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Discography
Members featured in the album
CHARLY GARCÍA - Vocals, keyboards, acoustic and electric guitar, double bass and backing vocals
NITO MESTRE - Vocals, acoustic guitar, flute and backing vocals
LEÓN GIECO - Vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica and backing vocals
RAÚL PORCHETTO - Vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, and backing vocals
MARÍA ROSA YORIO - Vocals and backing vocals
Guest Musicians:
PINO MARRONE - Electric guitar
GUSTAVO BAZTERRICA - Electric guitar
LEO SUJATOVICH - Piano
JOSÉ LUIS FERNÁNDEZ - Electric bass and acoustic guitar
RINALDO RAFANELLI - Electric bass
ALFREDO TOTH - Electric bass
HORACIO JOSEBACHVILLI - Drums, percussion and effects
FRANK OJSTERSEK - Electric bass
GONZALO FARRUGIA - Drums
OSCAR MORO - Drums
JUAN RODRIGUEZ - Congas and percussion
Biography
PorSuiGieco was a kind of folk 'supergroup' composed of major figures from Argentine Rock, initially assembled for a tour with no formal project beyond the desire of friends to get together—to share good times, and have fun playing and singing. Formed in 1974 by Charly García, Raúl Porchetto, Nito Mestre, León Gieco, and María Rosa Yorio (who was Charly's partner at the time), they united for a series of concerts in 1974 and decided to call themselves 'PorSuiGieco y La Banda de Avestruces Domadas' ('PorSuiGieco and The Band of Tamed Ostriches'). 'PorSuiGieco' was a fusion of the members' names. 'The Band of Tamed Ostriches' originated as a humorous tribute to the group that accompanied León Gieco, known as 'La banda de los caballos cansados' (The Band of Tired Horses).
The group performed only three concerts (one in a small venue in Buenos Aires, the other two in the interior of Buenos Aires Province) and recorded a single album in the final months of Sui Generis, around 1975.
The album began recording at Music-Hall studios. However, their stay there was brief: The company owner, Néstor Celasco, sent a couple of 'spies' to check for traces of 'non sanctas' substances, which were, of course, found. Rather than issuing a reprimand, perhaps conscious of its futility, he decided to move them to another studio to avoid implication. Thus, the majority of the PorSuiGieco album was ultimately recorded at Estudio Phonalex, located on Dragones Street. The facility had inferior technical conditions compared to Music-Hall (only four channels), but it offered a certain intimacy that favored the recording atmosphere.
The album's production was handled by Jorge Álvarez, the legendary creator of the Mandioca label who, at the time, was managing the Talent imprint, which released Sui Generis's records. A close look at the album’s technical sheet shows Gieco's assessment was correct: On the record, the group was no longer an acoustic quartet or quintet, but a rock superband, with many well-known musicians contributing.
The acoustic folk of the original proposal evolved into a more electric and elaborate style, though without losing the freshness that characterized the reunion. Finally, in 1976, after endless postponements and issues, they released an album under the group's name, which featured instrumental contributions from Oscar Moro, José Luis Fernández, Gustavo Bazterrica, Pino Marrone, Gonzalo Farrugia, and Alfredo Toth, among others. The record was released after the dissolution of Sui Generis. The recording also included participation from the future musicians of the band Charly was conceptualizing: La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros.
This album would become historic in Argentine rock due to the quality of its tracks and the ban imposed on the song “El fantasma de Canterville” (“The Canterville Ghost”), a Charly composition sung by León Gieco that was censored and, on some pressings, edited in a hidden manner. The lyrics of this song were very much in tune with an era where allusions to massacres and a city beginning to grow numb to the crimes of the Triple A started to appear.
A few copies of the album’s initial pressing included a version of “El fantasma de Canterville” with its original, uncensored lyrics, in place of "Antes de gira" ("Before the Tour") which was announced on the LP's back cover. This situation (a maneuver by the musicians and producer Jorge Álvarez to bypass censorship) meant that some of the earliest buyers of the LP found a special surprise. Shortly thereafter, PorSuiGieco would dissolve to allow the members to pursue their various personal projects.
Information
* La Nave del Rock Argento Site