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Discography
Integrantes en el álbum
CÉSAR ENRIQUE CORONEL – Electric and rhythm guitar and bass
CARLOS ALBERTO ROMERO - Rhythm guitar and bass
GUIDO ROBERTO IBAÑEZ - Sax, flute and vocals
JUAN CARLOS SCAGNI - Drums
FRANCO ROCCA - Second guitar, he contributed to several tracks on this album
Bonus tracks:
CARLOS ALBERTO ROMERO - Bass
HUGO BARZENA - Keyboards and chorus y coros
JOSÉ (Drums) NANTE - Drums
JOSÉ (Sepi) KREMER - Lead guitar and chorus
ELEUTERIO (Lute) DALTON - Second guitar and vocals
Biography
This is the eloquent odyssey of Thabata, a seminal group in the Argentine rock scene, which emerged in early 1971 in Lomas del Mirador, Buenos Aires Province.
The original lineup consisted of Juan Carlos Scagni on drums, Alberto Romero on bass, Luis Schirman on lead guitar, Franco Rocca on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, and Juan Carlos Duarte as the lead vocalist.
Initially, rehearsals took place in Franco's garage, where the band covered songs by The Beatles and Creedence Clearwater Revival, adapted into Spanish. Simultaneously, they began to shape their first compositions, primarily contributed by Schirman and Rocca. Their repertoire quickly developed a sound reminiscent of emblematic bands like Los Gatos and Almendra, with tracks such as "Cuantas Noches Solos" and "Mujer de Madera."
Barely two weeks after forming, they debuted at a wedding reception, marking the start of a series of regular performances at venues like the Círculo Policial auditorium, the La Matanza Volunteer Firefighters hall, and various suburban clubs, including Laferrere, Banfield, and Luján.
Early the following year, 1972, the capital accumulated from their performances allowed them to self-finance the recording of an acetate at TNT studios. This material included two compositions by Rocca and Schirman: "Cuando Tú me Atrapas" and "Madre Naturaleza." The band subsequently entered a prestigious competition for emerging groups, organized by the popular music show "Los Principales," broadcast on Radio del Plata and awarded the Martín Fierro that same year. They were invited to record an unreleased track at the radio station's studios for the pre-selection, managing to be chosen among the nine finalist bands out of 140 applicants.
Shortly before the final, the original singer withdrew, being replaced in extremis by a friend named Fernando, accompanied by two backing vocalists. With this lineup, they participated in the contest on Friday, August 4, 1972, at the San Lorenzo de Almagro Club basketball stadium. They performed the track "Acuario" from the rock opera Hair (as contestants were requested to perform a well-known song), competing against groups like Éxtasis, Destino, Contramano, Grupo Sagaz, Hola Che, Anestesia, Diócesis, and Kogotte. Thabata won, earning the prize of recording a Long Play album.
After signing a one-year contract with the production company associated with the contest, they performed at the Spring Festival in Parque Pereira Iraola as the victorious band. This was the last concert with Fernando, who left the group.
Soon after, the producer began visiting the rehearsal room to select material for the album. A disagreement led to the departure of guitarist Schirman. Faced with this situation, Romero called his friend César Coronel from the band Mugre, who joined after an audition featuring Pappo’s Blues tracks. Almost simultaneously, Guido Ibáñez was added on lead vocals and wind instruments. These two new members quickly became the leaders of the ensemble, injecting a wealth of new compositions in a powerful Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock, and Blues Rock style. This stylistic shift caused a rift with Rocca, who, disagreeing with the new musical direction, left before the LP recording was finished (and without receiving credit on it).
With the brand-new lineup and the new repertoire (although slightly "softened" at the producer's request), Thabata entered TNT studios in early 1973 to record seven well-developed tracks, in a style close to La Pesada and Pappo's Blues. This material would form their self-titled album, "Rock!.. Rock!.. Rock!....", released that year by the Fono label in a modest pressing of 1,500 copies, featuring a comic-style drawing by Coronel on the cover (despite photographs having been previously taken in Parque Lezama for the artwork that were ultimately not used).
Unfortunately, the producers registered the authorship of all tracks under their own names, neither crediting the musicians nor granting royalties, and even subtly altering the titles. Furthermore, they released a single without authorization (or any economic compensation) featuring the track "Siempre Será un Divagante Introvertido," which enjoyed notable radio airplay in a pressing of 5,000 copies.
Despite the contractual adversities, Thabata began a schedule of constant performances organized by the aforementioned production company. Soon, the drummer left and was replaced by Carlos Mozer (also formerly of Mugre). The band continued to perform at carnival dances in 1974 and at various venues in the capital and the suburbs, sharing the bill with Banana at the Club Banco Nación. Towards the end of the year, Coronel withdrew. At the time of contract renewal, the band, disagreeing with the proposed terms, refused to sign, which precipitated the dissolution of the group.
Nevertheless, Romero, determined to continue, published a classified ad and reformulated the band with Eleuterio "Lute" Dalton on vocals, Hugo Barzena on keyboards, José "Sepi" Kremer on lead guitar, José "Drums" Nantes on drums, and Alberto Romero himself on bass. In retaliation for the non-renewal, the producer blocked their chances for shows and canceled radio promotion. Despite this, they reorganized the rehearsal room in Lanús and began to develop new material, such as "El Rey del Sol" and "Ese Hombre," with a Progressive Hard Rock aesthetic close to El Reloj. They concentrated their performances in Lanús and surrounding areas, managing to do about 15 shows in 1975. They even recorded both tracks in December, although they were never released.
Subsequently, Nantes left (to settle in Italy) and Carlos Mozer returned. Dalton was also replaced by Gerardo Leiva on vocals, which propelled a harder sound toward Progressive Heavy. With this lineup, they played for almost eight months in clubs and venues in Lanús. At the end of 1975, Romero got married and retired from music, putting a definitive end to Thabata. Barzena and Kremer settled in Europe, "Drums" in the United States, while Leiva remained active on the music scene with the band En Jake.
More than fifty years had to pass for this group to receive the recognition it deserved. In the year 2025, the Viajero Inmóvil Records label rescued their musical legacy and reissued their only album with the addition of two bonus tracks. One way or another, the Holy Grail of vinyl collectors ceased to be an exclusive cult item for a few experts, and Thabata's music finally takes its place in the canonical history of Argentine rock.
Information
* Exclusive by Thabata's members