Press
6 de junio de 2005
Forever Markama
Walter Gazzo | ver nota completa.
“On Saturday, a full Independencia theatre gave a standing ovation to Markama”
“Just by getting close to the doors of the Independencia theatre you would hear that ovations might still sound; the echoing of “Chaca” still rebounding on the theatre walls; and that endless hug between Sabatini and Casciani after playing “samba landó” still going on. Those things that moved the audience and broke all the bounds of our major theatre on Saturday night.”
“When people can experience a show of such special dimensions, in musical and emotional terms, the repercussions last for a long, long time… and that is what one can feel inside that theatre right now.”
It was also a soirée with words. Mendolas’ talking about Markama’s origins; Nene Avalos’ with anecdotes and laughter; those of Mingo Casciani full of humour and Sabbatini’s ones being moving. Eduardo Ordoñez also spoke, visibly moved and Pablo Salcedo gave an end, making clear that Markama stays alive for the good of Latin American music.
4 de junio de 2005
30 years is not enough
Walter Gazzo | ver nota completa.
Tonight, when the lights of the Independencia Theatre turn off, Mendoza will live a historical moment. One of the groups with higher musical and artistic hierarchy ever born in this land, will perform once again to celebrate its 30 th anniversary. All the former musicians will participate.
Let’s go for more (by León Gieco)
Dear, close friends: I did not only have the pleasure of playing and recording with you, but also have now the great honour of celebrating your 30 years of existence. Well, What about another 30 years?, since Markama stopped being just a musical group to start being an institution that gives culture whatever stage you step on around the whole country. I embrace you with my heart.
Extraordinary (Victor Heredia)
Markama is, to me, a guide post in the history of Argentina’s music bands, doubtlessly. When you go back and see what it meant that groups such as Huanca hua, “Grupo vocal argentino” or “Zupay quartet” appeared, immediately Markama joins these phenomena. These were extraordinary because they imposed a different musical, harmonic and aesthetic behaviour.
They (Markama) disseminated with pride an amazing repertory full of songs that some other groups had disdained, and this is the substance of Markama.
This year we had the chance of performing at the Cosquin festival. I introduced them and we played together “Razón de vivir”. This was the first time we ever played together on a stage of such importance as Cosquin.
I have all of your discs and it’s a great pleasure to listen to them from time to time.
Happy birthday and go for another 30 years!
Sáb : 30 May :2005
30 years of fullness at Markama’s celebration
ABRIEL ABALOS - Special for LA MAÑANA | ver nota completa.
“The show was performed in our city on Saturday, at The Americas’ Hall. Professionalism, communication and the old versions of each song fulfilled the expectations of a diverse audience not only formed by the “Markama generation”, that is to say the young men of that time, but also by the numerous present young men who are attracted by this group’s trajectory”.
“to sum up the whole trajectory of Markama, from its 8 first musicians to the present trio, added to the wide discography, could have been an utopia. However, this show took the best of the different moments and let the audience enjoy the virtues of soloists and duets. People were moved by the lyricism of a “vidala” and danced with the rhythm of a “festejo” or “joropo”.
Jueves | 26.05.2005
Music: interview with Markama, in Mendoza
30 years of Folk music and search
Roxana Badaloni. MENDOZA. CORRESPONSAL | ver nota completa.
30 years passed by since a group of students from Universidad Nacional de Cuyo left the University parties
to start a long trip through the path of Latin American music roots. They had to suffer the dictatorship’s censorship and persecution. It obliged them to change lyrics since certain words such as “poor, freedom and people” were forbidden. They crossed boundaries and carried their rhythm to Europe and the U.S. and their discs succeeded in Japan.
17 de mayo de 2005
An unforgettable fusion
by Pablo Pereyra | ver nota completa.
“On Saturday, at an almost full Plaza theatre , a performance belonging to the “Historical series” took place. It celebrated both the 150 th anniversary of Godoy Cruz and the 30 years of Mendoza’s folk music band Markama. Very special musicians took part as “deluxe” guests. Amongst them, the remarkable charango player Jaime Torres.”
“the trio formed by Archi Zambrano, Mingo Casciani and Pablo Salcedo celebrated grandly the successful trajectory of the group, which started in 1975. They played several “bagualas”, Peruvian valses, “joropos”, “zambas”, the beautiful cueca “coplas de la cosecha” (featuring Tonio Contreras) and the amusing juanito “Tio Iluma”, among other songs.
“Their trade mark is the projection of popular Latin American roots using an enormous quantity of Andean instruments. During the show, they also showed that this mark is still in use and pure; it is an aesthetic conception that identifies them and captivated the audience. Two unforgettable hours.
27 de enero de 2003
Markama, high standard Folk music
by Leonardo Rearte | ver nota completa.
“Markama’s Andean music, like Andes, crossed all the American continent along 3 decades. Such expansion, born in Mendoza, wasn’t only musical though. The artists knew how to deliver a message as simple as it is impressive, attached to the sound: that of the ancestral culture of a whole people.”
Mendoza , Argentina, Domingo 7 de octubre de 2001
Eleven times Markama
by Leonardo Rearte | ver nota completa.
