aquelarre*

About

Aquelarre were a Buenos Aires progressive rock band whose sound stood well apart from the rock and roll most Argentine acts were playing in the early 1970s. Formed in 1971 by Emilio del Güercio and Rodolfo García after their previous band Almendra dissolved, the four piece rounded out their lineup with guitarist Héctor Starc and keyboardist Hugo González Neira. What set them apart was a restless approach to rhythm and melody, surrealistic lyrics, and a willingness to wander into free jazz territory. Between 1972 and 1975 they put out four albums, Aquelarre, Candiles, Brumas and Siesta, building a catalog that still holds up as some of the most adventurous music to come out of Argentina in that era. A tour of Spain followed, and the band eventually called it a day with a farewell concert back home in 1977. They later returned with new recordings in 1999 and 2006, and a box set collected everything in 2008.