Panorama Faro: December

Magazine AM:PM
19.01.2024
20 minutes Reading

After the end of 2023, we wanted to dedicate the last Panorama of the year to a small musical balance of each of the media that make up the FARO alliance. This summary is accompanied by a list of the ten best albums released in each country and an extensive playlist prepared for your enjoyment. However, we didn't want to miss the opportunity to remind you that, despite the good music, this has been a very sad year for all of us. Unfortunately our colleague and friend, Rubén Scaramuzzino from Zona de Obras, passed away very prematurely and that has been the most remarkable fact of everything that happened in Faro. That's why we would like to dedicate this article summarizing 2023 to his memory, dear Ruben!

ARGENTINA

By Juampa Barbero - indie today

It is common to find people who still maintain the death of rock. The conservative saying that "all times past were better" is often repeated in comments on social networks and in music reviews. That is, anywhere but at a concert. In 2023, the outlook darkened for rock detractors, but the faithful attendees of live shows -whether underground or massive- were able to reinforce what was happening in the Argentine scene and refute the voices that point to the hegemony of trap. In the last few years, guitars took back control by the hand of bands that knew how to ramify the different incarnations of rock to ensure its validity, its strengthening and its total renewal.

The 20-year anniversary of El Mató a un Policía Motorizado not only brought with it a fresh and challenging album titled Super terrorbut also the consolidation of the band both at home and abroad. The group that began playing in houses and bars in La Plata, today is a tank that headlines festivals like Cosquín, Primavera Sound and Capital, to fill Geba and Luna Park. But 2023 was also an exemplary year for the new generations of artists like Barbi Recanati, Usted Señalemelo and Fonso, who gave a lecture with their respective albums. Meanwhile, we continue to be surprised by the scope of the so-called post-punkdemia scene led by bands that shook the board as Winona Riders, Nenagenix, Dum Chica, Sakatumba, El Club Audiovisual and -who lead our podium- Mujer Cebra. In difficult times like these, covering the lion's meow with waves of distortion is a remedy for the heart.

Top 10 albums Argentina

Mujer Cebra - Clase B: (highlighted: "Y no me digan nada)

Fonso - Labor Day (highlight: "Getting out of comfort")

Nenagenix - The closest thing to falling (highlight: "Backlight"))

El Mató a un Policía Motorizado - Super terror (featured: "Gold Medal"))

Faraonika - Farsanta (highlight: "Distraída"))

La Piba Berreta - A New God (highlight: "City"))

Winona Riders - The Sound of Ecstasy (featured: "So you like to do Lou Reed?)

Barbi Recanati - The end of things (highlight: "Things").)

Dum Chica - Dum (highlight: "Earthquake"))

WRRN - How does it feel to be better (highlight: "Balvanera")?)

BRAZIL
Summary of 2023 by Marcelo Costa / Scream & Yell

The year 2023 began in suspense for Brazilians: after four years of political nightmare, we managed to recover democracy, threatened by a coup in the first days of January, but which survived to triumph in the following months. And this had a decisive influence on various social sectors of our people's life, including culture: after a tense period, social networks have returned to discussing nonsense and gossip about pop artists, and although the current Brazilian "pop mainstream" (Jão, Luísa Sonza, Marina Sena and others) has generated more engagement than really good records, music production has produced several great albums for all tastes, from the dance pop of Ana Frango Elétrico and FBC to the new century pop of Luiza Lian and Letrux, from the twisted samba of Marcelo D2 and Jards Macalé to the noisy guitar rock of Pato Fu, Mateus Fazeno Rock and Sophia Chablau and Uma Enorme Perda de Tempo in a list that could easily extend to 50 albums. Happy New Year!

TOP 10 ALBUMS BRAZIL

Ana Frango Elétrico - "Me Chama de Gato Que Eu Sou Sua".

Luiza Lian - "7 Estrelas / Quem Arrancou o Céu?"

Sophia Chablau e Uma Enorme Perda de Tempo - "Música do Esquecimento".

Mateus Fazeno Rock - "Jesus Ñ Voltará".

Jards Macalé - "Coração Bifurcado".

Marcelo D2 - "Iboru".

terraplana - "Olhar para Trás" - "Looking Back".

Fu Duck - "30".

FBC - "Love, Forgiveness and Technology Will Take Us to Another Planet".

Letrux - "Letrux as Mulher Girafa".

