Luis Alberto Spinetta

Biography

Luis Alberto Spinetta (23 January 1950 – 8 February 2012) was an Argentine singer, guitarist, composer, writer and poet. One of the most influential rock musicians of Argentina, he is widely regarded as one of the founders of Argentine rock, which is considered one of the first incarnations of Spanish-language rock. Born in Buenos Aires, he was the founder of several iconic rock bands including Almendra, Pescado Rabioso, Invisible, Spinetta Jade, and Spinetta y Los Socios del Desierto. In Argentina, January 23rd is celebrated as "Día Nacional del Músico" (National Musician's Day) in honor of Spinetta's birth.
Spinetta devoted himself fully to his own music. In his lyrics, there are influences of multiple writers, poets and artists like Arthur Rimbaud, Vincent van Gogh, Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche, Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze, Carlos Castañeda and Antonin Artaud, whom the album Artaud (1973) is named after.
In December 2011 he announced that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. He died on 8 February 2012 at the age of 62. His ashes were scattered in Buenos Aires in the waters of the Río de la Plata, according to his last wish.

Biography

Luis Alberto Spinetta was born on 23 January 1950 as the second of three siblings: Ana María and Carlos Gustavo, the latter of which also became a musician, to Luis Santiago and Julia (née Ramírez), and grew up in the neighborhood of Núñez in Buenos Aires. His childhood home was only two blocks away from the Estadio Monumental. Luis Santiago was an amateur tango singer who formed a group accompanied by guitarists and performed on several radio stations. Through his father, Spinetta was of Italian descent, as his great-grandfather was from the municipality of Carrega Ligure in the Piedmont region.
Amid the counterculture of the 1960s and the political turmoil in Argentina, several artists during this time would develop Luis Alberto's musical range, especially the work of the Beatles. In one such case for example in 1964, during the height of Beatlemania, after winning a local music competition, Spinetta used the earnings to purchase their recently released album, Beatles for Sale. Spinetta also credited Los Shakers, a Uruguayan rock band heavily influenced by the look and sound to that of the Beatles, and their leader, Hugo Fattoruso. With these personal and cultural influences, Spinetta began to compose songs from a very young age, even before learning to play an instrument, even composing a hymn about Domingo Faustino Sarmiento. In a 1988 interview, Spinetta said, "I had fun imitating singers, copying sounds. That's why music was born in me before words." Spinetta also began singing tango songs and, from the age of four, his family, especially his uncles, encouraged him to sing at family gatherings. The influence of tango would be noticeable throughout Spinetta’s work. Three of his uncles worked at Columbia Records which allowed him access to a wide variety of musical expressions at a time when access to records was very expensive. Spinetta said several times that his artistic debut took place in 1964 in a television contest called Escala Musical on El Trece, although his father mentions that year he also sang in a children's program called La pandilla One and Two, later known as Pandilla Uanantú, which was broadcast on El Nueve between March and May 1964. Spinetta attended San Román high school.
Having grown near Estadio Monumental, Spinetta was a lifelong supporter of Club Atlético River Plate, having mentioned the club in his song, "El anillo del Capitán Beto," a track from the album El jardín de los presentes during his tenure with Invisible.

