Arde Bogotá, the Spanish rock band that arrives to conquer Argentina

When we talk about music, an unpopular phrase resonates in the cultural scene, on t-shirts or on a bathroom door in some Buenos Aires neighborhood that reads: “Rock is dead”, and if we add to this reckless sentence the rise of the urban scene, and the litter of boys that emerged in the last two years, We could venture that, at the very least, rock would be taking a break in terms of new bands. However, and from the old continent, an industrial sound of guitar, drums, bass and percussion arrives to save the scene and put old-school rock en español into it. Arde Bogotá was formed in a summer in 2017, when Dani Sánchez, Pepe Esteban and José Ángel Mercader were looking for a singer for their group, there they found Antonio García in Murcia, who began to talk about rock and common influences such as Foo Fighters or Arctic Monkeys, bands that did not have counterparts in Spanish rock. The rest is already part of history, and two years later the four members released their first single “Antiaéreo”, this song was self-published by the group in June 2019 and in February 2020, the band was signed by Sony Music thus giving a refresh to rock en español. Today, with two studio albums, some awards and several recognitions, Arde Bogotá arrives in our country, within the framework of its “Cowboys” tour and will perform for the first time on February 8 at Niceto Club in Buenos Aires and on February 10 it will culminate with its unique sound at the emblematic Cosquín Rock Festival in Córdoba. But first, he chatted with Filo.news about this meteoric career and what it’s like to give an identity to a new band: “I think that really giving identity, if we have achieved it, to the project in such a short time has to do with the fact that our starting point was already quite clear, that is, when we got together for the first time in a place to make music, we already knew that we wanted to make rock in Spanish, but with influences from Anglo-Saxon and American rock and such, which we liked and try to turn all that into something current and talk about the things that happened to us as kids from the south of Spain,” began Antonio García, vocalist of the band. He added: “I think that unintentionally this is a path that we will travel all our lives, because what this is about is never finding the result to spend our whole lives looking for it. I think that’s what more or less starts to sow the seed of identity, of what we’re doing, if there is any kind of identity that,” he added. But we’re doing well, we’re doing very well, a lot of work, a lot of new things to learn very quickly, a lot of demands that force you to live up to many things in a very short time, but we’re doing well because it’s been a lot of fun,” he said in a zoom interview with this media. Arde Bogotá became in a short time the band with the greatest projection in Spain and
Their latest material “A3 Cowboys” it has generated a strong impact on the public that has been translated into full venues wherever their course takes them.-Were you always clear that you wanted to make Rock en Español? “Yes, because I think that in the end we are a band of kids from Spain singing. Well, until two days ago for people from Spain. But now we can finally do it for people from other countries, but who also speak Spanish. I always thought that singing in English or another language was like putting a wall between the audience and the band, right? And I get it, other friends I admire have always done it because in the end the references they have sing in English. And when they sit down to make music, it comes out in English and I also understand the wall that protects you from becoming vulnerable and getting naked in front of people,” he said of his colleagues and the preferences they have as a band. While he opined: “But personally, as a singer, I never understood not singing in a language that the people I was going to sing for could concretely understand. My mother, that is, always my mother as a reference, if I’m going to sing and my mother isn’t going to understand me,” he said with a laugh and added: “Well, maybe it’s easier, but then I’m not doing it quite right, so well, it’s seeing a little reflection,” he analyzed.
-This 2024 you arrive for the first time in Argentina and come to play at one of the most emblematic festivals in the country, the Cosquín Rock, and that this year is more eclectic than ever. What do you know about our artists and do you want to cross paths with some in particular? – “Well, Dani (Daniel Sanchez, guitar) has a goodBut as a rock band in Spanish, we obviously have had to study Argentine rock, so it’s obligatory, right? And many of the artists we are obsessed with are Argentinian rockers like Charly García, Soda Stereo, etc,” Antonio said, adding: “What I want most to get to Argentina is to soak up the culture that is breathed in that environment to make good rock and roll there and see if something doesn’t stick to us” -And what do you know about the Argentinian public and the intensity we have? “We like that, we like that because the reputation that the Argentine public has is that they are very dedicated, but also very demanding. That is to say, if you manage to win it over, it is a very, very loyal audience and that has a great time, but first they are going to study with a magnifying glass, what we do and we like that because we are animals of the stage, and we like to play, and we like to play for the people” -How are the sets of songs put together, are the lists different when playing at a festival than for a show of yours merely?” It’s different, I always say that it’s like comparing a party and a ceremony, I mean, a ceremony is also partly a party, but it’s different, it has another punch and then I think that when you do a concert it’s just for a more loyal audience, and there you can do a ceremony. That’s the time to look for another type of emotion, a message, to delve into things,” he explained. And he differentiated: “Whereas when you go to a festival, you go to a party and then you have to be in general tune to a party, right? And choosing a repertoire that makes a party and that makes you a part of it, then well, it’s a bit of a guide.” -Reggaeton is back and you come to ponder Rock. Is Rock dead? “No, not at all. Or yes, who knows, but no, I think there is a very heterogeneous scene, at least that’s how I feel about it, with very varied, very different music in which there is surely too much presence of individual artists and a little lack of the collective. There’s no way, and I think that has to do with the elevation of producers, for example, talking about Argentina de Bizarrap or with the rest of the world for many other examples such as that suddenly there is a scene that is very much about proper names instead of collective names and we, however, make a very collective music. It’s very much a band made between four guys, I think it’s very much enjoyed collectively, and that’s what’s maybe a little more dead in my opinion,” he analyzed. -Speaking directly to the Argentinian public, what topic should we start with in order to enter their world and get to know Arde Bogotá? “Well, I think a good song to start with the band is precisely the first song we put out that is not soft at all. ” Antiaéreo” is at least curious because people close to Argentina who have listened to it say that perhaps, along with “virtue and punishment”, the songs are the ones that most resemble what rock is historically in Argentina”. And if it’s not that it would be “Los Perros”, I think it’s also a powerful song that represents us well and to add another one because I think the band has like many faces and it would be good if they started with some of them”. To close, what would you say to the audience that is expectant to see you play live?“We can’t wait to go there and we can’t wait to get to know us, and above all for them to know us and the music from there. Get to know the scene there, get to know the audience there and come back full of learning and new music. But if someone feels like it and doesn’t have a better plan, at 5 o’clock in the afternoon at Cosquín or on the 8th in Buenos Aires, then hopefully they can come to the concert to listen to us and come with comfortable clothes because I think we are a very energetic band, we like to jump, sweat, scream and have a good time, So please come to the party for a while with us, which is what it’s all about.” Arde Bogotá is made up of: Antonio García – Vocals and guitar- Dani Sánchez – Guitar-Pepe Esteban – Bass-José Ángel Mercader – Drums and percussion and they have two studio albums available on all platforms: “La Noche”, released in 2021 and their most recent work “Cowboys de la A3”, released in 2023 by Sony Music. The band will be stepping on Argentine soil on January 8 at Niceto Club and then will travel to Cordoba to perform on day 1 of Cosquín Rock. Tickets on sale.

Original source in Spanish