Carajo - Argentinian Band Trivia Quiz

Answer: Nu (new) Metal

Carajo was formed by singer-bassist Marcelo "Corvata" Corvalan, drummer Andres "Andy" Vilanova and guitarist Hernan "Tery" Langer.

Argentina had its fair share of successful metal bands such as Rata Blanca, Hermetica, and V8 among others, but the genre was dwindling a bit in the late '90s. One of the leading bands of that time, A.N.I.M.A.L. (acronym of "Acosados Nuestros Indios Murieron Al Luchar", meaning "Harassed, Our Indians Died While Fighting"), of which Corvalan and Vilanova were part, had a few crossover songs that were sung in rapper style by Corvalan himself, but they never truly embraced the genre.

When both departed the band, they recruited Langer and recorded their first demo, containing three songs with clear Nu Metal elements.

Answer: Severe economic crisis

In December 2001, Argentina entered a severe economic and social crisis that had lasting effects on a whole generation. It was during that time that Carajo started writing new material for their debut, some of which dealt with the ongoing discontent of the people.

The best known of these songs is their first single, which explicitly stresses the difficult situation the country was going through (the title includes profanity, so I won't give it here). The song is a full Nu Metal piece, complete with minimalistic guitar riffs in the verses, coupled with Corvalan's rapping, an explosive, heavy, chorus, and a melodic bridge.

Other songs in this theme were "Resistiendo con Ideas" ("Resisting With Ideas") and "Mal Popular" ("People's Sickness").

Answer: Sitar

"De Frente Al Mar" ("Facing The Sea") showcases a softer side by Carajo, with a very laid back tune and minimal instrumentation. The middle part features a sitar solo, played by Miguel "Botafogo" Vilanova (Andy's father), a famous local session guitarist. He also plays slide guitar parts in "Triste" ("Sad"), one of the promotional singles.

The album theme shifted from the social and political criticism to a more spiritual side, with several songs about empowering and challenging yourself.

"Atrapasueños" was a massive success for Carajo, not only in Argentina but also in some other South American countries.

Answer: He broke his wrist

Vilanova suffered a bike accident in mid tour that ended with his arm broken. Not wanting to disappoint fans by cancelling the remaining dates, Langer and Corvalan, with the help of other musicians, began performing their songs in various styles, such as electronica, reggae, bossa nova and hip hop, as well as playing covers.

Despite his injury, Vilanova could still play a few parts of the songs that made it into the album.

Answer: Zion

As reggae music is so deeply rooted in the Rastafari movement, a reference to Zion is kind of a giveaway. The song itself goes from an explosive intro/chorus to a calm verse that is based on a reggae beat.

"Inmundo" also features punk rock songs, a couple of power ballads, and the first incursions into groove metal, a genre that the band would eventually adopt in full, leaving the Nu Metal sound behind.

Speaking of Nu Metal, the album's first single, "Chico Granada" ("Grenade Boy") can be considered their last Nu Metal song, as it contains the typical low key riffs and rapping. However, in a departure from the genre, it features a nice melodic solo by Langer, who started expanding his playing style starting from this album.

Answer: "Libres?" ("Free?")

"Libres?" was premiered on Carajo's live shows before the release of "Inmundo" in 2007. The song was so well received that it became a staple in their shows. Many fans were disappointed when it wasn't included in "Inmundo".

Musically, the album marked a shift in style for the band. By that time, Nu Metal's popularity was on a steady decline, and so many bands of the genre had begun steering away from the sound. Carajo chose a gloomier sound, with more bass-driven songs, and occasional bursts of Groove Metal. ("Libres?" was one of them). Only one song retains their former rapping vocals.

Answer: It is a double CD

Following a trend that some other bands used in past years, Carajo released a double album, with each of the discs focusing on a distinct kind of sound.

The first CD highlights the heavy side of the band, which, by this time, had fully turned to a groove metal sound similar to that of Pantera, a major influence for the band. The second one features a softer sound, while maintaining some of the heavy riffs and rock style. One of the songs is sung primarily by Langer, who only contributed choruses or small lines in previous records.

The album's artwork expands on the face-to-face idea, as the packaging is symmetrical, with both CDs placed at the ends of the case when fully unfolded, and the center fold containing 17 cards with the song lyrics and the album credits.

Answer: Gustavo Cerati

"Hoy Como Ayer" was released in commemoration of the 15 years of the band. The DVD contains a documentary of their career while the CD, as mentioned in the question text, contains live recordings of most of the band's promotional singles.

The four new songs are more of an alternative rock approach, not relying on the heavy sounds they used on most of the albums. "Constrictor" features Ciro Pertusi, long time lead singer of punk band Attaque 77; "Invisible" features "Walas" Cidade from the band Massacre, a major influence for Carajo; "Maleficio" ("Curse") features Ruiz Diaz, singer of Catupecu Machu and Vanthra; and "Cicatriz" ("Scar") features Javier "Knario" Compiano, a metalcore singer, then in the band Plan 4.

Gustavo Cerati was the lead singer and guitarist of Soda Stereo, considered one of the most influential Argentinian and Latin American rock bands in history. After a long period in a coma after suffering a stroke, he died on September 2014, two years prior to this release.

Answer: It contains a QR code to access the songs

Carajo were the first band in Argentina to encrypt a whole album in a QR code. The code was part of the peculiar format chosen for the album -- a 96-page photo book going through the whole history of the band.

The record, once again released during a severe crisis in the country, goes back to social critique themes for the most part, though it also features some mellower and introspective songs, including the band's only love song, "Lo Mejor de Mí" ("The Best Side Of Me"), written by Corvalan for his wife.

As for the remaining options, another Argentinian band, La Renga, distributed their 2022 album, "Alejado de la Red" ("Away from the Network") in a flash drive with maximum sound quality and music videos for all songs; in late 2012, Beck published "Song Reader", a book with sheet music for 20 songs intended to be played by other musicians who would share their recordings for an upcoming CD, which was released in 2014. Oh yes, there is no such thing as an oval disc -- how would anyone play that?

Answer: Arde La Sangre

As of the date of writing of this quiz, the official reason for Carajo's disbanding were not disclosed, although Vilanova stated in an Instagram post that the relationship with the other members had strained to the point that it resulted in a breakup, which was eventually confirmed when the new band was formed.

Arde La Sangre (sometimes referred to as just ALS - that was the hint) is Spanish for "Blood is Burning". It consists of Corvalan and Langer in their usual roles, joined by guitarist Luciano Farelli and drummer Ignacio Benavides. They released their debut álbum, "La Cura" ("The Cure") in 2021.

As for Vilanova, he turned to session playing, and, since 2022, became the touring drummer for local Trap singer Duki.