La Polla Records
Encyclopedia
La Polla Records is a Spanish
punk rock
band. They were formed in 1979 in Salvatierra/Agurain
, a small town in the Basque Country
(Spain
). Its founders were Evaristo Páramos, Maleguin, Txarly and Sume
. The name was somewhat controversial because in Spain's
Spanish
, polla is slang for penis
.
, capitalism
, and catholicism
.
The following years they recorded Revolución. In this album Abel replaced Maleguin on the bass. They later released more albums: No somos nada and En directo (recorded live) as well as Ellos dicen mierda, nosotros amén ("They say shit, we say Amen"), Los jubilados, Barman, Negro and Hoy es el futuro.
In 1991, due to some issues with a former band member, a tribunal forbade their use of the name La Polla Records. The band ignored the sentence and released Bajo presión under the forbidden name. In 1996, however, they changed their name and simply became La Polla. Under this new name they released Carne para la picadora.
La Polla en tu recto, another live album, was released in 1998. In 1999 they celebrated their 20th anniversary recording Toda la puta vida igual. Another album, Bocas, was later released. Shortly after, Txarly left the band. He was replaced by Jokin, former member of another Spanish punk band, Los Muertos de Cristo.
on September 3. The band cancelled the remaining concerts of the tour. After the loss of their drummer they released their last album: El último (el) de la Polla (literally, "La Polla's last").
La Polla Records was a band that was known as a symbol of rebellion against everything, to the point of them being called "anti-everything
". As a result of this they faced several major obstacles throughout their career, primarily threats and repression. The band members even faced jail time during a fiasco with Eskorbuto
, another Spanish band.
After La Polla Records were disbanded, Evaristo Paramos (vocals) released a book named "Por los Hijos lo que sea" where he told stories and anecdotes that told many of the same messages as his songs. Evaristo continued his musical career with bands such as The Kagas, The Meas and Gatillazo.
. Consequently, strong feelings of nationalism arose in the early years after Franco's death. The genre of the music became known as "Rock Radical Vasco" (Basque Radical Rock
). La Polla Records would share this stage with many other influential bands from the Basque country like Eskorbuto
, Kortatu
, and many others. The ska-punk band Ska-P
cites La Polla Records as one of their primary influences.
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...
punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band. They were formed in 1979 in Salvatierra/Agurain
Salvatierra/Agurain
Salvatierra in Spanish and Agurain in Basque , it is a town and municipality located in the province of Álava in the Basque Autonomous Community, northern Spain. The municipality, numbering 4,407 inhabitants , is in turn the head town of the district or Cuadrilla of Salvatierra...
, a small town in the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
(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...
). Its founders were Evaristo Páramos, Maleguin, Txarly and Sume
Sumé
Sumé is a town and municipality in the state of Paraíba in the Northeast Region of Brazil.-References:...
. The name was somewhat controversial because in Spain's
Peninsular Spanish
Peninsular Spanish, also known as European Spanish, refers to the varieties of the Spanish language spoken in the Iberian Peninsula, as opposed to the Spanish spoken in the Americas and in the Canary Islands....
Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, polla is slang for penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
.
Background
In 1981, they recorded an EP under the indie label Oihuka called ¿Y ahora qué? ("So now what?"). It had four songs. In 1984, La Polla Records released their first album called Salve. The lyrics harshly criticized fascismFascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
, capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
, and catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
.
The following years they recorded Revolución. In this album Abel replaced Maleguin on the bass. They later released more albums: No somos nada and En directo (recorded live) as well as Ellos dicen mierda, nosotros amén ("They say shit, we say Amen"), Los jubilados, Barman, Negro and Hoy es el futuro.
In 1991, due to some issues with a former band member, a tribunal forbade their use of the name La Polla Records. The band ignored the sentence and released Bajo presión under the forbidden name. In 1996, however, they changed their name and simply became La Polla. Under this new name they released Carne para la picadora.
La Polla en tu recto, another live album, was released in 1998. In 1999 they celebrated their 20th anniversary recording Toda la puta vida igual. Another album, Bocas, was later released. Shortly after, Txarly left the band. He was replaced by Jokin, former member of another Spanish punk band, Los Muertos de Cristo.
