venezuela (2004 Bigott Foundation). Eugenio Miranda recently took charge of Zapato 3 (2012) and Cayayo. Alma perpetual (Balance 2014) focused on the group led by Fernando Batoni and singer Carlos Eduardo Troconis, respectively.

Last week William Padron baptized at the right time (Ediciones B), the book of interviews with Pablo Dagnino, Alberto Cabello, José "Penguin" Echezuria, Edgar Jimenez, Erwin "Wincho" Schäfer, Hector Castillo and Sebastián Araujo. Everyone talks about passing by Feeling Dead, how they came to the band, the best, the most traumatic and the reasons for his departure.

It has been more than 20 years of separation from the group. The journalist investigates, asks questions that evoke nostalgia, moments of naivety of a teenager era and sudden success. Also uncomfortable with questions that in some of them reveal some bitterness, wounds that have not closed. It is especially noticeable in conversation with Jimenez, who gives a different version of its output and also set Echezuria blame for what happened.

A Cabello, but says she wanted to forgive, he still feels the distance with people like Helena Ibarra and Gustavo Atilano, who were managers of the band. Two figures that, for better or worse, are mentioned several times during interviews. For that reason, an exception would have been relevant and know what to say about what happened during those years of turmoil and successes.

One of the great merits, however, is to have achieved all former members of Dead Feeling accepted to be interviewed, especially Pablo Dagnino. It is a record that many will appreciate when they want to know more about the group started in the eighties, it should be taken as the first source even given the lack of genuine and credible information on the web.

Not fiction. A similar absence occurs with documentary film. On Youtube you can get some work with varying quality on The Mints, Feeling Dead or Dermis Tatu, but very few have achieved greater exposure in cinemas, special screenings, festivals or conferences.

In 2015 Luis Suns finally debuted on the Billboard fly over you on the tour realized in 2012 by shoe 3. While it had been a complete work that delve into the intricacies of the tour, as the coexistence of musicians in cities across the country It shows an interesting overview of the fans of the group, how gender beyond Caracas live. In addition, it is noted how the group became a phenomenon in different economic strata, which does not happen with many of the current bands.

Public Disorder two years ago European Tour 2011 which show the concerts held that year in countries like France or Spain premiere. In 2012 he could also see the house of Juan Miguel Marin rate on Los Amigos Invisibles.

This week William Padron screened at the Experimental Hall of the Cultural Center Chacao his documentary A trite fable: He raped her, killed her and stung ... 20 years later, over the two decades that marks the first album Dermis Tatu. In the film, debutant director uses the order of the songs on the album to Hector Castillo and Sebastián Araujo, former members of the group, discuss each of the issues, the context of each composition and some anecdotes. Then, different singers or soloists interpret each piece.

In the presentation it was noted that it is not the definitive work, missing some details. Now, in this first sample some seams are worth mentioning. The first: the sound problems in some interviews. A few Castillo sometimes you understand what it says, while the voice of Araujo highlighted. Same with some versions. Recordings made to study highlight much more than those made in live performances. Interruptions topics to hear comments from musicians about what they did with each piece detract dynamism and strength to the song. Those who want to listen integrity can find them on Youtube.

Despite these details, Padron achieves a good review of a seminal work in the Venezuelan rock. It does not stay in the testimony, but manipulates the inclusion of musicians from different generations to give him another nuance to the compositions of Cayayo Troconis.

For next year they are provided other documentaries, such as Public Disorder and another on Tomates Fritos. It seems that cinema and music journalism are updated to allow more extensive than has been done in these parts records. Much remains to be carried out, especially on the Internet, where information is scattered, incomplete and often of poor quality.