Yesterday, for the first time in a long time, I enjoyed a Rock al Parque press conference. I was there by accident, due to the rain and my lack of interest in the bands playing at that moment. The conference at the time was with a band from the city of Pereira, Ritual, returning to the stage after 20 years. At the front, microphone in hand—unusual, I think—stood the drummer, taking the microphone. Without prompting a question, he began to recount the reasons for the band's return and all the stories surrounding it. His narrative revealed the weight of the thousands of days that had passed and the weight of time carried by each member. He was the one telling the story. He was an iconic figure. from the Colombian rock scene: El Duque.
I don't remember when I met him. I think it was sometime... when he started playing with Aterciopelados. He, with his thick coffee-region accent and loud voice, was easy to spot in a crowd. Mind you, I'm sure he'd prefer to keep a low profile, do his own thing, have fun, and leave, but it's impossible. Duque is the kind of person everyone wants to be around at a party, on a plane, or with his band. He's the kind of guy who He's broken his knees from hitting the drum so much., who has undergone countless operations and is still going strong. He has played in countless bands, traveled all over the world, has been part of groups of all genres, From brutal death metal to Balkan joy, passing through good old rock 'n' roll and the occasional commercial pop moment. I don't know what the ranking of drummers is in Colombia, but I'm sure that The Duke is the most sought after.
While recounting the story of his first band at the press conference, he thought that the Duke might have shared the stage with him. with many of the world's best artists, And yet, he could quickly shed the guise of a renowned musician and take on the role of roadie for any band, He accepts orders and rushes onto the stage to help anyone without hesitation. He's the same one who bought a van to do all kinds of transport throughout Bogotá. This is the drummer who returned to Pereira to remember past days and rebuild a project that others would have considered dead and hidden in memory. Yes, the same one who knows that a good part of the weight of Colombian rock in recent times falls on his shoulders, But he retains the people skills that most of us lack.. I wish there were more of these in this environment.
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