El Cuarteto de Nos
Encyclopedia
El Cuarteto de Nos is a rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 group formed in 1980 in Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...

, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...

.

Resume

El Cuarteto is the oldest active Uruguayan band. It has gained universal praise trascending local culture through universal themes and engaging everyday pathos in a humorous light.

Beginnings

In 1980, El Cuarteto de Nos played their first show, an instrumental set in the "El Tinglado" theater. They also played at the "La Máscara", "El Circular", "Teatro de la Alianza Francesa" theaters while their own musical style was being developed. In 1984, the first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

 was released, as Alberto Wolf and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...

 Álvaro Pintos joined the group.

In 1985, they stepped on a stage, located in a fair
Street fair
A street fair is a fair that celebrates the character of a neighborhood. As its name suggests, it is usually held on the main street of a neighborhood....

 from Villa Biarritz, dressed up with aluminum foil on their legs and balloons tied into their heads.

First albums

In 1986, they edited their first LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...

, Soy una Arveja (I am a Pea), on where they performed some hits, and the following year, at a concert they performed, the members were dressed up as old ladies, promoting the song Soy una Vieja (I am an Old Lady).
In the same year, their second album was released, Emilio García (by then, the fictional manager).

In 1990, the album Canciones del Corazón (Songs of the Heart) was released in cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...

, it was a commercial success.

Unexpected success

In 1994, after four years of hiatus, the album Otra Navidad en las Trincheras (Another Christmas in the Trenches) is released, which achieved quadruple platinum disc almost instantly, making them the first Uruguayan band ever to achieve it, this album has a wider musical amplitude, having mixed salsa
Salsa music
Salsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...

, music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

, and electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...

, in the band's usual mocking style, the most successful songs of this album were Sólo un rumor (Just a rumour), El primer oriental desertor (The first oriental
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...

 deserter), Soy un capón (I'm a capon
Capon
A capon is a rooster that has been castrated to improve the quality of its flesh for food.-History:The Romans are credited with inventing the capon. The Lex Faunia of 162 BC forbade fattening hens in order to conserve grain rations. In order to get around this the Romans castrated roosters, which...

), Bo Cartero (Hey, Mr. Postman; a mocking, spanish version of Please Mr. Postman
Please Mr. Postman
"Please Mr. Postman" is the debut single by The Marvelettes for the Tamla label, notable as the first Motown song to reach the number-one position on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart. The single achieved this position in late 1961; it hit number one on the R&B chart as well. "Please Mr...

), El putón del barrio (The biggest slut
Slut
Slut or slattern is a pejorative term applied to an individual who is considered to have loose sexual morals or who is sexually promiscuous...

 of the neighbourhood) and Me agarré el pitito con el cierre (I caught my peepee
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...

 with the zip, being said in a childish manner).

Mocking their success, they call their 1995 album Barranca abajo (Downhill), this album is acknowledged as darker than their previous works, and exploiting the success generated by Otra Navidad en las Trincheras, they release in the same year, the album La misma porquería (The same rubbish), a compilation
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...

 of their first three albums.

Controversy

At late 1996, they release their seventh album El Tren Bala (The Bullet Train
Bullet train
Bullet train may refer to:* The Shinkansen high speed trains of Japan, so nicknamed for their appearance and speed* Other high speed trains of a similar appearance to the original Japanese trains...

), this album was controversial
Controversy
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of opinion. The word was coined from the Latin controversia, as a composite of controversus – "turned in an opposite direction," from contra – "against" – and vertere – to turn, or versus , hence, "to turn...

 in Uruguay, since one of its songs, named El día que Artigas se emborrachó (The day Artigas got drunk) makes an allusion to José Gervasio Artigas
José Gervasio Artigas
José Gervasio Artigas is a national hero of Uruguay, sometimes called "the father of Uruguayan nationhood".-Early life:Artigas was born in Montevideo on June 19, 1764...

, the father of Uruguay, which led to attempts of banning the song. Delaying the release of the album, being the reason of the creation of their own label, Manzana Verde (Green Apple). Because of the diversity of musical styles presented, the reception of this record is very high, becoming a gold record in a week.

Decay

In 1998, the group signs a contract with Sony BMG, and releases Revista ¡¡Ésta!! (Magazine this one!!), the reception of this album is poor, such as its next album, Cortamambo (Killjoy
Killjoy
Killjoy is the second full-length album released by New Zealand band, Shihad. This album was released in May 1995.It is their first album to go gold in New Zealand...

), released in 2000.

Revival

In 2004, they released El Cuarteto de Nos, a compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...

 of their all-time hits, plus three new songs, called Hay que comer (We have to eat), No quiero ser normal (I don't want to be normal) and Fui yo (It was me), the album is made in a rocker style.

During the year 2005 they were dedicated to present their new album, as well as celebrating the band's 21st anniversary with a show, having as special guests the musicians Gabriel Peluffo and Tabaré Rivero, amongst other famous musicians of Uruguay.

On May 20, 2006, the album Raro (Weird) is released. It was a major commercial success, it rose to the top of the Uruguayan chart, reaching golden disc only few weeks later. In 2007, El Cuarteto de Nos was nominated for Latin Grammy with "Yendo a la casa de Damián" on their album Raro. They started a trip around the world including stops at the Vive Latino Festival in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, as well as the Rock Festival Park in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

.

In 2008, they performed for Pepsi Music 2008, a huge festival in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

, along with other big bands and solo artists.

Departing of Ricardo Musso and the releasing of Bipolar

On May 27, 2009, in the midst of the development of Bipolar, it was said that Ricardo Musso would have artistical and administrative differences with the course the band has had taken. Majareta Productions, announced that the band won't split, but it'll suffer a structure change. With the departure of Ricardo Musso, two new musicians had joined the band, replacing Musso's guitar, Gustavo Antuña and the keyboardist Santiago Marrero.
Finally, after many setbacks (such as the departure of Musso and the leaking of the album in Taringa!
Taringa!
Taringa! is a virtual community from Argentina created in 2004 by Fernando Sanz, then acquired in November 2006 by Alberto Nakayama and the Botbol brothers . On Taringa!, users can share all kinds of information through posts...

), the album was released on September 2009, the album's reception was high, having won five Graffiti Awards on June 2010.

Members

  • Roberto Musso - "El Rober" (Guitar
    Guitar
    The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

     and vocals)
  • Ricardo Musso - "Riky" (Guitar
    Guitar
    The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

     and vocals)
  • Santiago Tavella - "Santi" (Bass guitar
    Bass guitar
    The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

     and vocals)
  • Álvaro Pintos - "Alvin" (Drummer
    Drummer
    A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...

     and vocals)
  • Gustavo Antuña - "Topo" (Guitar
    Guitar
    The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

    )
  • Santiago Marrero - (Keyboardist
    Keyboardist
    A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...

    )

Discography

  • El Cuarteto de Nos - Alberto Wolf - 1984
  • Soy una arveja - 1986
  • Emilio García - 1988
  • Canciones del Corazón - 1990
  • Otra Navidad en las Trincheras - 1994
  • Barranca Abajo - 1995
  • La misma porquería - 1995
  • El Tren Bala - 1996
  • Revista ¡¡Ésta!! - 1998
  • Cortamambo - 2000
  • El Cuarteto de Nos - 2004
  • Raro - 2006
  • Bipolar
    Bipolar (El Cuarteto de Nos album)
    Bipolar is the 12th album by Uruguayan rock band El Cuarteto de Nos released on September 17, 2009.-Tracklisting:This information adapted from Allmusic....

    - 2009
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