Chilean rock
During the second half of the 1960s, after the success of rock and roll music, the Nueva Canción Chilena (New Chilean Song) and Fusión latinoamericana [es] (Latin American fusion) genres were born in Chile, bringing to fame artists like Violeta Parra and Víctor Jara as extremely influential folk singers, or Los Jaivas and Congreso who were more instrumentally elaborated.
In the early 21st century, many more independent artists have become increasingly popular, while the previous ones have consolidated generating a cultural legacy of wide variety and trajectory.
The twist was also very popular in the 1950s, imported to Chile by the band Los Twisters with the singles Penas juveniles, Caprichitos, Me recordarás, Sueña and Mi secreto.
Some of the most well-known were: Peter Rock, Alan y sus Bates, Los Rockets, Buddy Richard, José Alfredo Fuentes, Antonio Prieto, Antonio Zabaleta, Cecilia Pantoja, Germán Casas, Ginette Acevedo, Gloria Benavides, Jorge Pedreros, Luis Dimas, Maitén Montenegro, Marcelo Hernández, Mirella Gilbert, Osvaldo Díaz, Germaín de la Fuente, Paolo Salvatore, Pat Henry, and Roberto Vicking Valdés.
The success of the Chilean Nueva Ola lasted until the mid-1960s, led by a second generation of musicians characterized by their original compositions, such as Buddy Richard, Patricio Renán, Los Ángeles Negros, José Alfredo Fuentes and Cecilia, considered by some critics as the greatest teen star of the mid-1960s.
[10] The Nueva Ola has been criticized for foreignizing Chilean music because the style, lyrics and even names were heavily lifted from American and British culture.
[13][14] The Nueva Canción Chilena was characterized by a rediscovery of the instruments and sounds of historic Latin American traditions, and in particular the work of the artists Violeta Parra and Víctor Jara.
The festival was, according to the National Digital Library of Chile, "the moment in which the youth subculture, represented by rock, became a public issue and was reported in the media as a latent social problem.
Their stripped-down rock, free from virtuoso pretensions, and their lyrics, full of acute social observation, were the voice of youth disenchantment during the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
The first Chilean punk festival took place in El Garage Internacional de Matucana with Fiskales Ad-Hok, Ocho Bolas, Politikos Muertos and Vandalik among others.
In the later 1970s and 1980s, a heavy metal scene developed that was highly clandestine despite having no overt political affiliation or outward opposition to General Augusto Pinochet and his ongoing military regime.
At the turn of the decade, and as the dictatorship came to an end, more Chilean metal bands emerged, including Six Magics, Slavery, Torturer, Bismarck, Dracma and Inquisición.
Acts such as Aparato Raro, Upa!, Banda 69, Emociones Clandestinas and Electrodomésticos in addition to the last stages of Los Prisioneros, were pioneers of indie and synth pop of modern days, and earned a significant amount of success.
Congreso and Los Jaivas would continue to lead the way in the next decades however many creatives progressive and fusion rock ensembles would rise such as Almandina, Kalish and Grace of King in the mid '70s.
Formed in 1972, Fusión is historically considered the first Chilean jazz-rock project, using electric instrumentation, experimented on rhythmic patterns of soul, funk and rock, but maintaining intact the impulse of the primitive jazz improvisation.
Shortly after, Pizarro (founder of Fusión) released as soloist and later he would found in Europe, Tamarugo and Skuas, with influences of classical music, jazz and latin.
This was due in part to the return of democracy and an end to the repression of cultural activities, as well as an increase in contact between the Chilean population and the rest of the world as a result of economic liberalization.
Álvaro Henríquez, lead singer and second guitarist, was previously known as the musician of La negra Ester, a very influential musical theater play (based on the poetry book written in décimas by Roberto Parra Sandoval and directed by Andrés Pérez).
Other key 1990s bands included: Lucybell, whose popularity expanded during the decade throughout Chile and the rest of the continent, and more closely related to alternative rock.
During the first half of the 2000s, Javiera y Los Imposibles, whose 2001 album AM was performed at the prestigious Viña del Mar International Song Festival in 2002, became widely popular.
Los Tetas’ first single, "Corazón de Sandía" (Watermelon Heart), was a summer hit on the local radio stations and their first two albums Mama Funk (1995) and La Medicina (1998), went on to be released and performed in several other Latin American countries.
[citation needed] In 1995, the successful band Chancho en Piedra emerged with their debut album "Peor es mascar lauchas" (It's Worse To Chew Mice).
Produced by the well-known Doctor Dread of RAS Records, Gondwana found success in Chile and abroad and performed in both Jamaica and the United States as well as his lead singer Quique Neira since he began his solo career in 2003.
[59][60] His albums Toque (1995), and Vivo (1999) were major hits, and would influence on next generations of Latin percussion-based rock artists, such as Chico Trujillo and the New Chilean cumbia movement.
The origins of blues in Chile are uncertain, although Aguaturbia was a benchmark in this style, as were Los Jaivas in their songs such as "Canción del gancho",[63] there is no more concrete background.
The song "O'Riley" by Destruction Mac's can be taken as a reference, which applies a harmonica with bluish touches, although the music of this band is clearly inspired by groups of hard rock like Mountain.
Several Chilean artists – including Anita Tijoux (previously known as lead singer in hip hop band Makiza), Mon Laferte, Francisca Valenzuela, Álex Anwandter, Gepe, Javiera Mena, Pedropiedra, Camila Gallardo, Denise Rosenthal, María Colores, Teleradio Donoso, Ases Falsos, Planeta No, Astro, Primavera de Praga, Difuntos Correa, Niños del Cerro, and Dënver, among others – gain international praise and recognition, especially in the Spanish press, with El País calling Chile a "new pop paradise".
[64][65][66][67] Alongside with the electronic aesthetics, a new generation of mostly acoustic singer-songwriters, and world music inspired musicians had an important presence in stages and media.
[70] Kuervos del Sur are considered heirs of Los Jaivas in making rock with latinamerican instruments and rhythms, but with a harder sound, close to post-grunge.
Its success was such that it returned again from 2012 to 2019 and attracted international artists like The Killers, Kanye West, Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys and hundreds of other big names.