CUBA

Summary of 2023 by Magazine AM:PM

In the memory of 2023 there remains what we consciously decided not to forget, but also what hurts us in some way or brings our soul back to our body. In a year of worrying news that seem to have no end, of announced and surprising farewells, of international conflicts that take away sleep and hope for a more humane world, fortunately we have been able to take refuge in the freedom and enjoyment of music. We have set out to relive some of the most relevant releases for the Cuban music scene, which, despite everything, continues to beat strong. As we did last year, we chose the ten most relevant Cuban albums, and once again we were pleasantly surprised by the results: From the debut albums of Héctor Téllez Jr. and the Aldama brothers; to the constant experimentation of Oscar Sánchez, passing through projects such as the one that united two fundamental bands of current popular dance music such as El Niño y La Verdad and Osain del Monte, or the unexpected shout-out of Land Whales, this was a year in which once again the richness and vitality of Cuban music was demonstrated.

TOP 10 Cuba

Mutación / Real Project

Pueblo Griffo / Havana D'Primera

LIFE / Omara Portuondo

Timba a la Americana / Harold Lopez-Nussa

Acqua di Oscaretto / Oscar Sanchez

Parallel / Aldama Brothers

The Great Unknown / Hector Tellez Jr.

Atomic / La Dame Blanche

Páramos / Frank Mitchel

What goes on and on / El Niño y La Verdad, Adonis and Osain del Monte

SPAIN

by Mondo Sonoro

The kingdom of guitars returns

It is possible that they never left, but the truth is that this year 2023 has been marked by the return of guitars to the forefront of the Spanish sound scene. And at MondoSonoro we couldn't be happier. Five of the top ten of our list are, more than obviously, groups that combine the riff in the first person. They are, without a doubt, the Catalan duo Cala Vento, who with their stupendous "Casa Linda", consolidate a career full of generational hymns as sharp as they are direct. La Paloma from Madrid or Arde Bogota from Murcia also do the same, from different corners of the ring, but they are not equally effective. And neither does the instrument Medalla, Mujeres or even Carlangas, who have made one of the most entertaining and varied albums of the season. And in the traditional section, the Canary Islander Valeria Castro has left us breathless with one of the most exciting and epidermic works of the year. The same happens with La Plazuela from Granada and their punkish and uncomplicated fusion of flamenco and electronica. Ten great albums that prove the good creative health of music in our country. Don Disturbios

TOP 10 Spain

Cala Vento - "Casa Linda

La Paloma - "Not yet".

Valeria Castro - "with love and care".

Ralphie Choo - "Supernova".

Arde Bogotá - "Cowboys de la A3".

Carlangas - "Carlangas

La Plazuela - "Roneo Funk Club".

Medal - "Duel".

Women - "From Flowers and entrails".

Grande Amore - "II".

MEXICO

by Indie Rocks!

A rather fleeting 2023 for the perception of this editorial. A lot of new music coming from all the states that make up our country and of course, a high offer of musical events in the big cities (CDMX and Monterrey) that confirm the passionate consumer public we have. However, something notorious was an increase of activities in the different stages and venues of other cities that gradually in recent years have had the intention of generating better circuits for independent talent. In the same way, national talents undertook and managed more tours inside and outside the country.

And despite the fact that we continue to be the country with its absent public policies and incentives in favor of culture and music, we have always been very resilient people -more so in music- and today we are more collective than ever. Having said that, we remember an anecdote that exemplifies what we have written: Shortly after OtisAfter the hurricane that hit the coasts of Guerrero last October, and mainly the port of our beautiful Acapulco, several artists and music media gathered in the booth of Ibero 90.9 to send messages of help and information. We have also experienced this with earthquakes and pandemics. Well, the future and the present are collective.

Lorelle Meets The Obsolete - Datura

Vanessa Zamora - DAMALEONA

Descartes to Kant - After Destruction

Titan - Mother Ship

Dorotheo - Nothing Written

Amor Muere - A time to love, a time to die

Valgur - Armaggedon

Pahua - Eclipse

Mint Field - Learning to be

Perritos Genéricos - ke dibertido es aser musika

Playlist:

URUGUAY

by Piiila

We will remember 2023 for its intensity (packed schedules, sold-out shows, Spotify's threat to leave the country), but also for the milestones achieved by our artists. We had two young icons coming to their first Summer Theater: Luana and Zeballos. They showed that with hard work, professionalism and hits, dreams can come true. The 2023 crown will be theirs. Luana, was crowned as the new Uruguayan queen of the song, while Zeballos (aka the Young King), led an urban genre that was in the spotlight: followed by knack and his collaborations (the EP Ubi to Private deserves to be highlighted separately), and also together with Mili Milansswith whom he has just released another album. And there was also Coffee tablebecoming the most listened Uruguayan soloist in Spotify, with the tracks Dale Mecha and A Photo (who just had a remix bomb with Emilia, Nicki Nicole and Tiago PZK).

