Puerto Rican rock music
Rock in Puerto Rico has been a product of direct and indirect influence from both American rock music and Latin rock music, and its fusion with other genres. Throughout history, the genre has suffered ups and downs having a significant peak in the 1990s. Here's a breakdown of how rock evolved in the island through the decades.
1950s and 1960s
The 1950s mark the introduction of the genre in the island. With the Elvis Presley hype in the USA, some of it reached the island. Puerto Rican Alfred D. Herger started bringing rock acts into the island motivating the local audience to embrace it. This input, and Herger's tutelage, ignited some young artists to start a movement that was labeled as "la nueva ola" (The New Wave). Herger also led several television night shows where he showcased rock music from the island and the USA.
Late 1960s and 1970s
In the mid to late 1960s, several Puerto Rican bands started surfacing with some mainstream success. Most of these performed in English. Some of these were:
- The Boomshakalaka Sound System
- The Teen Sounds
- Back Street Minority, with singer Salvador Bayron
- The Sonsets (IN MEMORY OF MUSICAL DIRECTOR: JUAN REYES (KAKO)
- The Night Walkers
- Abram Shoo
- The Living End
- X-5: reputedly the first Puerto Rican rock group to record a long playing in Spanish. Its members were: Daniel Cabrera (lead guitar), Luis Cabrera (RIP)(lead singer), Jorge Vazquez (second guitar), Jose Ocasio (bass, vocals), Carlos Rivera (RIP) (drums, singer). Jorge Vazquez was replaced by David (second guitar, singer) with whom the record was made.
- The Stokes
- The Challengers
- The Thunders
- The Telstars
- The We Know You
- The Cromagnons
- The Jetsons
- The Frogs
- The Chryslers
- The Sames
- Flower Generation
- Arrasas
- Taíno
- Banko
- Copenhagen
- Godmother and country
- Wilkins
- East Side Band
- Sidewinder
- Mana Peniel
- Albatross
- Viento Recio
- Holocausto
- Vida
In the early 1970s, other bands like Bandolero, and La Banda del K-rajo had some underground success. Later that decade, a number of bands emerged from San Juan area bars like Shannan's Pub and Donna Faye's. The most popular bands at this time where Taíno, Pelican in Flight, Spoiler, Albatross, East Side Band, and many others.
At the same time, a movement of nova trova musicians was growing in the island led by singers like Roy Brown and Noel Hernández. During this time, the local radio station AlfaRock starts broadcasting rock music in the island.
The 1980s
With the arrival of stations like MTV, American rock reached the island. However, surging rock en español bands from Mexico, Argentina and Spain are rarely heard of. Most of the local bands still used English as their language. Some of the bands that surfaced through this decade were:
- Apocalips
- Black Widow
- Rebel Rose
- Cardinal Sin
- Sekel
- Red Crusader
- Corrupted Society
- Rybeck
- Whisker Biscuit
- The MD’s
- Island
- Anshar
- Daydream
- Dreamer
- Sin Excusas
- Legacy
- Mattador
- Mermaid
- Miracle
- Mystified
- Never On Time
- Nirvana
- Oro
- One on One
- Pelican In Flight
- Power Lord
- Rainfall
- Raphet
- Rock Shott
- Skyriders
- Still Heaven
- Top Banana
- Ten to Midnight
- Zyron
- RPM
- Unicorn
- Traffic Jam
- Wild Caps
- Killers
However, there were still a few bands that preferred to sing in Spanish like: Virus, Kantares and Belaris. Artists of other genres like Menudo, Wilkins and Glenn Monroig started fusing their music (pop/ballads) with rock. This decade also started the ongoing "battle" between "Cocolos" (people that listen to salsa) and "rockeros" (people that listen to Rock music. The introduction of new wave and europop in the USA started the surging of similar bands like Words Four Two, No You Turn, NeoEngland, and Nirvana (not the Kurt Cobain band). In 1988, a pop-rock band called Top Banana was signed by national label CBS.
