Jairo Manzur's Famous 5 playlist
Following an great interview with Noise Artists, Jairo Manzur, Editor of the music blog "Sonidos que permanecen" (ex Shoegaze Latino America) crafted for you a famous 5 playlist of Latino America indie songs that are important to him. Discover which one and why.
"It has been a long time since I did a selection of favorite songs. As with the time I have grown tired with the idea of “favorite” I decided to créate a topic, and think of 5 songs that have marked my life centred on that idea/topic.
I decided to work with the idea of memory and space, how a song can affect your memories and your relationship with a certain place. So this is not a selection of recent songs, instead this is music that I have been listening during the last 5 years, songs that usually re-emerged in my mind. Songs I felt I have a strong connection with."
Flores de Bach- Brillar
The first one was hard for me, I think I could make a selection of songs I love made by projects from Valparaiso, Chile. Maybe like 5 years back, I got to know more about the musical scene in that city (bands like Adelaida or records labels like “Sello Recolector”).
It was a instant crush not only with the Music but with the city itself. There was a sense of magic and poetry in each band from Valparaiso that made me want to meet that place. That happened 2 years back when I traveled across Chile with my girlfriend and get to Valparaiso with the sea, the walls and his intricated streets that leed to nowhere.
I decided to choose Flores de Bach and its song “Brillar” because it comes from one of my favorite EPs ever, “Cosmogonia de los Valles”. The EP reflects that sense of magic from the city with its beach, the mountain and its valleys. Anyway I could have chosen also songs like “Para siempre” by Fotogramas, "Oceano Mundial" of Adelaida or “Los Elementos” of Antonio Duarte as all of them are lifted by the same spirit.
Lou Bauman- Caminar
Back when I was living in Colombia, I became a huge fan of Fusibles, an amazing band here in Buenos Aires. I never though that I would became good friend with all of them and would be able to reléase (with other people) one of his records.
His founder, Lou Baumann made me discover this amazing song (and record). “Caminar” (walking) has catharthic importance in my life. Each time iI feel overwhelmed or blocked, I try to take a walk to free my thoughts.
During my first months in Buenos Aires (trying to understand a new city/ looking for a job) this song was one of my companions. Its curious because this song has two versions. This one was made for “Performances Sonoras”. Its quite bitter and rough. Then in 2015 Lou record this song with his personal band for his record “ Canciones Electricas” and the song changes from a more depressive song to an uplifting one:
Diciembra- 3 Pecados
We were talking the other day with the couple I lived with, about the differences between the music made in Buenos Aires and the Music made in Montevideo. Two cities that are one in front in each other, separated only by “el rio de la plata”, but have many cultural and social differences, that impact the way life and also the way music is made.
In general all the bands from Uruguay have that sense of "every day life" that Buenos Aires lacks and that in the case of people living in Buenos Aires makes it so interesting to showcase a different way of life and show that things between two places that are not so different at the end. Well, this record is a favorite among many (on both sides of that river) and for me, even if the band does not exists anymore, it is destined to be a classic.
I have a very personal story with this record and looking back to the first time I heard it that has not changed at all. On the contrary, my love for this record has increased over the time. I chose the first song “Encandila” because its a great opening to an amazing and emotional record, but any of the nine songs would have worked.
Un dia afuera- Columpios al suelo
You already know too well this song (see Noise Artists article: Is Columpios al Suelo's "Un dia Afuera" the best tribute to 80's britpop ever made?). Anyway for me its amazing because I have been a fan of this song for like 5 years even if the oficial song was released just this year.
The way that I got to know Columpios al Suelo may sound silly but it a nice story. I think I added them to my Facebook several years back because I liked the name (or maybe they did, I'm not really sure). Around that time they only had some demos on soundcloud and many live recordings on Youtube of their songs. It was in that way that I became enchanted with their music.
Much water under the bridge later, I got to meet first Juan Pablo (singer and guitarist of Columpios al Suelo) when he came to Buenos Aires, playing with another band he is part of, called Maifersoni. We became Friends and when I went to Santiago 2 years back, I stayed at his home and attended to one of their gigs. The next year “Un día Afuera” was finally released on their second EP and the rest is history.
Puna- Au dial
Puna was the first contact I got with the always fertile and challenging Shoegaze and experimental scene in Perú, so his music represents something important for me in terms of learning and discovery.
In my opinión they are one of the more original and inventive Shoegaze bands out there. “Au dial” was released first as a single in advance of their debut record in 2014 through my site, something have been always prouf of. The layers of Sound on the track are astonishing and the heavy use of sequencers and oscillators add his trademark to the sound. This is a song I always return to, the epicness and saturation are enchanting.
Its weird the whole record got not too much attention of the press in Perú and internationally: “Au Dial” is an outstanding record for Shoegaze, Post-Rock and experimental fans. This was recently reissued by Chip Musik Records along with another whole album of B-sides and outakes of the time.
