For just over 20 years the group Catupecu Machu has managed to stand out and surprise in the Argentine rock scene with music so original that it resembled nothing else and sounded powerful and vigorous.
The band led by Fernando Ruiz Diaz he also managed to cope with the terrible accident of his brother, bassist Gabriel, in 2006. But in 2017 the band announced its end, and from the ashes Fernando created Vanthra together with Charlie Noguera and Julian Gondell.
From a one-time return to a reunion
Earlier this year, however, Catupecu Machu has risen again and announced a very special return as part of the Quilmes Rock festival, early May: only for one night and with musicians from all formations of the group, including April Sosathe drummer who first formed Cuentos Borgeanos, then became a soloist and recently moved to Italy.
That meeting was not only emotional for the audience, but also for the musicians, who mobilized to such an extent that they decided to continue as a quartet: Ruiz Díaz, Sosa, Noguera and Gondell. They have announced a show in Obras for Friday 9th Decemberand tickets sold out so quickly that they decided to put together another recital for the June 24, 2023 at the Movistar Arena.
Before and after Obras there were shows in Chile, Tucumán and Colombia, and there will be dates in Córdoba (2/18 at Cosquín Rock) and Buenos Aires (3/18 at Lollapalooza).
The group has announced that they will tour the most emblematic songs of their discography live, while privately they are in the studio working on new songs.
As stated by Fernando Ruíz Díaz: “This Catupecu is not returning: he is reincarnated. To reincarnate, the body dies and the soul remains. I believe in reincarnation because I live it.”
The protagonists speak
In September, when Catupecu formally announced his return and held a free show at the Vorterix Theater for his fans, the quartet talked about this new stage and recalled his first show at Obras.
“The first was in 2001 -Fernando assures us- when we made the DVD Eso vive, and the last was with the imperfect numberin 2004. That was the last Works, because after the Gaby thing, everything else was Gran Rex and Luna Park”.
Abril recalls and adds another piece of information: “Then there was a huge Outdoor Works in 2006, with various guests such as Zeta and Diego Arnedo”.
Fernando exclaims “-True!” but is immediately distinguished by his forgetfulness: “What happens is that Outdoor Works for me is not Works. That was after Gaby’s accident, because when the accident happened, after 20 days we did three Works: Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And that became an outdoor job.”
-Tocar en Obras takes up that story.
Ferdinand: -Yup. This thing of playing within Obras is very important to us. Something very interesting happened, because sometimes the case is what it should be: we decided to build a stadium but there weren’t any available because it was the World Cup and there were dates only in May next year. Until someone asked: “And does it work?”.
April: -It is an iconic place for music and rock. When we started playing, the dream was to join Obras. Catupecu later made Luna Parks and stadiums, but Obras has something special.
-Like Quilmes Rock festival, they will play for people who have never seen them live before, a new generation.
Ferdinand: -Yes. In Quilmes Rock there were boys 18 and older. Did you see when Soda Stereo got together? They asked me what I thought and I said the most important thing was that the younger generation could see Soda. Now I can say the same about Catupecu: boys will be able to see Catupecu for the first time and in Obras.
“It was really crazy how it all happened”
-What were you planning when you gathered for Quilmes Rock? How far could the encounter go?
Ferdinand: -Just up to Quilmes Rock. In this I take the lead: I only wanted to do that as a tribute to Gabriel Ruiz Díaz, and no other show. It started from a very genuine side that takes a long time to explain, because of all the events that have happened. We joined Vanthra with April in an acoustic show for 75 people and it was the soundtrack for Gabriel’s departure.
Charlie: -It was very mad, because after many years in Vanthra, he had internally decided that Catupecu would no longer exist. It was like a decision made and that his musical gift was with the two of us.
In the middle of that decision, or almost at the same time, the proposal for the Catupecu meeting arrives. So with that decision made, it kind of was, “It’s not a reunion but it’s a gathering to pay tribute to Gabriel and really give him closure with the lineups that had happened.”
At the same time, Fernando and Abril meet again after a long time, and when we got together to rehearse Quilmes, the three of us met for the first time on a musical and personal level.
Ferdinand: -That is, the two of them, Charlie and Julián, with Abril.
Charlie: -That night we stayed playing, chatting and drinking wine with Abril until we did. Same thing the next day, because it was a weekend, Saturday and Sunday. That’s where all this comes from. I kind of said it, “If I had to make a band, I’d do it with Fer and you two.”
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Source: Clarin
