In a bleak context of our history, art, music, was an escape and a catharsis in an era where it was persecuted by “excess thinking”. In those days however, one of the bands was born that signifies the cornerstone of our national rock for everything that came after. In those days Sui Generis was born to give us the most beautiful songs of the popular songbook and that 50 years ago continue to sound out loud, which do not lose validity and are covered by the artists of yesterday and today. Eternal songs. Nito Mestre and Charly García, two teenagers full of dreams and idealisms, in full flourishing youth, dreamed of having a band of friends and perhaps they did not know that together they were going to create a national classic that would mark the before and after in music. Vida”, the first album of Sui Generis, with the consecrated classics such as “Canción para mi muerte”, “Necesito”, “Mariel y el capitan” and “Maybe because”, among others, came out 50 years ago, in October 1972.50 years later, not only is such a jewel celebrated, but it is reverted in symphonic format and that is what Mr. Nito Mestre will do tonight at the Teatro Ópera, where they played for the first time in Corrientes Street in 1974. But he will not be alone, but there will be around 60 musicians on stage, along with the Neuquén Symphony Orchestra, one of the most important artistic formations in Patagonia.
Tonight promises emotion, endearing songs not only from the album “Vida”, but from the rest of the discography of Sui Generis as well as Los Desconocidos de Siempre, PorSuiGieco and Nito’s solo albums, as well as surprises that he himself assured are very special. And so it is that in this context, from Filo.News we were able to chat at length with Nito, in a kind of privilege for those of us who were not contemporary to that historical birth and everything that the Sui phenomenon meant for the time through its music and lyrics, where two long-haired teenagers enriched the forbidden nights, the rebellion and resistance of censorship.- 50 years of the first album of Sui Generis and the celebration of your artistic career How will the show be?
It’s the 50th anniversary of the album “Vida” and the 50th anniversary of my artistic life. I’m going to do “Symphonic Life” with my band and then we’re going to continue touring my artistic life. Then we will finish with two surprises with the symphony orchestra that comes from Neuquén, almost 60 people on stage. Let’s start with the first Sui album that was never symphonic, maybe some theme but not complete. It is to celebrate the beginnings, but when you begin to remember all the road traveled, you feel that the years flew by but that there was also a lot and in that there is a very busy life. It is nice to celebrate it and not overlook it. I care more about this than the years I turned 70, because I preferred to do it with a celebration of artistic life.
– From the rejection of record labels, an emerging band of the time, to planting the foundations of national rock, what is the first memory you have when they call you Sui Generis?
When you signed a contract you became a professional at that time, but we were kids, a real emerging band. We were the new ones, the promise. I definitely remember the first touches. The first show we did, the debut as a band was at school and there were six of us. As a duo it was in Mar del Plata in 1971 in the summer. Actually the official debut is diluted because there were several, the one I have first, because I have a folder with all the shows scored from the beginning until ’74, it is in the Santa Rosa de Caballito School as a band. Then another big debut was in ’73 when we played at the Opera. At that time it was like touching the sky with your hands to be on Corrientes Street so we chose to play now to relive that memory.- How do you remember the Nito of 50 years ago and in the midst of that furor they caused?
As innocent and kids we were, however there are many things that I see today inside me as a teenager that seems to me something healthy, it is like keeping the essence of youth. It’s not that now I got bigger and I deny what I no longer is or look at the past with nostalgia. The rebel, stubborn, restless ass, to move forward I still keep it as when I was starting. I always look forward a lot, then and now, I remember everything with affection and surprise. When Sui ended I continued with Los Desconocidos de Siempre, and then with my solo career that had ups and downs due to personal issues such as alcoholism. It was a period that had me diluted but always making music from records that I still like to listen to. There is no nostalgia or resignation, it is a hum thing.Ana move on.
Photo: courtesy of the press.
– You stay current, you do collaborations with artists who are emerging today, it’s like you give them a validity by playing with them having your career …
Now a band comes out and they play and sound good. There is accessibility to sound, to equipment to a world that was previously very difficult from the instruments to the rest. The first thing I did just when I had some money was to buy a Gibson guitar like people (laughs), now with a computer you get a lot. I like to support the new ones, I enjoy seeing how the groups move, how they show themselves and take care of the details such as Chinese Vandals, You Will Not Like It, WOS, La Vela Puerca, I like how they sound live that’s where you see if they are good, they have an incredible handling of the stage. I like to hear new voices and why they write what they write, what they complain about. Today everything is globalized and that also has its complicated part and there is another responsibility in freedom.- Saving the distances of today’s technology and availability, you managed very well for the time.
Yes, before it was to make do with what there was, it is incredible that at that time we sounded like that knowing today what there was, I see it in the movie “Goodbye Sui Generis” and it is incredible. I was singing with two microphones at the farewell to Luna Park, one for live and one to record the album and I didn’t know where to aim (laughs), how weird that was. The scenery was cardboard clouds, all very simple but beautiful.- Going back to the songs, something that defined you was the context and what you had to say in the ’70s…
Yes, you went from one military government to another with mini-democracies in between, with the Triple A that ran you that they forbade you, that they put you in gray hair for having long hair and also the resistance to that. For example, in faculties like the one I went to in medicine where students organized, but you also had to take care of infiltrators and informants, that was the context. However, at first we handled ourselves like middle school seniors unaware that we said “let’s go” and maybe things were happening to us on the side. Directly the tightening we suffered in the year ’74 with “Institutions” when the Triple A arrived and began to sneak into the musical material. They came directly to tell our producer “You have to change this lyrics, this can not be said, that we are going to prohibit the company” and in ’76 not even talk.- The story goes that Sui Generis was the one who opened the door to girls in rock recitals in a way.
Some would complain and tell us “oh they softened”, but it happened naturally. It’s not like we recorded an album to get girls. Before when you went to a recital it was 80% guys and 20% girls more or less and then it started to pair up and become massific and be popular but with height. It was a strange combination for the time because the popular had a negative connotation. Sui brought many together and broke barriers like that, gave common freedom where there were many limitations.- What was the chemistry to achieve and create everything they did?
When we met Charly we became friends with one, it was like yin and yan and as he says, we did not go, we are Siu Generis, there is no such thing as ex because it is forever and we are very proud. It has a special place in our lives, both for us and it seems also for many people, we can never say that it was just another group. The high school friend with whom you fulfill the boy’s dream of putting together a band, is forever. When I met him he seemed like a weird guy and when they asked him about me and he said the same thing that he was a very weird guy (laughs), that chemistry already existed before.
