Guatemalan rock

Guatemalan Rock or Rock Chapín is a genre of rock music which has been developing in Guatemala since the mid-1970s

The rock movement with Spanish texts began in Guatemala in the mid-1960s. One of the first representatives of the rock movement was Luis Galich, with his band Santa Fé, who played gigs and concerts in Guatemala City and some of the towns. Bands like Plástico Pesado (Manu Ramirez, Tacuche, Rollin y Paco Lam) later renamed Quetzalumán, were more on the side of the experimental and original music. Other psychedelic bands of that time included S.O.S. (Rony de Leon, Chepito Hope, David de Gandarias, Armando Fong ), Caballo Loco, Apple Pie (Tito Henkle, Luis Zetina, Rico Molina & Gentry), Cuerpo y Alma, Banda Clásica, Cerebro, La Compañía, Siglo XX, Eclipse, and Pastel de Fresa. One remarkable milestone was the unprecedented creation in 1973-74 of the rock opera Corazón del sol naciente (Heart of the Sunrise) by Sol Naciente, a large youth group formed by dancers, solo vocalists, an extended chorus, as well as band which included Guatemalan percussion instruments besides "unplugged" acoustical guitars, piano, and solo violin. Some of the band members later formed the group Alción.

A very important and popular band during the 2000s and 90s was Alux Nahual, one of the Spanish lyrics writing and singing rock bands, that has published a number of recordings in Guatemala. At their beginnings they were heavily influenced by progressive rock bands such as Kansas and Jethro Tull, though they added a very important native theme to their lyrics, it never really evolved into their sound. Their members nowadays are active musicians giving reunion concerts but mostly keep working as individuals producing and performing.

Another popular band was Extincion, which opened for bands such as Control Machete and Enrique Bunbury, they characterized for their hard lyrics and speed metal sounds.

Guatemalan rock bands such as Radio Viejo, Ricardo Andrade y los Últimos Adictos (which disbanded after their leader, Ricardo Andrade, was murdered in Sanarate, El Progreso), Bohemia Suburbana, Viernes verde and Viento en Contra have enjoyed popularity among high-school and college students during the 1990s and 2000s, like Fabulas (http://www.reverbnation.com/#!/fabulas) and La Tona too, being Bohemia Suburbana the most influential band to emerge from the scene around that decade. Fusing influences like U2 and Soda Stereo, Bohemia Suburbana created something rooted on well crafted melodies and arrangements. Their most noted influences came from underground American and European sounds and some South American and Caribbean. The band has been active again after their reunion in 2012 called "BS20" and they released a new album entitled Imaginaria Sonora which put them back in the Guatemalan rock scene. Their recent single/video "Pero Nadie" received 20,000 views in one day.

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