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.
Revistas
Andrés Calamaro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
De chico en el colectivo leía historietas nacionales,
Como el espía inglés con licencia para matar
Que regala rosas amarillas siempre,
Como el errante, como el inmortal,
Como el indio blanco, como el desterrado,
Como el cabo Sabino, como Roland el corsario,
Como Johnny Hazard, como Savarese
Escorpiones en el desierto y corto maltés
¡gran corto maltés!
Los chindits en Birmania
Aquí la legión contra los tanques de Alemania
Capítulo aparte ++++
Al gato de Freddy a Freddy,
Boogie el aceitoso,
El eternauta, eternamente auta
De ahí a factotum, de ahí a cartero,
De ahí a mujeres.
Ya leo libros papá.
Ya leo libros papá.
Ya leo libros papá.
Ya leo libros papá.
Ya leo libros papá.
Ya leo libros papá.
Ahora que todo viene con 2000
Me voy acordando de miles anteriores,
Yo fui un dinosaurio que nunca se fue,
Una bruja en la hoguera de Salem.
En el desierto me llamaban Magi,
Cruzando de bando, apellido francés
En la legión magrebí.
Soy or grund, soy Nippur de Lagash, Savarese
Y si quiero nena puedo fumar crack
Y ser Isidoro, Isidoro, Cachorra,
El coronel Cañones, el capitán Metralla
Metiéndose una raya.
Que literatura más fura
Y en colores,
Después del blanco y negro
Historias con sabores, olores.
El errante siempre delante
Capítulo aparte para lo que
Hubo antes y después.
Algo se derrumba,
Cuantas aventuras de editorial Columba.
The lyrics of "Revistas" by Andrés Calamaro describe the artist's love for reading different types of books and magazines since he was a child. He mentions how he used to read national comics in the bus and references characters such as the English spy with a license to kill who gives yellow roses, the wandering immortal, the white Indian, the exiled, the Sabino corporal, and Roland the corsair, among others. He also mentions specific comic books like "Johnny Hazard" and "Savarese" and talks about other topics such as the Scorpions in the desert, the short Maltés, and the Chindits in Burma. The lyrics then shift to a more personal note, with Calamaro mentioning that he feels like a dinosaur that never left and a witch in the Salem pyre. He refers to himself with various names from different literary characters and ends the song with the phrase "something is falling apart, so many adventures from Editorial Columba," probably in a nostalgic way, as Editorial Columba was one of the most significant publishers of comics in Argentina, and many people grew up reading their publications.
The song "Revistas" is a tribute to the love of reading and comic books, which was very important in Argentina, where the publishing of comics reached its peak in the '80s. Calamaro's lyrics share a personal and also universal experience of reading and how it can transport you to other realities and times, giving the songs a distinct emotional factor. The song also refers to characters and themes that are part of the Argentine cultural heritage and nostalgic elements of the past, making it an excellent example of nostalgia and introspection.
Line by Line Meaning
Tengo base y entiéndase bien por base cimientos intelectuales.
I have a foundation, and it's not just any foundation, I have intellectual foundations.
De chico en el colectivo leía historietas nacionales, como el espía inglés con licencia para matar que regala rosas amarillas siempre, como el errante, como el inmortal, como el indio blanco, como el desterrado, como el cabo Sabino, como Roland el corsario, como Johnny Hazard, como Savarese, es de los 80 como ese inglés.
As a child, I used to read national comics on the bus, like the English spy with a license to kill who always gives yellow roses. Also, comics about wanderers, immortals, white Indians, exiles, cabo Sabino, Roland the corsair, Johnny Hazard, and Savarese. These comics are from the 80s, just like the English spy.
Escorpiones en el desierto y corto maltés, ¡gran corto maltés!, los chindits en Birmania, aquí la legión contra los tanques de Alemania, capítulo aparte + + + +
Comics about scorpions in the desert, Corto Maltese, the Chindits in Burma, and the Legion fighting against German tanks. These are some of my favorite stories.
Al gato de Freddy a Freddy, Boogie el aceitoso, el eternauta, eternamente auta, de ahí a factotum, de ahí a cartero, de ahí a mujeres.
Comics about Freddy's cat, Boogie the oil slick, The Eternaut, Factotum, a postman, and women, are also among my favorites.
Ya leo libros papá
I read books now, Dad.
Ahora que todo viene con 2000 me voy acordando de miles anteriores, yo fui un dinosaurio que nunca se fue, una bruja en la hoguera de Salem.
Now that everything is 2000, I remember thousands of things from before. I feel like a dinosaur who never left, or like a witch burning at the stake in Salem.
En el desierto me llamaban Magi, cruzando de bando, apellido francés en la legión magrebí.
In the desert, they called me Magi. I changed sides, and I had a French last name. I was in the Maghreb Legion.
Soy or grund, soy Nippur de Lagash, Savarese y si quiero nena puedo fumar crack, y ser Isidoro, Isidoro, Cachorra, el coronel Cañones, el capitán Metralla, metiéndose una raya.
I identify with comic book characters such as Or Grund, Nippur de Lagash, Savarese, Isidoro, Cachorra, Colonel Cañones, and Captain Metralla. I can even smoke crack if I want, but that doesn't mean I'm like these characters.
Que literatura más fura y en colores, después del blanco y negro historias con sabores, olores.
These comics are colorful and rough, unlike the black and white comics. They're full of flavor and scents.
El errante siempre delante, capítulo aparte para lo que hubo antes y después, algo se derrumba, cuantas aventuras de editorial Columba.
The wanderer is always ahead of the game. The previous and subsequent chapters are worth mentioning. Things are changing, and I wonder how many adventures I'll have with Editorial Columba.
Contributed by Kaelyn M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.