Band History
The strong feeling to fulfill the need of a single history for all latin american people caused, in 1979, the birth of a group of latin american music that would produce great and intense shows for great audiences.
( Enzo Merino, Oscar Segovia, Julio C. Peralta, Isabel Ribeiro, Celso Ribeiro, Tony Osanah, Mariana Avena, Freddy Góes e Willy Verdaguer - Raíces de América first cast of great artists ! )
By the end of 1979, the visionary business man, Enrique Bergen, from Argentina, living in Brazil, had the great idea to create a band of latin american music idea that would outstand from the from the other common patterns of that time, when that musical genre groups kept, mainly, folklorical characteristics in their repertoire and formations.
Thus, the Raíces de América is created by musicians from Argentina, Chile and Brazil, and since then, they' ve been walking along, side by side, with the world's emerging interest for the latin music and culture.
In 1980, having as "godmother", the legendary Mercedes Sosa, in São Paulo, he Raíces de América band started its career in a wonderful show directed by Flávio Rangel. The show had very rich and modern performances nd arranges, with a specially developed lightning, costumes and scenery, and with the fine reading of thrilling poems from latin america by the actress Isabel Ribeiro.
In the following years there came some productions signed by Mirian Muniz and Cláudio Luchesi. The band was very soon approved by the brazilian audience, specially the universitarian, at that time engaged in the political campaigns "Abertura" and "Diretas Já", not only for the quality of its musicians interpreters and arranges, but mainly for the outstanding conception of that show, in which the band swang from political and folklorical to daily and musical themes of Latin America with extreme joy, sensibility and fine taste.
So many attributes leaded the Raíces de América to the recording of eleven records, tem of which, by The Eldorado Records and one by the Copacabana Records. In its participation in The Shell MPB Festival, in Rede Globo Television, it was awarded the second prize with the song "Fruto do Suor" a real anthem for the latin imigrants living in Brazil. The band had two European tours ( Spain, Holand and Belgium ), with a special participation in the "Ibero-American Festival in the Cádiz Theater" ( Spain ).
Comemorating 10 years of history, the band ratificates its social worries, approaching new themes, such as he street abandoned children question, the racial prejudice and the new problems of a South America who had recently come out of two decades of military dictatorial governments.
In 1995, in the Latin American Memorial, in São Paulo the historical "Latin Concert" takes place, joining in one single show the sound styles of Raíces de América and the São Paulo State Symphonic Band, with its members garduated in the Free Music University "Tom Jobim" . It was the greatest audience during the Symphonic Band season.
The new milennium meets the Raíces de América in its twentieth career anniversary. With the band each time looking more and more towards the inner social questions of Latin America. Singing, as always sang and will always sing, the "Esperanza de América" ( The Latin America Hope ), that each day emanates from all its people and tribes.
The race indian will be born!