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.
Qué ritmo triste
Andrés Calamaro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
en mi doméstico estudio de grabaciones,
cosas que siempre pasan en los estudios de todo calibre,
se borra una grabación, ¿verdad?
Bueno, ok…
Parece que había borrado una grabación de blues, de tristezas.
Estaba grabando la siguiente base,
también de rythm & blues,
cantando, al lado mío, entre los instrumentos,
la voz anterior en coordinación perfecta.
¿Entendés?
Una aguja en un pajar,
una oportunidad entre un millón.
Un milagro de blues
yo que era un hombre de poca fe, pero
el blues esa música descendiente directa de esclavos
que se yo, le di un poco y me dio algo a cambio.
Por eso dedico todas mis notas a los amigos ausentes
y a los grandes bluseros que... parecen que me están mirando.
Que ritmo triste, solo me acompaña el ruido del colectivo.
Que ritmo triste, soy como un canario sin alpiste.
Tengo mi alma en venta y el colectivo 60.
Hoy, recién hoy me miro en el espejo
y digo ¿para que viniste? ¿a dónde fuiste?
Y los pasajeros del Titanic, que son el coro, contestan
Que ritmo triste, todavía estoy vivo,
me lo recuerda el colectivo.
El viento arrasó al jardín definitivo y al nido.
No estoy solo, está el colectivo con su ruido,
esa especie de suspiro de aire comprimido,
como afligido.
Chau 60, no digas que no te tuve en cuenta.
Prefiero tu suspiro mucho más que a la sirena.
Pregunta: ¿Por qué le habrán puesto sirena?
Qué pena recordar a la sirenas cada vez
que pasan los bomberos o la poli o la ambulancia,
los pasajeros del Titanic que son el coro
contestan con elegancia:
Señora, que ritmo triste,
a tu corazón le está sobrando un bandoneón.
A tu corazón le sobra un bandoneón,
dice el coro fundido en plata y oro,
diamantes como los de antes.
¿Está roto?
¿Es el corazón o el mate?
Matate o aguantate.
Canta el coro sin ninguna clase de decoro.
El coro será despedido.
Prefiero el ruido de la esquina,
el suspiro hidráulico del 60 repite
su lenta pero maravillosa melodía
que mejor acompaña a este ritmo triste.
Que es de todos.
The lyrics of Andrés Calamaro's song "Qué ritmo triste" convey a sense of melancholy and reflection. The song begins by describing a miracle that happened in the artist's own house, specifically in his home recording studio. He explains that it is common for recordings to be accidentally erased in studios of all kinds, and in this case, he had erased a recording of blues, a genre known for expressing sadness. As he continues recording a new rhythm and blues base, he suddenly hears the previous recording playing in perfect coordination with the instruments. This unexpected occurrence is described as a miracle of blues, which awakens a newfound faith in the artist. As a result, he dedicates his music to absent friends and the great blues musicians who seem to be watching over him.
The chorus of the song expresses a deep sense of sadness and loneliness. The artist compares himself to a canary without birdseed, emphasizing his own vulnerability and emptiness. He reflects on his life choices, questioning why he came and where he went. The passengers of the Titanic, referred to as the choir, respond to his introspection by emphasizing the continuing existence of sorrowful rhythms and reminding him that he is still alive. The destruction caused by the wind and the absence of a nurturing environment are contrasted with the constant presence of the bus (line 60) and its comforting noise, which resembles a compressed sigh of air. The artist expresses gratitude and appreciation for the bus's familiar noise, choosing it over the intrusive sound of sirens. The chorus further remarks on the sadness in the heart and suggests that it has an excess of a bandoneón, a traditional Argentine musical instrument. The song concludes with the affirmation that this sad rhythm belongs to everyone.
Overall, "Qué ritmo triste" explores themes of accidental discoveries, faith, loneliness, and finding solace in unexpected places. The lyrics highlight the power of music to evoke emotions and provide comfort in difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
Ocurrió un milagro acá en mi propia casa,
A miracle happened here in my own house,
en mi doméstico estudio de grabaciones,
in my domestic recording studio,
cosas que siempre pasan en los estudios de todo calibre,
things that always happen in studios of all kinds,
se borra una grabación, ¿verdad?
a recording is erased, right?
Bueno, ok…
Well, okay...
Parece que había borrado una grabación de blues, de tristezas.
It seems that I had erased a recording of blues, of sorrows.
Estaba grabando la siguiente base,
I was recording the next track,
también de rythm & blues,
also rhythm & blues,
cuando de repente empezó a escucharse,
when suddenly it started to be heard,
cantando, al lado mío, entre los instrumentos,
singing, beside me, among the instruments,
la voz anterior en coordinación perfecta.
the previous voice in perfect coordination.
