Dedicated fans can be a bit extreme about the music they like. Some collect pirated recordings, rare souvenirs or obscure B-sides. Others are after their favorite band on the tour. As far as former journalist Miguel Gálvez is concerned, his particular obsession has a lofty particularity to it, an epic crusade effort. He didn't rest until the legendary Argentine three-man soda stereo introduced it to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
"I tied the soda stereo to the good times of my life," Gálvez, 56, from his home in Southern California. "When I was a college student at the University of Mexico, we saw them at concerts and were there in music. It was a band that kept coming from albums to albums and always ahead of its aesthetic choices in every possible way, from aesthetic choices to sound and visuals."
Anyone who grew up in Latin America will confirm Galvez's claim: the legacy of soda stereo is comfortable standing next to Hall of Fame participants, such as treatment, Depeche mode or police. Around the late nineties, the Latin rocker albums began to match the levels of gravity and inspiration found in mainstream genre masters like Radiohead or U2, but the Hall of Fame has been known to have been recognizing the booming Latin America for the past three decades.
Fans’ efforts may have begun to produce concrete results. This year, the Mexican Group is part of the original nominee, becoming the first Spanish-language group ever to be nominated. Mexican rock bands are committed to the nomination for immigration in the United States “We want to share this recognition with all Latinos everywhere, especially those currently suffering,” lead singer Fher Olvera said in a statement.
However, the band missed the necessary vote to attract. Their nomination is not without controversy, either, as many critics see it as an example of patent ignorance of Latin music. Some point out that Maná may be a force to be reckoned with when it comes to commercial success, but the music of the quartet has more in common with corporate rock from American bands like Journey or Foreigners. Still, the nominations have stirred fans and inspired the lobby genres where they did not get the loss they deserved in American audiences: soda stereo, cafe Tacvba or Fabulosos Cadillacs, among others, and the Gálvez’s campaign is the only one that has been able to get serious movements.
case Soda stereo is particularly powerful. Led by singer/songwriter and guitarist Gustavo Cerati, the soda came out of Buenos Aires in the mid-1980s. The band’s cool, angled sound is clearly based on the British New Wave, but also infuses the lyrical outline of South American poetry.
Cerati, along with bassist Zeta Bosio and drummer Charly Alberti, proved that his band’s palatial melody and Spanish word game are as seductive as the English-dominated radio waves. Latin America soon fell into Spanish Behavior. Even better, each of their seven studio albums is better than previous ones, eventually reaching 1992 dynamo - Infiltrating the shoes and guitars - and 1995 psychedelic bigglass works Stereo DreamThis is a dreamy swan song.
“Soda shows off to other parts of Latin America Spanish "It's not only a viable claim - it can also be very popular," Gálvez noted.
Soda took a victory trip in 1997, spawning the classic Serrati farewell series Thank you. The singer had a key and commercial success in her solo career, with Soda returning to her 2007 comeback tour. Cerati died in 2014 at the age of 55 and had any hope for subsequent studio recordings, but the legacy of the three continued to influence the younger generation of Latin rockers.
"They are definitely in the Hall of Fame," said producer Tweety González. "I'm not a loyal believer in those awards because they taste so close to the industry. On the other hand, Hall of Fame recognition will be symbolic, and soda will be the crowned band Spanish type. ”
"Sometimes the door has to be opened to pass through," guitarist Carlos Alomar added. Dual life 1988 album. "If that door is actually open, then the soda stereo should be given. One of the things I found amazing about them is the consistency of their writing. Loyalty in the sound creates a bigger tool for their expression."
The idea of potential sports emerged during a weekend trip to his native Baja California in 2011. "I was about to go out when my wife and my wife showed up on TV with U2-sensing clips," he recalled. "I was watching U2 show when I realized that soda could have a place at that ceremony. Suddenly, the idea made a lot of sense to me."
But it wasn't until 2020 that the pandemic forced Gálvez to isolate and work from home that he made his plan start.
“It’s a dark moment for everyone,” he reflected. “I think there’s some light that can bring about.”
Soon he launched a dedicated website, and a petition currently with more than 38,000 signatures. Most importantly, he invited key players in the Latino community to contribute to the videos that support the cause, from Gustavo Santaolalla, the godfather of Aroma and Latin rock to Spanish star Enrique Bunbury and Café Takba singer rubénalbarrán. Gálvez wrote papers for Billboard and the Miami Herald. He also stays in touch with some Hall of Fame executives.
“It’s not just a campaign for Mexican journalists,” he said. “It’s a fan campaign that aims to protect the organization’s legacy in what it deserves.”
I asked Gálvez if his dream came true after years of unremitting efforts and soda triggered his reaction. "I'll feel great satisfaction because I always knew it could happen," he said. "Many people call me crazy, but when I get more support from the industry, the allegations shake. I'll be happy because I'm happy with the feelings of these three musicians on a personal level. Music lost some meaning to me after Gustavo's death."
“My first rehearsal with soda was in 1989, just like they were ready to finish Dual life Touring,” said Tweety González of Buenos Aires. “I had some doubts and prejudice about the band, but they disappeared when we played the first chords together. ”
He paused for a second, his voice revealing a hint of sadness. “At that particular moment, I knew I was in front of a powerful band.”