Toque Profundo
| Toque Profundo | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
| Genres | Rock en español, Punk rock, Alternative |
| Years active | 1989-Present |
| Associated acts | Jodio Loco Sucio, Tabu Tek |
| Website | http://www.toqueprofundo.com |
| Members | Tony Almont Clemente Portillo Tomas Alvarez Joel Lazala |
| Past members | Leo Susana |
Toque Profundo, sometimes referred to as Toque, or TP, is a rock group from the Dominican Republic, the most successful of the local Dominican bands to date in the late 80s and 90s. Most of the songs were related to their native country, and some songs, like "El Jevito" and "Mi País", involved social criticism and issues within Dominican culture.
It all started in 1989 when Toque Profundo participated in the popular event "Las Olimpiadas del Rock" (English: Rock Olympics). The original lineup was: Tony Almont (vocals), Leo Susana (guitars), Osvaldo Peña (bass), Lorenzo Zayas-Bazan (keyboards) and Maximo Gomez (drums). They were the best out of 15 participating bands in the event, edging out favorites "Arcangel" by a very small margin in a legendary duel. The band slowly gained experience and acceptance from the small Dominican rock listeners in Santo Domingo.
In 1992 they released the 1st independent album named "Sueños y Pesadillas Del 3er Mundo" (Dreams and Nightmares of The 3rd World). This was the first CD ever at that time to be released independently by their own financial means.
The CD immediately became a classic and best seller in Dominican rock history. Songs like "El Bolero Del Biónico", "Amigo", and "Mandela" were hits on local Dominican radio stations shortly after the album’s release.
That same year they were nominated as "Best Rock Group" in the Cassandra Awards, a similar Dominican version of the Grammy Awards. They also were involved in the international event "Rock Sobre Las Piedras" which took place at Altos de Chavón.
Towards 1993 the young group was chosen by Dominicans to represent them in the international event "Festival De Benidorm" in Spain with the song "Dios Salve Al Viajero"(God Save The Traveler). In 1996 they released their 2nd independent album named "Moneda" (Spanish for ‘coins’, also refers to money). Bigger success resulted from this second album. Songs Like "Llorar", the long-awaited "Dios Salve Al Viajero" and "Ramona"(a playful take on Eric Clapton’s classic unplugged rendition of “Layla”), all became top No. 1 hits on radio. This album is considered a classic within Dominican rock culture and, at the same time, sparked the “local rock bands” evolution.
In 1999 they released The 3rd Album "Cría Cuervos" (sort of like “Breed Crows”), which became their most successful album of their career at that date. Tracks like "Botas Negras", "Liberate", and "Noche Sin Luna" also became top No. 1 singles. "Noche Sin Luna" later became the longest-enduring song to remain in the top No. 1 list on Dominican radio. "Cría Cuervos", like the two preceding albums, was an independent album showing the musical growth of the band and their ever-growing fan base in their native country and in Latin America.
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Wikipedia