Catupecu Machu

Catupecu Machu is an Argentine rock band, usually classified as within Rock en Español. Its current band members are Fernando Ruíz Díaz in voices and guitar; Gabriel Ruíz Díaz in bass guitar, special effects, samplers, voices and production; Javier "Il Grosso" Herrlein in drums and accordion; and Macabre (Martín Gonzalez) in keyboards and samplers.

Biography

The band started as a power trio in the suburb of Villa Luro, Buenos Aires, in 1994. It all started when the Ruíz brothers decided to establish a band. As music lovers they already knew how to play the guitar and bass. All they needed was a drummer, so they recruited Marcelo Baraj (who currently plays in Totus Toss). With this first line-up they started playing in the underground concerts of Buenos Aires (performing in the Arlequines theatre), followed by shows around the country.

During the following years, they played the “Nuevo Rock” (New Rock) festival of Córdoba (1997), where the press identified them as the next big thing, and also playing in the “Monsters of Rock” festival (1998), opening for Almafuerte, Sepultura, and Metallica at Buenos Aires' River Plate Stadium. In 1997, the group founded their own label to make their début album, entitled "Dale!". During this period, drummer Marcelo Baraj was replaced by Miguel Sosa, who was only sixteen years old at that time.

After this, being tired of having their shows being bootlegged, they decided to create their second album called "A Morir" (recorded live), which included songs from the previous album and 4 new tracks ("Heroes Anonimos", "Testigo Criminal", "Cuantos Son" and "El Rostro"). It started selling in mid October 1998, increasing their reputation.

In the year 2000, they recorded their third album entitled "Cuentos Decapitados", produced by EMI-Odeon and edited in New York, a disc which demonstrated the band more mature musically, and also showing a great improvement lyrically. This album was popular, both with the public and critics, containing tracks such as "Y lo que quiero es que pises sin el suelo", "Entero o a Pedazos" and "Eso Vive". The video of "Y lo que quiero es que pises sin el suelo", directed by Gianfranco Quatrini, obtained an MTV Award for Best Latin Video of the Year 2001 , chosen by the public. And thanks to this, they were able to edit the disc in Puerto Rico and United States through EMI Latin and a start to a two-month tour throughout the island, playing in “Festival Rock a Tour”.

In December 2001, the band performed at Arena Obras Sanitarias, a legendary venue for high ranked artists, sometimes called “The Temple of National rock." This same show was transmitted several times on MTV and live via the Rock & Pop radio station. In May, the following year, this show was edited and officially launched into DVD, called "Eso vive", which included intimate things about the band, famous songs and the video "Y lo que quiero es que pises sin el suelo". They were also the first Argentine band to release a DVD. After the show at Obras, the band started a tour playing around Argentina, with other performances in Uruguay, Paraguay and United States, playing in the MTV Awards in Miami (2002), and a promotional tour through the city of Los Angeles, California (2003).

During a stage in which the band has a high popularity, drummer Miguel “Abril” Sosa decided to leave the group to form a band called Cuentos Borgeanos. He was replaced by Javier Herrlein, an old friend of the group, who collaborated with them in songs such as "La Polca" playing the accordion, and played as a drummer long before the band had a name.

In 2002, the band release their fourth album titled "Cuadros dentro de cuadros" in which they experimented with computer-generated sounds. To record this CD, the band went to a big country house, where they created the recording studios with three rooms for each member of the band. The whole disc was arranged into separate sections.

During 2003, for the fourth time, the band played their regular concerts with “Surround Sound 5.1," in which the whole audio system is strategically positioned around the venue. This created a unique experience for the public. Catupecu Machu was the first band in the world to use this system in concerts.

In November 2004, the band released their fifth album entitled "El Número Imperfecto", recorded in Panda Studios, Espacio Studio, Labardén Studio and Club Audio of Buenos Aires with editing enhancement by Tom Baker of Precision Mastering, Los Angeles, California. In this recording, the group integrated a fourth member to the band, Macabre (Martín Gonzalez) on keyboards and samplers. This disc includes eleven songs and an interactive track to access the band’s website.

In August 2005, the band participated in the LAMC (Latin Alternative Music Conference) hosted in New York, being one of the main bands. Followed by performances in New York with a spectacular concert which showed that Catupecu Machu was a band with a major international potential. After this trip, MTV produced the “Diary of Catupecu Machu," showed in different countries across Latin America. In November 2005 Catupecu Machu was nominated for Best Rock Group and Best Artist of the South in the MTV Video Music Awards Latin America.

On March 31, 2006 Gabriel Ruíz Díaz crashed his car into a tree. He suffered severe head trauma and loss of brain mass. After some days in the Intermediate Care Unit, Gabriel was moved to the Fleni rehabilitation centre in the city of Escobar on the 10th October. Contrary to what some media outlets said, both people in the car were wearing their safety belts. The passenger of the car was Cabezones singer César Andino, who suffered two broken femurs, one of them an open fracture. He is now recovering positively after several surgical procedures.

Appearances

Catupecu Machu has performed in major events of Latin rock including: Vive Latino (Mexico), Rock Al Parque (Colombia), Fashionista MTV (Mexico) and Vive Latino 07 (Chile) and they are a regular band in the main Argentine concerts Quilmes Rock (Rosario, Mendoza, Buenos Aires), Pepsi Rock, Cosquin Rock, La Falda Rock, Gesell Rock, Creamfields, San Pedro Rock, Mendoza Rock and others.

About the name "Catupecu Machu"

According to an interview with the newspaper Clarín, the name originated in high school, while trying to make up answers in a Geography test. It was a name they gave to a made up animal that lived in Africa.

Discography

* Dale! (1997)
* A Morir (1998)
* Cuentos decapitados (2000)
* Eso vive – DVD (2001)
* Cuadros dentro de cuadros (2002)
* El Número Imperfecto (2004)
* Laberintos Entre Aristas y Dialectos (2007)

Awards and mentions

* ”Best Albums of the year 2000”, for “Cuentos Decapitados”, Rolling Stone Argentina magazine.
* “Best Band of Rock Argentino 2001”, Clarín Award.
* “Best Senior Band of 2001”, Rolling Stone Argentina magazine.
* “Artist of the Year” and “Best Band of the Year”, people’s choice in “Rolling Stone Music Awards”, 2002.
* “Best Rock Album by the Critics”, “Rolling Stone Argentina Music Awards”, 2003.

For the video “Y lo que quiero es que pises sin el suelo”:
* “Video de la Gente” (MTV Latin America International Viewer's Choice — South), at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, people’s choice, 2001.
* “Best Video of 2000”, people’s choice, by the “Si” supplement, in Clarín.
* “Best Video”, voted by the critics and readers of Rolling Stone Argentina magazine, Music Awards, 2001.

External links

* [http://www.catupecumachu.com/ Catupecu Machu Official Web Site]