Born Aug 22, 1961 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he began his professional musical career at the age of 17 playing keyboards in Raíces.
In 1981 he incorporated to one of the main bands of the Argentinean '80s rock scene: Los Abuelos de la Nada. Although the band was led by the brilliant Miguel Abuelo, Calamaro composed most of the band's hits, like "Mil Horas," "Así es el calor," "Sin gamulán" and "Costumbres Argentinas."
In 1984 he made his solo debut with Hotel Calamaro. The album was a bizarre mix of styles and musicians, and didn't gain public or press support.
In 1985 he left Los Abuelos de la Nada and registered his second album Vida Cruel. Inspite of the important musicians and guests, such as Luis Alberto Spinetta and Charly García, the album was a disappointment: both commercially and artistically. But if as a songwriter the luck was out of reach, he had an intense and successful work as a producer of bands like Los Enanitos Verdes, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and Don Cornelio y la zona. He also worked and collaborated with many artists of different styles and genres, a constant attitude through his whole career. The third album Por Mirarte showed Calamaro in a better shape with an established band. Released in 1988 it contains some outstanding songs such as "Con los dientes apretados" and "Me olvidé de los demás," while others like "Cartas sin Marcar" and "Loco por tí" helped the album to get popular.
When Calamaro released in 1989 Nadie Sale Vivo de Aquí, Argentina was living it's worst economical crisis: few albums were released. The album title suggest it all: Nobody comes out alive from here. The LP production was paralyzed, and the few that could make it were almost ignored. That was Calamaro's case. This situation lead the singer to settle in Spain, following a road taken by many Argentinean rockers. Out there in Spain he met Ariel Rot y Javier Infante, former members of Tequila. They formed Los Rodríguez in 1991, a pop-rock band that was very popular in Spain and Latin America: Calamaro's songs began to be popular like in the early '80s: the hit maker was on the road again. Curiously, from Spain, he was conquering Argentina. While being part of the band he didn't release any new solo material, just Grabaciones Encontradas 1 y 2, a couple of CDs that contained unreleased and rare material from the '80s.
After the split of Los Rodríguez, Calamaro returned to his solo career recording Alta Suciedad in 1997, an album produced by Joe Blaney. This album brought him the commercial success that seemed to fail in his previous solo efforts, and sold 300.000 copies just in Argentina. That is certainly a huge amount for the country's small market. No doubts, that album helped him to be placed between the star legends of the national rock scene. Before that album Calamaro was considered an important character, appreciated by other musicians, but not a main one. After he broke up with his spanish girlfriend he released in 1999 the double CD Honestidad Brutal. Recorded when he was 37, it contained 37 songs of despair, love loss, drugs and regret. It was not as successful at the previous album, but showed a new Calamaro: desperate, decadent and often elegant at the same time, with a new and raw lyrical approach. El Salmon followed in spring 2001.
Calamaro's next proyect, El Cantante, was released in 2005. A delicious mixture of tango, rock n'roll and flamenco guitars (mostly played by spanish prodigy El Niño Josele).
After a break, he returned to the stages with a tour full of classics that gave birth to a live album called El Regreso on 2005, recorded with members of Bersuit Vergarabat as a backing band. This album was very well received for the charts as well as for the critics, wich lead him to different awards. One year later, on 2006, Andres published a new album from the roots of tango with the collaboration of guitarrists Niño Josele and Juanjo Dominguez. On 2007 El palacio de las flores was published, although it was recorded on 2006. The album had the collaboration and musical influence of argentine composer Lito Nebbia and was also recorded on his studio. This was the return to a classic Calamaro album with new songs and hits.
Canalla
Andrés Calamaro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No me merezco ni limpiarte los zapatos.
Un canalla como yo no se hace, se nace así
Lo supe desde la primera vez que me vi a mi.
Tené cuidado con la gente como yo
Soy canalla sin darme cuenta
Y cuando empiezo ya no puedo parar
Soy un mal tipo desde mi más tierna edad.
Soy un mal tipo desde mi más tierna edad
Andres Calamaro’s song Canalla is a complex piece which portrays the emotional turmoil of a man who realizes that he is a “canalla,” which means villain in Spanish. The song starts with a reference to Rosario Central, a soccer team from Argentina, stating that the singer is not a follower of the team, but is a “canalla.” This line is used to show that even though the singer may not be affiliated with the team, he still is a bad guy.
The following lines state that the singer is not worthy of the person he is singing to, and he is aware of it. He acknowledges that he is born as a “canalla” and it’s not his choice. This line shows that he is confronting his issues head-on and realizes that he cannot change who he is. The last two lines of the verse showcase the singer’s warning to the person he is speaking to, stating that people like him should be careful as they can do things unintentionally.
The chorus showcases the central theme of the song, which is how the singer is a “canalla” and does not realize it until he starts doing things that he should not be doing. He is acknowledging that he cannot stop himself, even though he wants to. The last line of the chorus is a repetition of the fact that the singer has been a bad guy since he was young, showing that he has no control over it.
Overall, Andres Calamaro’s Canalla shows how a person can be self-aware of their shortcomings and acknowledges that they cannot change who they are. Instead of masking his faults and pretending to be someone he is not; the singer embraces his personality and warns people to be careful around him.
Line by Line Meaning
No soy de Rosario central pero soy un canalla
I may not be a fan of Rosario central but I am a rogue.
No me merezco ni limpiarte los zapatos.
I do not deserve even the smallest favor from you.
Un canalla como yo no se hace, se nace así
A rogue like me is born, not made.
Lo supe desde la primera vez que me vi a mi.
I knew it from the very first time I saw myself in the mirror.
Tené cuidado con la gente como yo
Be careful of people like me.
Soy canalla sin darme cuenta
I am a rogue without even realizing it.
Y cuando empiezo ya no puedo parar
And when I start, I cannot stop.
Soy un mal tipo desde mi más tierna edad.
I have been a bad person since I was very young.
Y cuando empiezo ya no puedo parar
And when I start, I cannot stop.
Soy un mal tipo desde mi más tierna edad
I have been a bad person since I was very young.
Contributed by Julia L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Rodri Comparte
Temazo !...y yo soy canalla de Rosario Central 😎💪💪💪
Carlos Riano
Roloooota