“Markama is now a trio, Markama now sings in almost all songs, Markama today dares to include in the first track of its new disc (Aguas Claras) a distorted electric guitar. The group that was born in 1975 to show the music of the highlands arrives to the millennium willing to walk along new ways.”
“Hence, Aguas claras, succeeded at breaking one of the worst dependencies any artist may have, that is the dependency to its own past”.
LOS ANDES 13/12/98
Markama never fails
(about the concert given in the Independencia Theatre on 12/12/98)
"Since the same moment that the six artists appeared on stage, everybody knew the night would be good. The thing is that every time Markama plays, the same atmosphere is generated: good music and people enjoying".
LOS ANDES Mendoza, Argentina 29 / 12 / 1997
GUALICHO, MARKAMA
"One of the best remembrances of this year 1997 will be the release of the new CD by Markama. The new group formed by Avalos, Zambrano, Casciani, Salcedo and Sabbatini, has made this CD which shows the new aspects of the band, plus some other tracks recorded in live in Buenos Aires (Astral theatre) which are a real jewel. Having a polished and typical sound, Markama comes back to the world proving that it is as alive as always and that it has a lot more still to show. "Gualicho" can solve problems."
"Be sure that if you choose it for a present, you’ll be fondly remembered."
LOS ANDES Mendoza, Argentina 3 / 3 / 1996
Markama was the best part of the second night of the Americanto festival.
"Best dish! After so many years, Markama keeps up its charisma untouched. Also its particular musical style. After midnight, the group crushed the audience with its carnavalitos and the virtuous use of the instruments. The reply was immediate. The 2000 people stood up applauding and everybody danced as soon as "El Alcatraz" began. In the hottest point moment of the whole Americanto festival, the audience pleaded for encores during some minutes".
24ª California - Uruguaiana Brasil. 10/12/94
Markama gave a show in good taste and efficiency
"One hour and ten minutes of efficiency and simplicity. This was what the group Markama offered to the audience that was present in the Fifth Festival in the Park of the Rural Association. After acknowledging the opportunity of playing at the Festival, the Markamas manifested their sadness due to the death of Tom Jobim and they paid homage taking a minute of applauses, attitude that had the general adhesion of the audience."
"With a strong presence of wind instruments, Markama performed beautifully in terms of repertory. The theme was Latin American folk music and its highest moment was the great performance of "Brasilerinho". Another outstanding artist was Mingo Casciani, who stole the show with his Peruvian case instrument, causing the audience to explode."
"Markama was successful."
Clarín Espectáculos. Buenos Aires, 31/8/1.985
MARKAMA CELEBRATES HERE ITS FIRST TEN YEARS
by Carlos Polimeni
"…The facts prove that Markama has mainly young fans. Markama has not reached this through concessions of any kind in its ten-year trajectory; instead it has generated a current of spontaneous adhesion to its way of putting together pristine Andean traditional material with incorporated elements of some other Latin American cultures and sometimes even European ones. Markama can be defined with Augusto Raúl Cortázar’s words which compare folk roots with a river. "Let us accept the order of maintaining our traditional ways", he wrote in Esquema del Folklore, "not in a stagnant or stiff way, as a sacred and centenarian mummy, but instead as something alive and dynamic; let us be similar to a river, always renewed and identical, a river that keeps up its shape after a millennium in the configuration of the landscape. A river that maintains its essence despite the various substances that have been carried by its current". What Markama has done, from Mendoza to the world, is to establish in a musical way that tradition is not a "stiff past" like history, but instead it nourishes the conscience of today’s men."
ALLEHANDA 1/ 7 /85
Lindesberg received the great visit of the hugely virtuous folk music group Markama from Argentina
"It is very rare to see a Swedish audience become uncontrolled and let itself be amazed by foreign visitors. This happened last Saturday in Siggebohyttan. The reason was the Argentinean folk music group Markama, which came in a fugacious visit to Sweden to give shows in Lindesberg and Karlskoga only. (Epigraph of picture) "The audience was so captivated that Markama had to perform for an extra half an hour".
KARLSKOGA TIDNING Suecia. 25 / 6 / 85
The Nobel weekend becomes a tradition
"Argentinean folk music will be the event of the year."
ALLEHANDA 1/ 7 /85 Suecia
¡ Tan arrebatador y tan bueno ! Fueron muchos los elogios emitidos cuando el grupo folklórico argentina Markama actuaba el pasado sábado ante numeroso público en el K-center…
CLARÍN Buenos Aires 22 de julio de 1.985 / ESPECTACULOS
"Europe was astonished by Markama."
CLARIN - 1 de febrero de 1.985
Cosquín: That which we have, and that which is missing
"With the exception of Markama, and a very reduced number of artists, the folk music of higher elaboration is permanently absent in the Festival of Cosquin".
EL TRIBUNO - Matutino Independiente. Salta - 20 de noviembre 1984 - Second seccion
The daily ritual of making past become present.
"If it were possible to sum up in a name the strange and exquisite symbiosis that results when you mix millenary indoamerican rhythms with the newest conceptions of musical composition, we should talk -in a compulsory way- of Markama."