Separation
In 2002 La Polla were still actively playing when, quite suddenly, Fernandito died of a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
on September 3. The band cancelled the remaining concerts of the tour. After the loss of their drummer they released their last album: El último (el) de la Polla (literally, "La Polla's last").
La Polla Records was a band that was known as a symbol of rebellion against everything, to the point of them being called "anti-everything
Nihilism
Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...
". As a result of this they faced several major obstacles throughout their career, primarily threats and repression. The band members even faced jail time during a fiasco with Eskorbuto
Eskorbuto
Eskorbuto was a punk band from Santurtzi which formed in 1980. They have been one of the most influential bands for Spanish and Latin American punk rock. They are known for their strong attitude and crude lyrics. They were one of the first bands to perform punk with lyrics in Spanish...
, another Spanish band.
After La Polla Records were disbanded, Evaristo Paramos (vocals) released a book named "Por los Hijos lo que sea" where he told stories and anecdotes that told many of the same messages as his songs. Evaristo continued his musical career with bands such as The Kagas, The Meas and Gatillazo.
Legacy
La Polla Records were one of the first punk bands to sing in Spanish. They, along with dozens of other bands were part of an underground movement that existed throughout the 1980s in Spain, particularly in the Basque Country, that came as a reaction to the fall of fascism in Spain in 1975 with the death of Francisco FrancoFrancisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
. Consequently, strong feelings of nationalism arose in the early years after Franco's death. The genre of the music became known as "Rock Radical Vasco" (Basque Radical Rock
Basque Radical Rock
Basque Radical Rock, was a musical movement born in the Southern Basque Country at the beginning of the 1980s and, although there was no specific event, it is considered to have ended in the last years of the decade...
). La Polla Records would share this stage with many other influential bands from the Basque country like Eskorbuto
Eskorbuto
Eskorbuto was a punk band from Santurtzi which formed in 1980. They have been one of the most influential bands for Spanish and Latin American punk rock. They are known for their strong attitude and crude lyrics. They were one of the first bands to perform punk with lyrics in Spanish...
, Kortatu
Kortatu
Kortatu was a ska punk band from the Basque Country formed in Irun in the summer of 1984.Kortatu was born in the context of the first democracy years in Spain since 1936. They had a big significance for left-wing basque nationalism as precursors of a new wave of music: Basque Radical Rock...
, and many others. The ska-punk band Ska-P
Ska-P
Ska-P is a ska punk band formed in , Spain, in 1994.The band can be categorized, politically, as an anti-establishment musical group. It is one of the most popular ska bands in Spain, Europe, and Latin America....
cites La Polla Records as one of their primary influences.
Original members
- Evaristo Páramos - vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
- Maleguin - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Fernandito - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Txarly - guitarGuitarThe 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...
- Sume - guitarGuitarThe 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...
Late members
- Abel - bass guitar (from Y ahora qué? in 1983 to Revolución in 1985)
- Tripi - drums
- Jokin - guitar
Albums
- Banco Vaticano - 1981
- Y ahora qué? - 1983
- Salve - 1984
- Revolución - 1985
- No somos nada - 1987
- Donde se habla - 1988
- En directo - 1988
- Ellos dicen mierda nosotros amén - 1990
- Los jubilados - 1990
- Barman - 1991
- Negro - 1992
- Hoy es el futuro - 1993
- Bajo presión - 1994
- Carne para la picadora - 1996
- En tu recto - 1998
- Toda la puta vida igual - 1999
- Bocas - 2001
- El último (el) de La Polla - 2003
Compilations
- Volumen 1
- Volumen 2
- Volumen 3
- Volumen 4
- 14 años de La Polla
External links
- www.lapollarecords.net Official Web Site
- www.lapollarecordsweb.com.ar - Unofficial site
- www.lapollarecords.org - Unofficial site
- Official site of Gatillazo, Evaristo's new band
- La Polla Al Corte, live in Barcelona, Zeleste, year 2000 videoclip HQ (Vimeo)