By Juan Ignacio Pilegi @igelipnauj Photo by Euge Nuñez
The Argentine city of La Plata, located 50 km from Buenos Aires, It has the highest ratio of musicians per square meter in the country. And, I dare say, of the world.
There they have been conceived more than 1600 musical projects (between bands and solo artists) in the last 40 years. In simpler terms: it has been born, and increasingly so, a new rock band every 10 days. Considering only the city's urban area, there are statistically almost 2 gangs per block, two musicians on every block.
One of the reasons why rock music from La Plata is multiplying and gaining well-deserved worldwide prestige is the existence of the Pura Vida Art Bar. Located 16 years ago (including 8 previous years under the name “Flamingo”) in front of the Faculty of Fine Arts of La Plata, the bar that never opened without a live band playing, And its primary principle is respect for the artist above all else. Something as basic as it being the band itself. whoever is in charge of collecting the 100% of the tickets It's a system that's unprecedented in the entire country. Yes, the bands gain access to a stage (baptized Federico José Moura) which provides sound, technical equipment and drinks for the musicians in an atmosphere of total fraternity and cordiality, without paying a single cent and taking all the ticket revenue.
It's not just the musicians who have a good time. The audience (young and not-so-young boys and girls) who regularly attend the "Temple of La Plata Rock" feel comfortable and safe in a place where There was never any problem with violence or discrimination. and that it has all the safety measures required by the regulations and more.
This fostered a sense of community over the years, through the radio station broadcasting on FM and online, the website, and the charitable activities. -all done without any state support- They grew and multiplied with rock synergy.
If we said that the number of rock bands in La Plata It borders on the absurd And that there are no cultural spaces in the city as active as Pura Vida, is understood the reason for the also astronomical number of recitals that take place in this bar.
Look: open from Wednesday to Sunday, 30 bands per week, 1500 concerts per year, 12,000 shows in these 8 years and in each shift (sometimes up to 3 per night) It is a condition that there is at least one band from La Plata.
Although many important and established artists have performed there, Pura Vida stands out as the place par excellence. where great rock bands debut all the time.
Such is the case of The Stargazer Having debuted at Pura Vida less than a year ago and playing almost exclusively there in all his performances, he was specially selected by Daniel Grinbank. to play alongside Wilco, Iggy Pop and Pet Shop Boys at the BUE Festival next October.
No matter how restricted your musical taste may be, Any of the 30 bands performing during a weekend at Purita will blow your mind. If it's not Reales Kimonos, it will be Las Armas Bs.As. or Crema del Cielo or Pérez or normA or The Falcons or Miss Bolivia or Leo García or Valle de Muñecas or Fantasmagoria or Lynx or Muerte al Tío Cosa or The Hojas Secas or El Perrodiablo or Alberto Bassi.
The love that this iconic space generates made it so He killed a motorcycle policeman celebrate his 500th recital there in an epic show surprise announced a Sunday minutes before, because the band's attendance far exceeds the venue's capacity.
All this, and surely much more, is what It has been put at risk by several closures ordered this year by the Municipality and that with the imminent (and delayed) final authorization of the place, They turned out to be persecutory and arbitrary.
Apparently (In Argentina, you never know.), with the authorization and declaration of municipal cultural interest promised by the mayor, We are witnessing the end of a conflict that sparked a unified demand from the entire cultural community of the city and the country. Since Diego Cabanas, the bar owner, announced the closure for June 30th, 4000 signatures were gathered on change.org to demand the mayor complete the municipal process, while artists from all over the country and abroad joined in with their photos to the complaint on social media.
With joy Knowing that we will be able to enjoy this mythical place for many more years, We only hope it will help keep the cause alive. and unite in defense of the other venues in the region that offer live music and that They are going through equally tough times as Pura Vida overcame.
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