The 1990s
During this decade, rock music reached its peak in the island. Rock en Español fully reached the island, and artists like Miguel Mateos, Charly García, Soda Stereo, Hombres G Robi Draco Rosa and others were heard in radio stations. Mattador released the first instance of their album Save Us From Ourselves with guitarist Ramón Ortiz, who would later go on to play with Puya. The band even opened the Iron Maiden concert at the island. On January 4, 1990, John Rodriguez aka. MetalKid, a radio personality launched the first radio program to cater only Puerto Rican artists at La Mega Station 106 FM along with Edgardo "El Bebo" Adames; giving the opportunity to dozens of acts play their music on the radio. Later that year MetalKid created Brutal Noise Music, the first record label to include metal music on their roster. Bands like Crypta, Homicide, Morbid Death, Deathkross and the Christian act Deathless among others were the first metal releases to be available under Brutal Noise. Brutal Noise joined forces with local promoter Albert Morales from ShowNet and produced concerts like Iron Maiden, Pantera, Sepultura, Slayer making the way to promote local acts on their shows. Until today this tradition still alive. In 1994, former Menudo singer Robi Rosa released his first solo album, and Mattador re-released their album, this time with Tito Rodríguez (now with Sol D'Menta) as guitarist. La Secta Allstar is the most commercially successful rock band in Puerto Rico, selling over 250,000 copies from their last album Consejo and reaching platinum. Since their debut in Puerto Rican charts in 1998.
This decade sparked the biggest spurt of local bands. Some of the most popular were:
- Advertencia
- Alarma (band)
- Algarete
- Antarctica
- Arnold Layne
- Aylk
- Bajo Presión
- BleAch (Covers band)
- Bartolo and the Nightbreakers
- Burning Face
- Club Soda (covers)
- Cojoba
- Crypta
- Cuentas Claras (Manolo Mongil)
- D-Cent Jerks
- Deathless
- Descojon Urbano
- El Manjar De Los Dioses
- FEEDBACK (covers)
- Fiel a la Vega
- Feka
- Flor de Metal
- Fobia Estatal
- Godless
- Golpe d' Stado
- Golpe justo
- Gran Jefe
- Hijos De Cain
- Icaro Azul
- Inner Dream
- K`pá Prieto
- Kabezudos de Villabajo
- Kampo Viejo
- La Experiencia de Toñito Cabanilla$$$
- La Mancha del Jardin
- La Secta Allstar
- Lopodrido
- Los Gabetes Sueltos
- Los Guacamayos
- Los Naborias
- Materia Prima
- Mosebrios
- Marka Registrada
- Mary Jane
- Mentes Contrarias
- Mythos (Mythc*s)
- Nonpoint Factor Know later as Nonpoint
- Organic Infest
- One on One (Oldies & Rock n' Roll band)
- Peor es Nada
- Perro Enfermo
- Pies Negros
- Porfolio After touring the local club scene, they released their debut album, Hablen Ya, in 1998.
- Presagio / Mad Hatter (CoverBand)
- Proyecto a partir de 1998 Melisa & Madre Tierra
- Puya
- Puerto Raíces
- Radio Pirata
- Rainfall (Covers band)
- Sin Remedio
- Skalamusa
- Skapulario
- Skalón Roto
- Sloppy Joe (Covers band)
- Sol D'Menta
- Still Heaven(Opened the Encuentro Cumbre de Rock en Español Concert in 1990 for Charly García, Hombres G, La Unión, Roupa Nova)
- Tá
- Taba Co.
- Tequila Sobrio
- Tierra De Nadie[1993-2006]
- Tinieblas
- Tio Pepe (Covers Band)
- Tren Urbano
- Vivanativa
These bands started to enjoy great success presenting to huge crowds at their concerts. Sol D'Menta was even signed to an international label, being the first heavy band to sign with a multinational label (Polygram). Later in 2003, they received an ASCAP award "Best Independent Rock Band". In 1996, Fiel A La Vega released its eponymous debut album reaching gold status becoming a phenomenon in the island due to their acceptance. Their success forced the local media to open more space for the rock scene in the island. The band continued their success with another gold album with their second album, and selling out four shows at the Centro de Bellas Artes, and later selling out the Roberto Clemente Coliseum. Other bands like Puya and La Secta Allstar have reached similar success.