1960s and 1970s

In 1969, Spinetta's band, Almendra, recorded their self-titled first album. They started recording and playing intensively, becoming successful almost overnight. Almendra composed their own songs and their lyrics were written in Spanish, something which was still new for Argentine rock music. After two albums that were received with critical acclaim and continuous radio exposure, the band split.
After a lengthy stay in Europe, Spinetta returned to Argentina and afterwards formed a new band, named Pescado Rabioso. With a far more powerful sound and expressing through their songs the tension of the streets in an increasingly violent Argentina, Pescado made their album debut in 1972. It was both a continuation of the creative stream of Spinetta and a drastic change in the style of his own music and lyrics. Later, the band recorded a second album named Pescado 2. Although a third album, released in 1973 and called Artaud, carried the band's name, the band had actually already dissolved. Therefore, it was mostly a solo album by Spinetta himself. Partly inspired by the writings of Theatre of Cruelty creator Antonin Artaud, particularly his essays Van Gogh, le suicidé de la société ("Van Gogh, the suicide by society") and Héliogabale ou l'Anarchiste couronné ("Heliogabalus, or the anarchist crowned"), Spinetta exorcised many of the demons of his past in this album. He simultaneously released a manifesto entitled Rock: música dura, la suicidada por la sociedad ("Rock: tough music, suicided by society"), a reference to Artaud's essay, in which he denounced the nihilistic hedonism and commercialisation he saw as having corrupted rock music. This process would open the door to a new era in his music.
In 1974, Spinetta formed a new band, Invisible, whose music was based in progressive rock and psychedelia. With his new band he recorded three albums: Invisible, Durazno sangrando and El jardín de los presentes. In the latter, Spinetta took a novel approach, incorporating elements of tango and jazz into his sound.
After recording and editing a failed album in the United States in 1979, with lyrics in English and destined to the U.S. market, Spinetta returned to Argentina to record two albums with a short-lived Almendra revival (one with original songs and the other live), and embarked on a new project, Spinetta Jade.

