The creation of Argentine punk It brought together young musicians who were looking for a fast, direct and oppositional sound in a limited political and social context.
At the beginning of 1980sThis movement had not yet established itself as a scene, but it was already showing its own identity, which was characterized by urgency, artistic provocation and the need to express itself in an adverse environment.
The lack of venues forced aspiring groups to look for alternative spaces in which they could present their first songs without stylistic restrictions. In this dynamic some of the most influential places of the Buenos Aires underground were born, which became havens for bands and audiences seeking something different than what traditional circuits offered.
Within this cultural map A small French restaurant in the heart of Barrio Norte ended up playing an unexpected role. Its original function suggested no connection to the punk aesthetic, but its nocturnal transformation made it a key point for musicians associated with the beginning of the movement.
The premises are located in Ecuador 1644 operates under the name Le Chevaleta French restaurant run by the painter Botto Jordan and his wife. In this traditional space, Brothers Juan Pablo and Alejandro Correa suggested creating a different format.
After the guests left, the tables were cleared and the concerts began. This double life of the venue created an exclusive and secret atmosphere that allowed the emergence of its own scene in a place that seemed a priori inappropriate.
For six months 1981The restaurant became one of the first spaces in Buenos Aires specifically dedicated to punk. Although it was not the venue of the first Argentine punk concert, it received the “cornerstone” category because it was the first venue to directly draw on this aesthetic, in a context in which the dictatorship intervened and broke up any meeting deemed suspicious.
They walked through the town Los Violadores, one of the most influential bands in the genre, and Los Laxantes, a group founded by Horacio “Gamexane” Villafañe along with Trixy and Nylon and other musicians who would later integrate various underground scene projects.
Frequent participants include the name of Andres Calamarowho not only played with his Elmer Band project, but also occasionally replaced Los Violadores’ drummer.
The punk movement in Argentina emerged in the late 1970s, heavily influenced by the rise of Anglo-Saxon punk and in a context of profound repression and censorship during the military dictatorship that ruled the country.
While established national rock used subtle metaphors to evade censorship, a generation of young people emerged inspired by the echoes of Anglo-Saxon bands like Sex pistols And The collisionHe decided on direct confrontation.
The crystallization of this countercultural effervescence found its first major representative in The rapists. Founded in 1980, the band is considered a pioneer in the recording and distribution of punk rock material in the country.
Through self-governing circles, fanzines, and secret concerts in basements and bars in Buenos Aires, these first groups (like Los Laxantes or Los Baraja) forged a musical and lyrical identity that challenged authority and laid the foundation for a scene that exploded publicly with the advent of democracy.
With the return to democracy in 1983, the punk movement emerged from the shadows. Although state repression was decreasing, the gangs focused their criticism on social hypocrisy, political apathy and the problems of the neoliberal system that was installed. Emblematic bands of the second wave, such as Attack 77, mucus, All your dead And massacreexpanded the genre, each with their own style, but always representing the founding foundations of punk rock.
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