¿Entendés?
Do you understand?
Una aguja en un pajar,
A needle in a haystack,
una oportunidad entre un millón.
an opportunity among a million.
Un milagro de blues
A miracle of blues
yo que era un hombre de poca fe, pero
me, who was a man of little faith, but
el blues esa música descendiente directa de esclavos
the blues, that music directly descended from slaves
que se yo, le di un poco y me dio algo a cambio.
I don't know, I gave it a little and it gave me something in return.
Por eso dedico todas mis notas a los amigos ausentes
That's why I dedicate all my notes to absent friends
y a los grandes bluseros que... parecen que me están mirando.
and to the great bluesmen who... seem to be watching me.
Que ritmo triste, solo me acompaña el ruido del colectivo.
What a sad rhythm, only the noise of the bus accompanies me.
Que ritmo triste, soy como un canario sin alpiste.
What a sad rhythm, I'm like a canary without birdseed.
Tengo mi alma en venta y el colectivo 60.
I have my soul for sale and the bus number 60.
Hoy, recién hoy me miro en el espejo
Today, only today I look at myself in the mirror
y digo ¿para que viniste? ¿a dónde fuiste?
and I say, why did you come? where did you go?
Y los pasajeros del Titanic, que son el coro, contestan
And the passengers of the Titanic, who are the chorus, answer
Que ritmo triste, todavía estoy vivo,
What a sad rhythm, I'm still alive,
me lo recuerda el colectivo.
the bus reminds me of it.
El viento arrasó al jardín definitivo y al nido.
The wind swept away the definitive garden and the nest.
No estoy solo, está el colectivo con su ruido,
I'm not alone, the bus is there with its noise,
esa especie de suspiro de aire comprimido,
that kind of compressed air, sighing,
como afligido.
almost distressed.
Chau 60, no digas que no te tuve en cuenta.
Goodbye, bus number 60, don't say I didn't consider you.
Prefiero tu suspiro mucho más que a la sirena.
I prefer your sigh much more than the siren.
Pregunta: ¿Por qué le habrán puesto sirena?
Question: Why did they name it siren?
Qué pena recordar a la sirenas cada vez
What a shame to remember the sirens every time
que pasan los bomberos o la poli o la ambulancia,
the firefighters or the police or the ambulance go by,
los pasajeros del Titanic que son el coro
the passengers of the Titanic who are the chorus
contestan con elegancia:
answer with elegance:
Señora, que ritmo triste,
Madam, what a sad rhythm,
a tu corazón le está sobrando un bandoneón.
your heart has an excess of a bandoneon.
A tu corazón le sobra un bandoneón,
Your heart has an excess of a bandoneon,
dice el coro fundido en plata y oro,
the chorus says, melted in silver and gold,
diamantes como los de antes.
diamonds like the ones from before.
¿Está roto?
Is it broken?
¿Es el corazón o el mate?
Is it the heart or the mate (Argentinian drink)?
Matate o aguantate.
Kill yourself or toughen up.
Canta el coro sin ninguna clase de decoro.
The chorus sings without any kind of decorum.
El coro será despedido.
The chorus will be dismissed.
Prefiero el ruido de la esquina,
I prefer the noise of the corner,
el suspiro hidráulico del 60 repite
the hydraulic sigh of the bus number 60 repeats
su lenta pero maravillosa melodía
its slow but wonderful melody
que mejor acompaña a este ritmo triste.
that best accompanies this sad rhythm.
Que es de todos.
Which belongs to everyone.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
nicolas nieves
UN GRANDE!!!!...EL TIENE LA MUGRE, LA OSCURIDAD, LA HONESTIDAD, EL ROCK FRIO DE LOS ROTOS QUE NUNCA SE ANIMARON CERATI NI SPINETTA.
Regina Piazza
CRUDO ♥
vane
Jamas un disco igual a este!!! Que época salmón
Lonesome Blue
Nunca jamás habrá ni nadie tendrá los huevos para sacar un disco quíntuple pensar en la obra y no en las ventas,a eso llamo ir más allá de los resultados comerciales.
Nahu P
@Lonesome Blue pero si la gran parte de las canciones de este album se nota que son puro relleno, solamente son poquisimas canciones que son buenas como '' out out '', '' me fui volando '', '' lorena '', etc
Maxi Marquez
que mostro...andrelo ...genio total..no hay otro igual ni q se le asemeje
jesus Lopez
Su gran hermano y maestro Miguel abuelo
Villa Regules
jajajaja es genial
juan pablo Penza
El. Mejor album
ISMAEL KREININ
AGUANTE ANDRES... LA LEPRA,ROSARIO Y EL FONA LATINOAMERICA!!!!