1980s and beyond

Spinetta Jade would later become highly successful; through this band, Spinetta expanded the sound he was building since Invisible, a blend of jazz and rock. Withdrawing from the symphonic rock that dominated the middle 70s, and escaping the boom of new wave, punk, reggae, glam pop that reached both the world and Argentina in the 1980s. These four albums, Alma de Diamante (1980), Los Niños que Escriben en el Cielo (1981), Bajo Belgrano (1983) and Madre en Años Luz (1984), represent a defined style as well as the footprints of Spinetta's evolution. Spinetta and Charly García (with their respective bands at the moment, Jade and Serú Giran) joined efforts and gave what was considered amongst the most important shows in the history of Argentine rock. After dissolving Spinetta Jade in 1984, Spinetta worked on an album with Charly, but eventually they abandoned their efforts. Only two songs remain of the ill-fated effort, "Rezo por Vos" and "Total Interferencia".
By 1982, Spinetta had restarted his solo projects. Kamikaze (1982) puts together a number of previously unreleased songs (one gem is an early song he composed in 1965 called "Barro Tal Vez"). In Mondo Di Cromo (1983) Spinetta's new production, from 1986 to 1993, would include four solo albums (Privé×Privé1985 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Alfil, ella no cambia nada4:112Una sola cosa3:293Ropa violeta4:494Como un perro4:505Pobre amor, llámenlo4:346No seas fanática3:387La mirada de Freud3:018Patas de rana4:179Ventiscas de marzo3:1810La pelicana y el androide4:0211Rezo por vos3:24, 1986), Téster de Violencia (1988), Don Lucero×Don Lucero1989 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 9 tracks1Oboi5:102Fina ropa blanca5:163Wendolin4:204La melodía es en tu alma6:255Divino presagio4:016Un sitio es un sitio4:407Es la medianoche3:188Un gran doblez5:279Cielo invertido6:12 (1989), Pelusón of Milk×Pelusón of Milk1991 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Seguir viviendo sin tu amor2:402Lago de forma mía3:153Ganges4:024La montaña3:305Panacea2:006Domo tu3:297Cada luz3:348Bomba azul2:399Cielo de ti2:4210Cruzarás5:3211Hombre de lata4:0912Jilguero2:1613Ella bailó (Love of My Life)4:2314Pies de atril4:1115Dime la forma4:36 (1991), a joint album with Fito Páez, another Argentine great (La La La×La la la1986 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 20 tracks · 2 discsDisc 1A1Folis Verghet3:39A2Instant-táneas5:37A3Tengo un mono5:15A4Retrato de bambis1:34A5Asilo en tu corazón5:36B1Dejaste ver tu corazón5:17B2Sólo la la la1:23B3Gricel4:31B4Serpiente de gas4:30B5Todos estos años de gente5:19Disc 2C1Carta para mí desde el 20865:08C2Jabalíes conejines2:31C3Parte del aire5:06C4Cuando el arte ataque2:24C5Pequeño ángel2:37D1Arrecife4:53D2Estoy atiborrado con tu amor4:49D3Un niño nace4:11D4Woyscek3:41D5Hay otra canción5:19, 1986), and the soundtrack of the movie Fuego Gris×Fuego gris1993 · Album · SoundtrackSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 17 tracks1Escape hacia el alma3:472Yo no puedo dar sombra3:393Nirvana mañana4:004Verde bosque5:555Preciosa dama azul2:416Tocando sin sentir3:287Parado en la sentina3:498Cadalso temporal4:039Penumbra2:2310Feroz canción1:5111Dedos de mimbre4:4312Trampaluz5:3613Caspa tropical4:1114Oh! doctor2:2315Flecha zen4:2616Cordón de perfume2:1117Norte de nada6:39 (named after the film, 1993).
After a long hiatus, largely due to Spinetta's conflicts with recording companies, he finally opened a new period in his music with his new band: Spinetta y los Socios del Desierto. Over three years (1997–1999) the band released four albums. Two studio albums, the double Socios del Desierto (1997) and Los Ojos (1999) would bring a new sound. The band made an MTV Unplugged live album, Estrelicia (1998), which, because of its soft acoustics, contrasts with their live album, San Cristóforo (1998). As Spinetta said at the beginning of the first concert, "Fans de lo acústico, abstenerse" ("Fans of acoustic music, refrain"). In 1998, he selected the featured songs and artwork of a greatest hits album called Elija y Gane×Elija y gane1999 · Album · CompilationSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1Rezo por vos3:252Ludmila3:493Alma de diamante4:244Correr frente a ti3:505Nunca me oíste en tiempo4:496Resumen porteño3:577Águila de trueno, parte I2:588Águila de trueno, parte II1:239Era de uranio4:1910No te alejes tanto de mí3:3211Ella también...4:0512Muchacha (ojos de papel)3:5913Una sola cosa3:3114Camafeo3:5315La aventura de la Abeja Reina4:5016Será que la canción llegó hasta el sol3:2317Quedándote o yéndote3:2918No te busques ya en el umbral2:29, which was released the same year.
The band dissolved quietly towards the end of 1999. Spinetta started a solo career, including Silver Sorgo (2001), Obras en Vivo (2002), a live album, Para Los Árboles×Para los árboles2003 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Sin abandono5:172Cisne5:503Halo lunar5:364Yo miro tu amor3:285A su amor, allí4:446Agua de la miseria5:557Dos murciélagos4:048Vidamí3:119Ciénaga dorada4:2710Néctar5:2911El lenguaje del cielo4:3512Tu cuerpo mediodía2:05 (2003), Camalotus×Camalotus2004 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Buenos Aires, alma de piedra4:582Crisantemo1:423Nelly, no me mientas5:594Aquas (Agua de la miseria remix)4:58 (2004), a single of three unreleased songs and one remix, Pan (2006) and Un Mañana (2008). In 2005, he received the Platinum Konex Award for best rock soloist of the 1995–2005 decade. A number of books and TV documentaries have been devoted to him, like Argentine writer Eduardo Berti's, which includes a long conversation with Spinetta, among many others
Spinetta celebrated his 40 years in music with a five-and-a-half-hour concert called "Spinetta y las Bandas Eternas×Spinetta y las bandas eternas10 December 2010 · Album · LiveSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 42 tracks · 3 discsDisc 11Mi elemento5:122Tu vuelo al fin5:153Ella también4:174No te busques ya en este umbral2:475Fina ropa blanca5:146La bengala perdida6:207Sombras en los álamos / Alma de diamante10:008Cisne / Al ver verás / ¿No ves que ya no somos chiquitos?10:249Cielo de ti3:3410Las cosas tienen movimiento4:3411Retrato de bambis / Asilo en tu corazón7:1212Mariposas de madera1:3913El rey lloró3:4114¿Adónde está la libertad?2:39Disc 21Té para tres3:172Bajan3:453Cementerio club5:254Era de uranio / Vida siempre / Maribel se durmió8:395Necesito un amor5:076Filosofía barata y zapatos de goma4:117Rezo por vos4:338San Cristóforo4:309Bosnia5:1910Durazno sangrando4:0611Jugo de lúcuma3:3612Los que nos ocupa es esta abuela, la conciencia que regula el mundo4:0413Niño condenado7:1514Amor de primavera4:04Disc 31Poseído del alba3:382Hola dulce viento2:373Serpiente viaja por la sal5:234Credulidad3:015Despiértate nena2:546Me gusta ese tajo5:517Post crucifixión4:028Color humano4:479A estos hombres tristes6:0610Muchacha ojos de papel3:40118 de octubre5:1312Retoño5:0813Yo quiero ver un tren5:0114No te alejes tanto de mí5:26" (Spinetta and The Eternal Bands) in front of 40 thousand fans at Vélez Sarsfield Stadium in Buenos Aires. It was later considered by Argentine music critics as "the greatest gig of the decade".