This 2023 was also the year where the rock underground began to palpitate again with force, to the point of coming out with an overwhelming force that will undoubtedly continue to grow in the years to come. From this incipient movement there are two artists that we highlight this time: Sakeo Flower and Neamwavethe debuts of the year. This proves that it is necessary to put the eyes, ears and body back to the service of distortion.

TOP 10 Uruguay

Zeballos - Warp 5

Dani Umpi - Guazatumba

Flor Sakeo - Alba

Ino Guridi - It will happen

Patricia Turnes - The plants disk

Juan Wauters - Wandering Rebel

Knak - Organiko

Sofia Alvez - February

Neamwave - Mental

Mandrake and the Druids - The Raymundo Suite

COLOMBIA

By Shock

In Colombia, of course, much of what sounded in 2023 was marked by the global impact of new names at the top of reggaeton like FEID and Karol G. Also by the pop machinery of Morat. But the panorama of our musical tree, as well as life here, is more tangled and colorful. That's why in our annual selection of discs and favorite songs also punctuate independent names that embrace electronic and sound design experiments like those of Mitú and Brenda; the contemplative rap of the young Oblivion's Mighty Trash; the experiential pop of Juliana Velásquez; the indie memories of Raquel; the raw laments of La Muchacha and Los Ombligos; the danceable Afrofuturism of Alexis Play, Junior Zamora and Rancho Aparte; or the more visionary variables of peasant music by Velandia and La Tigra and Gato e' Monte. There are many scenes moving and mutating at the same time.

10 albums of the year recommended by Shock

I don't remember - Oblivion's Mighty Trash

AFROCOLOMBIA - Alexis Play, Junior Zamora

The mood of the night - Gato e' monte

Donkey proverbs - Velandia and the tigra

Re evolution - Rancho Aparte

Astra - Mitú

Amoeba - Brenda

Deep Sea - Juliana

Coastal car ride - Raquel

The navels - La Muchacha and the joint itself

SONGS

I don't remember - Oblivion's Mighty Trash

Hours - Alexis Play, Junior Zamora

Cumbia fumanchera - Gato e' monte

Venezuela- Velandia and the tigra

Bundemente - Rancho Aparte

No brakes - Mitú

Kolombia's Finest - Brenda

Deep Sea - Juliana

Coastal car ride - Raquel

El ofendío - La Muchacha and the joint itself

CHILE

BY POTQ

We bid farewell to a year in which culture seems to reactivate slowly and precariously, after social and health crises that have crossed us. Perhaps in Chile there are not many halls to play or laws that watch over the rights of artists and audiences, however the quality of the works that happen in this piece of land is surprising year after year. In 2023 some old friends returned to delight us with albums that sound cuspid. Pop maturity without losing the restlessness to go beyond is what Mon Laferte presented us in "Autopoiética" and Alex Anwandter in "El diablo en el cuerpo", two recognized names that positioned us on the map and that do not cease their poetic, danceable and rabid search.

The trap and reggaeton scene continues to build an empire. The scene steals the charts, steals weekend concerts, leads debates on mental health, fires friends, and continues to internationalize names. The eminence of Spanish trap, Pablo Chill-E, released a long awaited new album called "El Duende Verde", with monumental collaborations such as Duki, Aqua VS, King Savagge, Young Cister, Bryartz, Shisosa, ITHAN NY, La Zowi, Tunechikidd, Piero47, Flor de Rap, Polimá Westcoast, Gianluca and the late Galee Galee.

'Ando' is the 2023 song, as 'Ultrasolo' once was. Jere Klein came with his particular pronunciation and is the new elite of the genre, proving his hits in the awaited debut titled "Énfasis". Of course, who we feel has upped the game is Akriila, who with the mixtape "001" came to give new stories and colors to the urban scene. It's not for nothing that we will see her in several Latin American countries during the first months of 2024.

Rock is alive and young. Asia Menor was one of the favorites 2023 with the first album "Enola Gay", and the emo is tinged with Chile with another debut by Estoy Bien under the name of "Apoyo Emocional". The women, again, threw themselves into experimentation with guitars, vocals, samples, friends, nature, rooms and various feelings that this country leaves behind. Niña Tormenta questioned the rhythm of life in "Las Cosas Lento", Chini.png put us in a euphoric blender of mythology and strings in "El Día Libre de Polux" and PDA closed cycles with dreampop in the nostalgic "Pequeño Duelo".

Autopoietic' - "Autopoietic" - Mon Laferte