Charly García took the band under his wing after dissolving Serú Girán, and the Abuelos played in García's 1982 Christmas concert. García also drafted López, Melingo and Calamaro for his band, in parallel with their work for the Abuelos. The 1983 debut album included many compositions by Abuelo-López, and a reggae hit by Calamaro's former partner Gringui Herrera, Tristezas de la ciudad (City blues).
For their 1983 album, Vasos y Besos, Melingo wrote his own reggae hit: Chala-man, Bazterrica contributed No se desesperen (Don't despair), and Calamaro chimed in with Mil horas (A thousand hours).
The band became popular with rockers and more pop-oriented audiences. Especially, Calamaro was favored by teenage girls looking for an "edgier" idol than balladeer Alejandro Lerner. The album sold a solid 160,000 records, and was presented in a six-month country-wide tour.
Record executives arranged to send the band to Ibiza for the recording of their 1984 album, Himno de mi Corazón (Hymn of my heart). The album became a sales hit as expected. Later that year, Melingo, who was also working with García and another band (Los Twist), called it quits and was replaced by Alfredo Desiata.
By early 1985, the band's spirits were damaged due to Bazterrica's cocaine addiction, which eventually had him fired from the band, and the rivalry between Abuelo and Calamaro for top billing.
About that time, Calamaro wrote what would be his last mega-hit with the band: Costumbres argentinas (Argentine habits). Sensing that the band was on the verge of dissolution, the band recorded a live album in the Opera theater in Buenos Aires on May 1985. For the occasion, Gringui Herrera replaced Bazterrica, Juan del Barrio reinforced Calamaro in keyboards, and Melingo played some songs as a guest musician.
The band played one last gig on October 1985, in the Vélez Sársfield stadium, to fulfill their contractual obligation to the "Rock and Pop" festival which featured INXS. The crowd reacted badly to the band's evident lack of motivation (the pouring rain and the badly mixed sound did not help), and Abuelo was hit in the face by a bottle hurled from the field. The band played the remainder of their set with Abuelo visibly bleeding.
With the band dissolved, Abuelo started playing small venues, harking back to his roots of poetry-influenced songwriting. Late in 1986, he drafted Polo Corbella, Kubero Díaz, and sax player Willy Crook to form a new Abuelos band, which recorded Cosas mías in 1987 with relative success.
In late 1987, following gallbladder surgery, Miguel Abuelo was diagnosed with AIDS; terminally ill, he died from cardiac arrest a few days after his 42nd birthday, in March 26, 1988. That was the end of the Abuelos as a band; the remaining members reunited several times, with different formations. Notably, Miguel's son Gato played with Calamaro, Bazterrica and Corbella in a 1997 re-union.
The rights to the Abuelos de la Nada name were offered by Abuelo's widow Krisha Bogdan to Kubero Díaz, who refused out of respect. At some point during 2001, it was reported that Bogdan and Gato were fighting in court over the rights to the name and to Miguel Abuelo's unpublished recordings.
Costumbres Argentinas
Los Abuelos de la Nada Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
a empezar de nuevo cada vez
Tengo en la mano una carta
para jugar el juego cuando quieras
Caminando, caminándote,
mi calle que quizás yo pueda cambiar
Esperando, esperándote,
El problema es otra vez la situación
cada vez peor del corazón,
yo camino todo y veo
cada vez que quiero y te espero
Caminando, caminándote,
mi calle que quizás yo pueda cambiar
Esperando, esperándote,
costumbres argentinas de decir no
The lyrics of Los Abuelos de la Nada's song Costumbres Argentinas talks about the complexities of relationships and how people tend to fall into the trap of repeating the same mistakes. The opening line "Muerdo el anzuelo y vuelvo/a empezar de nuevo cada vez" translated as "I bite the hook and start again every time" is a metaphor that suggests the artist is caught up in the same pattern of making mistakes but still going back to his old ways even if he knows the outcome already. The line "Tengo en la mano una carta/para jugar el juego cuando quieras" translated as "I have a card in my hand/to play the game whenever you want" implies that the artist is in a situation where he has the upper hand and can manipulate the situation to his advantage.
The chorus "Caminando, caminándote/mi calle que quizás yo pueda cambiar/Esperando, esperándote/costumbres argentinas de decir no" translated as "Walking, walking through you/my street that maybe I can change/Waiting, waiting for you/Argentine customs to say no" highlights the cultural norms and traditions in Argentina that can influence the way people behave and respond to certain situations. Saying no is one of these customs, which could be considered polite, but also creates a barrier between the parties involved. The last line "costumbres argentinas de decir no" is repeated twice to emphasize the message.
Line by Line Meaning
Muerdo el anzuelo y vuelvo
I fall for the bait and start over again each time
a empezar de nuevo cada vez
Starting anew, every single time
Tengo en la mano una carta
I hold a card in my hand
para jugar el juego cuando quieras
To play the game whenever you want
Caminando, caminándote,
Walking, while walking with you
mi calle que quizás yo pueda cambiar
My street that I may be able to change
Esperando, esperándote,
Waiting, while waiting for you
costumbres argentinas de decir no
Argentine customs of saying no
El problema es otra vez la situación
The problem is the situation again
cada vez peor del corazón,
Getting worse each time at heart
yo camino todo y veo
I walk around and see
cada vez que quiero y te espero
Whenever I want and wait for you
Caminando, caminándote,
Walking, while walking with you
mi calle que quizás yo pueda cambiar
My street that I may be able to change
Esperando, esperándote,
Waiting, while waiting for you
costumbres argentinas de decir no
Argentine customs of saying no
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Andres Calamaro Masel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ireneo Funes
No importa el orden,me atrevo a nombrar diez músicos de rock legendarios de Argentina...
Sí faltan algunos (seguramente así será) los nombran...
Cerati
Spinetta
Pappo
Charly García
Federico Moura
Calamaro
Indio
Chizzo
Skay
Sokol...
Y seguiría todo el día así...
Liliana Fiumo
Estuve ahí esa noche x Dios!!!!! Inolvidable!!!!! Tengo 56 años..
Fabian Pailla
Conta mas!!!
Liliana Fiumo
@Fabian Pailla fui con una amiga..re pendejas éramos...el tema lo presentó Calamaro y el Opera estalló...una voy impecable...Abuelo un genio...Dani Melingo vivía en la esquina de casa y le conté que íbamos a ir...después me autógrafio el disco!!! Bazterrica en su mejor momento...
Fabian Pailla
Hola lili!!!
Conta mas!!!
kion08880
Yo 52 y también estuve!!!!! Impresionante!
kion08880
@Liliana Fiumo Pobre Gustavo hoy....
Martin Ze
Todavía no nos damos cuenta de lo gigante que es Calamaro como artista. Es una leyenda viviente
Jonathan Limeres
Es un fenómeno
ivanbarrioss
Es gigante antes tenía muy linda voz, ahora no pero es un alto compositor y artista.
Sol
Aquel que sabe apreciar la buena música y el verdadero talento no puede negar la inmensidad de Calamaro y todos los grandes del rock nacional.