Personal life and death

Spinetta was married to Patricia Salazar from 1976 until 1995. The couple had four children: Catarina, Dante, Valentino and Vera. Salazar died in 2021. He was in a relationship with
Carolina Peleritti from 1996 to 2000. Before his death, Spinetta lived on Iberá Street in the Villa Urquiza neighborhood of Buenos Aires. In December 2011, Spinetta released a statement that he had cancer. Spinetta died of lung cancer at 62 years of age on 8 February 2012.

Recognition

Spinetta was awarded the Gardel de Oro in 2009. In 2013, a statue of Spinetta was put in Villa Urquiza at Roosevelt and Triunvirato. It was later moved to Commune 12 to prevent further vandalism. In 2016, at the intersection of Avenida Congreso and the Mitre Railway tracks, an underpass was named after Spinetta. On 23 January 2020, Google celebrated his 70th birthday with a Google Doodle.

Almendra

Studio albums

Almendra (1969)
Almendra II (1970)
El Valle Interior (1980)
Live albums

Almendra en Obras I/II (1980)

Pescado Rabioso

Desatormentándonos (1972)
Pescado 2 (1973)
Artaud (1973)

Invisible

Studio albums

Invisible (1974)
Durazno sangrando (1975)
El jardín de los presentes (1976)
Non-album singles

"Estado de coma" (1974)
"La llave del Mandala" (1974)
"Viejos ratones del tiempo" (1974)
Live albums

En Vivo Teatro Coliseo 1975 (2022)

Spinetta Jade

Alma de Diamante (1980)
Los Niños Que Escriben En El Cielo (1981)
Bajo Belgrano (1983)
Madre en Años Luz (1984)

Spinetta y los Socios del Desierto

Studio albums

Socios del Desierto (1996)
Los Ojos (1999)
Live albums

San Cristóforo (1998)

Solo

Studio albums

Spinettalandia y Sus Amigos - La Búsqueda de la Estrella (1971)
Artaud (1973, credited to Pescado Rabioso)
A 18´ del Sol (1977)
Only Love Can Sustain (1980)
Kamikaze (1982)
Mondo Di Cromo (1983)
Privé (1986)
La La La (1986, with Fito Páez)
Téster de Violencia (1988)
Don Lucero (1989)
Pelusón of Milk (1991)
Fuego Gris (1993, soundtrack)
Silver Sorgo (2001)
Para los Árboles (2003)
Camalotus (2004)
Pan (2006)
Un Mañana (2008)
Los Amigo (2015, posthumous)
Live albums

Exactas (1990, live)
Estrelicia (1997, MTV Unplugged)
San Cristóforo: Un Sauna de Lava Eléctrico (1998, live)
Argentina Sorgo Films Presenta: Spinetta Obras (2002, live)
Spinetta y las Bandas Eternas (2010, live)
Presentación ARTAUD - 1973 - Teatro Astral (2020, official bootleg)
Presentación ARTAUD - 1973 - Teatro Astral Vol. 2 (2021, official bootleg)
Compilations

Elija y Gane (1999, greatest hits)
Ya no mires atrás (2020, unreleased material) (recorded 2008–09)

Poetry

1978: Guitarra negra (English: "Black Guitar"). Buenos Aires: Ediciones Tres Tiempos.