Eryn Snyder looks at the difficulties facing the Argentine music scene and sits down with the members of Pucha Che! and gets an inside peek into one of the hottest young bands in Mendoza.
Pucha Che! takes the stage in Godoy Cruz´s Escalera al Cielo and within moments I am dodging limbs on the chaotic dancefloor. The eight guys on stage hit their instruments hard and the crowd jumps and shouts and sambas to the beat.
Delivering an ¨explosion of energy¨ in every performance, Pucha Che! is a force to be reckoned with in Mendoza's growing local music scene. From humble beginnings playing birthdays and roof-top fiestas, this band has evolved over the last four years into an eclectic musical act with an undeniably infectious stage presence.
While some may classify their music as Ska, the band prides itself on constantly experimenting and incorporating new concepts. Six of the band's current eight members are music students at the local University. Percussionist Lucas Lucchetti credits their musical education for the expansive variety that Pucha Che! brings to the stage; "Every time we hear something interesting or new in a class, we bring that back to the band and play around with different sounds...we are constantly changing our style". The guys offer up their lead singer, Martin Rodrigues Blanco, as the quintessential example of the band's unique brand of Latin American fusion. "Martin started off in a punk-metal group. He had long hair and wore only black", drummer Demian Nicolau tells me with a laugh, "and now he plays cumbia!". I laugh too as I try to imagine the now sleekly dressed Rodrigues Blanco contorting his suave voice into a punk-metal scream.
Evidenced by the band's growing fan-base, Mendoza is beginning to embrace this "mestizo" style of music. While reggae and jazz are still enjoying considerable popularity among locals, "people are more open to different types of music then they have been in the past" claims Lucchetti. Several other local groups have their own take on Latin-fusion style. Popular bands that have hit some mainstream visibility include Karamelo Santo and Simpecao. Acts like Bajofondo, set a precedent with their world-wide acclaim for mixing tango rhythms with techno beats. In reality, mendocinos enjoy a vast variety of different musical genres. A quick visit to local music web page, Rock-Mendoza.com, will reveal that there are metal, alternative, punk, and blues groups tearing up the Mendoza music scene.
However, the music scene in Mendoza is not fully prepared for this influx in popularity. Bands are constantly struggling with venues and limiting live music laws. Bars are required to purchase permits to have live music performances on their premises, a tedious process which deters many bar owners. A significant obstacle in some cases, businesses have to insure that their walls are properly insulated for sound. Within the city limits, strict volume and capacity laws are inforced, causing the music crowd to flee to Godoy Cruz where there are more flexible regulations and established local music dives.
Paying bands also becomes complicated by the Argentinean artist's union, SADAIC. Established to protect copyrights and artists' "intellectual property", SADAIC works as a third-party mediating payments for performances. Venues pay SADAIC for each song and SADAIC in turn pays the bands. While it is a non-profit mutual, SADAIC admin costs are a source of grumbling for several venues and bands alike.
Another root of the woes plaguing the Mendoza music scene is a set of government regulations mandated after a disastrous fire burned down a club in Buenos Aires in December 2004. At least 175 people died in the flames. As a means of preventing another tragedy, the authorities placed stricter regulations on maximum capacity, fire escape routes, and performance props. The result: live music venues are still struggling to meet demanding fire-hazard and safety regulations and no Jimi Hendrix-inspired performances are likely to appear in Argentina in the near future.
Yet the boys of Pucha Che! owe their band's name to the frustrating quirks of the local music scene. Pucha che is an Argentinean expression, used to replace a similar sounding, vulgar word. It is more or less, their equivalent to "dang it!". As the story goes, when the band arrived at their first gig at a bar in the city, the venue's owner turned them away. Despite the fact the band had advertised for weeks in advance, the venue failed to obtain all the proper permits and the show was cancelled. As they sat on a curb in their old neighborhood, glumly silent after the night's turn of events, one band member uttered "Pucha che!". The guys collapsed on each other laughing and the name stuck.
With their casual humor and distinct style, Pucha Che! is a group to check out as they leave their mark on the growing live music scene. For more info on Pucha Che visit www.myspace.com/puchache or find them on facebook. If you are interested in exploring live music in the area, the website www.rock-mendoza.com keeps up to date with news about showings throughout the city.
Visit Pucha Che's myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/puchache
Image copyright fotalia
