If in the sixties you had asked Paco Pastor (the singer of Formula V) what he imagined life would be like in the very distant 2025, he would have thought of “flying cars and robots”, but he would hardly have predicted that he would continue to go on stage to perform. sing ‘I have your love’, or that Los Sírex, Los Ángeles or Los Mismos would be doing the same with ‘The Broom’, ‘Mañana, Tomorrow’ or ‘The Bridge’. A more than deserved survival, that of that batch of groups that played a capital role in the future of the culture of this country, by transcending the mere cultural fact, overcoming the setbacks of the lack of freedoms to brilliantly translate their passion for music. Anglo-Saxon of the moment, giving birth to something that made the lives of an entire generation go from black and white to Technicolor: Spanish pop-rock. Related News report Yes How to make a Christmas hit in 4 steps Nacho Serrano Pop Christmas carols are experiencing their greatest moment of splendor in recent decades in the record market, what is behind this phenomenon? «There is a lot of talk about the Movida of the eighties, but the authentic one was ours, that of the sixties, because we did it in a much more complex and difficult situation,” says Pastor, the unmistakable voice behind such legendary songs as ‘Eva María’, ‘La fiesta de Blas’, ‘Cuéntame’ and ‘Vacaciones de Verano’, to whom It is sad that in recent decades there has been a lack of recognition for them, the pioneers. Little recognition “It is the great problem of Spanish culture, that we tend to forget about its great figures,” he says. «The artists of the sixties are not recognized for their merits, and yet, the songs we made have lasted, they remain eternal. They are a trigger of memories for people. As soon as they hear the first chords of all those classics, the first kisses, the parties, the parties in the town, the trips to the beach playing cassettes in the car immediately come to mind… And young people, when they hear them “Although you do not know the name of its authors, in one way or another you know them because of the mark they left on society.” «For this reason – he appeals –, to vindicate ourselves is to do justice not only to some songs or some groups, but to an entire era in which we went from copla to pop, an era in which, ultimately, everything began. We brought a radical change, because with us not only the music changed: the aesthetics, the way of thinking, life in general changed. And no one can take that away from us no matter how little recognition we have.” Unity was strength in the sixties, and no matter how much time has passed, it continues to do so today: Pastor has gotten together with Santi Carulla (from Los Mustang ), Micky (former Micky y los Tonys, now with Los Colosos del Ritmo) and Helena Bianco (from Los Mismos) on a tour that, according to the legendary performer of ‘María Isabel’, demonstrates that her “constant fight to remain current decade after decade” has borne fruit. «We were an unrepeatable generation, but in this country it is difficult for validity to be accompanied by recognition. I understand that the media is not aware of the pioneers because now music is a tremendous maelstrom, but we cannot fall into forgetfulness and forget what we did, the change we brought,” says Bianco, who agrees with Pastor when pointing out that ” the awakening” that illuminated their music was “the great Movida before the Movida.” Above, Los Sírex today. Below, a ‘flyer’ of the group’s visit to the Imperator hall in Madrid. And, along with them, Los Mustang in a postcard from the time Of Los Mustang, that Barcelona band that was born in instrumental format inspired by the Shadows, only the singer with whom they became a vocal group, Santi Carulla, remains. “When we discovered that there was something called rock’n’roll and we saw that in Spain no one knew what it was, we wanted to break the rule that said that here you could only listen to bolero, copla and pasodoble,” says the singer, who Sixty years later he is “envious” of the tribute paid to pop’s greatest in other countries. «In ours, those who have the responsibility of granting it are doing something else. There have been many people who have worked very hard so that Spain began to breathe freedom thanks to music. And recognition, even if it were a symbolic thing, would not hurt us at all. “Especially at our age.” “It’s going to be something very big” Miguel Ángel Carreño, ‘Micky’, who has embarked on this “adventure” because “because of the cast and production, it’s going to be something very big,” has a more positive reading of the legacy left by the pioneers of Spanish pop and rock. “The proof is that all of us continue to work and live from music,” exclaims the ‘rubber man’ who revolutionized youth with his spasmodic dances and his unparalleled self-confidence. «We brought a change more with our attitude than with direct messages; That’s what singer-songwriters were already for. We made songs that brought a fresh air of freedom, but were clean, friendly, commercial, hummable and without giving censorship too much trouble. Well, not all [risas]. Some were censored and in fact, of those who participated in this festival I was the most stupid [más risas]”The ‘Pioneros’ tour, which will tour several Spanish cities starting on January 12 at the Teatro Monumental in Madrid, will also feature Popi González (son of the founder of Los Angeles, Poncho González), who does not subtract an iota of revolutionary merit to what his father’s generation did. «To begin with, they were the first to grow their hair long, which at that time was no small feat. They brought modernity, optimism, joy, and the musicians who have come after us have inherited many things from them. But it is a shame that we have a country so given to oblivion. Any legendary American artist is still stopped on the street for autographs, but ours are hardly even recognized. It is a sad paradox, because everyone still remembers his songs.” Summit of legends A couple of days before the start of the ‘Pioneros’ tour there will be a second meeting of deans of national rock to start 2025. January 10, the Apolo room in Barcelona will witness another summit of legends to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Los Sírex, the oldest of the surviving myths of the time having begun their career in 1959 (as the Pekenikes, with whom they also share the honor of having opened for the Beatles). They will be accompanied by Pere Gené (Lone Star), Manolo García, Carlos Segarra (Los Rebeldes) and Sabor de Gracia, and on March 7 it will be repeated in Madrid with Miguel Ríos, Loquillo, Micky, Fernando Pardo and Nat Simons. «I I feel like I’m just starting,” says their singer Antoni Miquel ‘Leslie’, who is not exaggerating because Los Sírex continue to “fill theaters just like they did in the sixties,” and a year ago they had an experience most revealing when they performed at the Rockin’ Race Jamboree festival in Torremolinos (Málaga). “The best current rockabilly bands in the world played there, and at first we felt a little out of place,” recalls the artist. «We went up on stage with our jackets and our ties, in front of hundreds of kids with leather jackets and toupees who thought we were going to play ‘Clavelitos’ or something like that (laughs). When we started shouting ‘I scream’ they were amazed and when we finished they attacked us asking for photos and autographs, amazing! From there we had more concerts, we were booked for the Azkena festival… And with so much of the Sírex phenomenon, the idea of celebrating our 65th anniversary in Madrid and Barcelona arose. Leslie understands “this new wave of respect and admiration” as “an act of justice to our band and to an entire generation of musicians who brought enthusiasm to a gray Spain,” and encourages young people to pick up the guitars to “return them to their place and sweep away the empire of reggaeton,” he says, winking. to the chorus of his most remembered classic (“If I had a broom, how many things I would sweep…”). Incombustible after 65 years «We and many other colleagues from the time are still active because what excites us is music. If you don’t care about fame, you never get tired of this,” he considers. «Which – he adds – reminds me of a very nice anecdote with Paul McCartney, who started more or less at the same time as me. When we supported the Beatles at the Monumental, at the end of our performance I ran into him at the bathroom door, he looked at me and said: ‘Are you tired?’ (‘Are you tired?’); and I, with my Barceloneta English learned through saliva transfusions from the guiris, answered: ‘You’ll get tired before I do’. And in the end, neither of us got tired! [ríe]. Let’s see which reggaeton player lasts sixty-five years of career!
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