Rock music throughout the world has had different origins and history, but a common theme expressed in all is survivorship. Argentina’s rock music has become a popular player in the Rock en Español scene, but that was not always the case. Rock in Argentina was aimed and attacked by the government during the Dirty War, a time of injustices and corruption. However, bands/ musicians such as Charly Garcia managed to keep their head up and not go down without a fight. Creating new elements and styles that passed by the authority, the music reached the hearts of many, unifying the people of Argentina. When the war ended, musicians such as Soda Stereo, had the freedom of expression opening many doors to the new musicians. Rock became synonymous with …show more content…
Garcia’s material was heavy on political issues and was integrated in the new metaphorical language that required active listening to intake the message. He stated, “The audience and the artists had a very oppositional attitude, a very strong resistance to the ideological penetration. I think rock nacional was a focal point of resistance.” And so it was, as concerts turned into the open spaces of freedom of speech and songs became chants. For example, a concert report from 1980 describes, “Today Charly García had forty thousand voices shouting ‘We won’t put up with it anymore’ live on national television.” No longer were fans just passive listeners enjoying a performance, they had now turned into participants of the music movement to overthrow the government as well.
In 1983, the dictatorship was finally over, and with the emergence of democracy came the true explosion of Rock Nacional. After the war, young artists of democratic Argentina's new wave didn't identify themselves with politics anymore. They now had the freedom to sing and compose about almost anything unlike before when doing so was considered a political statement that could get you killed. Songs which had been repressed were now freely played giving rise to many groups. One band who took advantage of the time to bloom was Soda Stereo who forged the path of what we now call the Latin music