Kevin Johansen
Encyclopedia
Kevin Johansen is an Argentine
-American
rock
musician
. Born to an Argentine mother, Marta Calvet, and an American father, he lived most of his childhood in the San Francisco Bay Area
, but moved with his family to Buenos Aires
at the age of 12. Later he moved to Montevideo
, Uruguay
, where he learned to play guitar.
Johansen made a brief appearance in the local rock scene with the band Instrucción Cívica with Julian Benjamin in the 80s who released two albums Obediencia Debida in 1985 and Instrucción Cívica in 1986, but went to New York
in 1990. There he met and married his Argentine
wife, with whom he has a daughter. He played in the CBGB's club for long years, until he created the group The Nada, and in 2000 recorded the album with the same name, a mix of different Latin sounds with modern pop
, funk
and rock
.
During the same year, and with the new album in his hands, he returned to Argentina, where he currently lives. The album, released by Los Años Luz, was relatively successful and Johansen and the group went on tour as far as Spain
(album edited there by K Industrias).
By the end of 2002 Johansen recorded Sur o no Sur, also released by Los Años Luz in Argentina and by Sony Music in the rest of the world.
During 2003, Johansen became successful in Argentina, playing in June at the Gran Rex Theatre
, the largest Buenos Aires
hall. Again in Spain, he promoted his new album with concerts in Madrid
and Barcelona
, this time with bigger audiences. He also performed during the MTV
Latino awards, from where he continued a concerts tour to Miami, New York
, Chicago
, Los Angeles
and San Francisco prior to the release of the album in United States
.
In 2004 he continued with concerts in Mexico
, Chile
, Belgium
and again Spain
(now in many different cities) with an even greater response from the people and the media.
At the Latino Grammy Award
s, Sur o no Sur was nominated for "Album of the year", "Song of the year" ("La Procesión") and "Best Music Video" ("La Procesión").
In between trips, recorded his third album City Zen, again by Los Años Luz, which was well received both by fans and the media. The cover of his album Logo was drawn by cartoonist Liniers.
Due to his physical resemblance to Argentine football
player Piojo López, he is frequently called Piojo Johansen.
2/4 beat and are used to dance Argentine tango
to at milongas
. For example; "Sur o no sur" and "Tangómana" are popular with alternative tango DJs in the US.
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...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. Born to an Argentine mother, Marta Calvet, and an American father, he lived most of his childhood in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, but moved with his family to Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
at the age of 12. Later he moved to 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...
, where he learned to play guitar.
Johansen made a brief appearance in the local rock scene with the band Instrucción Cívica with Julian Benjamin in the 80s who released two albums Obediencia Debida in 1985 and Instrucción Cívica in 1986, but went to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1990. There he met and married his Argentine
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...
wife, with whom he has a daughter. He played in the CBGB's club for long years, until he created the group The Nada, and in 2000 recorded the album with the same name, a mix of different Latin sounds with modern pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and 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...
.
During the same year, and with the new album in his hands, he returned to Argentina, where he currently lives. The album, released by Los Años Luz, was relatively successful and Johansen and the group went on tour as far as Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(album edited there by K Industrias).
By the end of 2002 Johansen recorded Sur o no Sur, also released by Los Años Luz in Argentina and by Sony Music in the rest of the world.
During 2003, Johansen became successful in Argentina, playing in June at the Gran Rex Theatre
Teatro Gran Rex
The Teatro Gran Rex is an Art Deco style theatre in Buenos Aires, Argentina which opened on July 8, 1937, as the largest cinema in South America....
, the largest Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
hall. Again in Spain, he promoted his new album with concerts in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
and Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, this time with bigger audiences. He also performed during the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Latino awards, from where he continued a concerts tour to Miami, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and San Francisco prior to the release of the album in United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In 2004 he continued with concerts 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...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and again Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(now in many different cities) with an even greater response from the people and the media.
At the Latino Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s, Sur o no Sur was nominated for "Album of the year", "Song of the year" ("La Procesión") and "Best Music Video" ("La Procesión").
In between trips, recorded his third album City Zen, again by Los Años Luz, which was well received both by fans and the media. The cover of his album Logo was drawn by cartoonist Liniers.
Due to his physical resemblance to Argentine football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player Piojo López, he is frequently called Piojo Johansen.
Johansen and tango
Several of Kevin Johansen's songs have a typical milongaMilonga
Milonga can refer to an Argentine, Uruguayan, and Southern Brazilian form of music which preceded the tango and the dance form which accompanies it, or to the term for places or events where the tango or Milonga are danced...
2/4 beat and are used to dance Argentine tango
Argentine tango
Argentine tango is a musical genre of simple quadruple metre and binary musical form, and the social dance that accompanies it. Its lyrics and music are marked by nostalgia, expressed through melodic instruments including the bandoneon. Originated at the ending of the 19th century in the suburbs of...
to at milongas
Milonga (place)
Milonga is a term for a place or an event where tango is danced. People who frequently go to milongas are sometimes called milongueros. The term "milonga" can also refer to a musical genre....
. For example; "Sur o no sur" and "Tangómana" are popular with alternative tango DJs in the US.
Discography
- The Nada (2000)
- Sur o no Sur (2002)
- City Zen (2004)
- Logo (2007)
- Kevin Johansen + The Nada + Liniers = Vivo en Buenos Aires (2010)
External links
- Kevin's Official Site (English and Spanish)
- Interview (English)