2000s
Other bands that surged during this decade were:
- 9 Vidas
- a promise never broken
- Abismo Nuclear
- Alas Negras
- Alma Blanca (Hard Rock Band '1997-2006)
- Alusion
- Amplitud Modulada
- Anamu
- Andy's Revenge
- Anónimo
- Another Fallen soldier
- Ardnaxela
- A Room Full Of Echoes (ARFOE)
- Astrid Pröll
- Athaxia
- Audiosis
- Aura Azul (Opened for Iron Maiden as part of The final frontier world tour 2010,Paul Dianno and Ronny Munroe)
- Axiom Dummy
- Back in the Day
- Bad Luck Summer
- Babel
- Bayoya
- Bella Vengeance
- Boca
- Black Guayaba
- Black Thorn
- Bletzung
- Blokke
- The Blue Runes
- Cellar Door
- Cherry Clan
- Circo
- Cirex
- Calidoscopio
- The Clever Effect
- Comuna de Santos
- Convalesce
- D-Cent Jerks
- Dias De Enero
- The Disfunction
- Digital Ninfa
- Dantesco
- Dark Show
- Dávila 666
- Dead In My Arms
- Deathwish Bronson
- De'fekt
- Die Sophia
- Dismal Divinity
- Dossis
- Dosis Violenta
- Dosis Vital
- Drain The Ocean
- Duel Of Fate
- Eco Plástico
- Effecto Secundario
- Electric City
- El Medio
- El Trauma
- El Tren
- Entropia
- Errant Society
- Eva Cautiva
- For Eternity
- Garabato
- Girlhouse
- Golpe Justo
- Goodbye Stellar
- Homenaje A Una Bella Cancion
- Humano Error
- Iluminata
- Illusions On Standby
- Infectoria
- Introdujos
- IRA
- JiraLuna
- Joy Of The Grayful
- Juventud Crasa
- Kampo Viejo
- KDC
- K.C.rio 1985
- La Fundación
- La Uva
- Las Cargas
- Leon De Juda
- Los Grises
- Los Nervios
- Los Rufianes
- Luciernaga Roja
- Los Vigilantes
- Lucy's Transmission
- Matriarch
- Melisa y Madre Tierra
- Mabel
- Mabuyan
- Machete
- Malas Mañas
- Mary Jane
- Matotumba
- Mentes Contrarias
- Message to Venus
- Miacala
- Minerva
- Mister Jonson y Las Chicharras
- Mistress Maria
- Monigote
- Mr. Jakk
- Naranja
- Nectar Delirios
- Niño Planeta
- Nocion
- No-IQ
- No Religion
- Nothing Else
- Neuttro
- Oblivion
- Ocho de Bastos (Opened for Los Enanitos Verdes as part of Los Enanitos Verdes 30th anniversary tour)
- One Night Away
- Ongo
- Ophelia
- Oruga
- Oscilador 4
- Panoptika
- Papajack (Covers band)
- Pit Fight Demolition
- Polbo
- Primavera Eterna
- Rabia
- Randenn
- Recordando En Febrero
- Los Huesos de Eva live cover band
- The Red Connection
- Repressed Dreams
- Red Tiger
- Rituales
- Rome Open City
- Sacrilegio
- Sacred Guardian
- Salvation Denied
- Sal pa' Fuera
- Shotgun
- Si Señor
- Simples Mortales
- Sintonía Retro
- Sin Oficio
- Slimy Nuggetz
- Somvazio
- Standing By Grace
- Static Line
- Súperaquello
- Stereotipo
- Taba.co
- Tavú
- Tears of Faith
- Teoría
- Tetris Armada
- Tierra De Nadie[1993-2006]
- The Disfunction
- Traga Lúz
- Tribal Scream
- Tropiezo
- Two Face Flower
- Un Solo Latido
- Unzane
- Via Alterna
- Victrola Tinnitus
- Voracious
- Vuelta al Pasado
- Yesterday's Memories
- You Will Suffer
- Well-Known Secret
- The Wakeful Dreamer
- ZAFAKON
See also
External links
|
Puerto Rico portal |
|
Music portal |