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According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism,
Madrid has it all:
bars, museums, football and gastronomy.
However, in 1989, an unknown group of ska showed that
the capital is missing something: the beach.
In fact, it is the reason why
The Refrescos
and their hit
Here there is no beach
stuck forever in the minds of the Spaniards and to this day, 32 years later,
there is no party in which they do not sound.
As a result of that singular and colossal success, some might think that The Refrescos is a
one-hit wonder
.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
What's more, the band
has released seven albums
and this April, he has released a new single.
It is about
Aguardiente,
an
electroswing
song
that
tries to "brighten your days and raise your clandestine parties".
"I composed this song at that time when there were many prohibitions. Because it seems that to make a better society you always have to put absurd prohibitions. It seems that they
want to prohibit joy,
but we propose optimism," Bernardo Vázquez, the vocalist, tells LOC from The Refrescos.
However, the fact that the band is now swinging does not mean that they are no longer interested in ska.
Unlike.
The musicians promise to stay in the genre, but
without restricting their creative freedom
that has led them to explore
rock, reggae and electronic foundations.
And is that Los Refrescos, as they are also called, they like innovation a lot.
Perhaps that is why, during their 37 years of experience, they have decided to go through different phases and even formations.
Despite this, the main element has always remained:
Bernardo Vázquez, its founder and proud leader.
"The Refrescos is more of a concept and we are a team that is changing. Just as the technicians and producers change, the musicians change and
the only one who remains is me.
I don't know what future holds for us, but I know that Los Resfrescos will be There. Because I
know that I am going to die on stage
and it will be singing
Here there is no beach
", he assures convinced about the band that turned him into an idol.
"I was born in Vigo,
where there was a lot of musical movement and I had a group with my friends. But when I moved to Madrid, at the age of 18, I forgot a bit about making music. After a few months,
I felt the need to play
and search apartment for rent, I saw that they were looking for a singer for a group. At first I laughed and did not pay much attention. But, as the weeks went by, I remembered and felt the need to introduce myself. I passed a casting and in the end they chose me for The Refrescos, I don't know why, "he says with the intention of showing that
everything that happened was out of pure curiosity.
Even the unsuspected success of
Aqui no hay playa
, a subject that, according to Vásquez, was not destined for glory.
"People who are from the coast can do without many things, but not the sea. And when I arrived in Madrid, to my surprise,
I began to miss the beach. In other
words, Madrid is wonderful, it has everything you can ask for, But when the heat comes, there is no beach ... And since there are people who write a diary, what I do are songs and that is how I reflected what I felt. But, come on, it
was one more song
. Although I do admit that it connected with the people and that it is a great hit. It is not a normal success, because it
transcended the musical frontiers to become a social phenomenon, "
says Vázquez in relation to the single that changed his life.
However, not all that glitters is gold and the popularity of
Aqui no hay playa
did not always elicit smiles in Vázquez.
"I didn't get along very well with being known.
Because when everyone looks at you, you can't do a lot of things. I had some friends, a girlfriend and suddenly everyone is your friend and you meet a lot of girls, which is positive. . But, if you stop to think, you say and this is why? In fact, there was a moment that
I could not bear it anymore, I cut up and we finished with the band.
Although later I have returned, because in the end this is my life. This It's what I like, "he explains about the ups and downs of his career, which has even led him to cross the pond and do massive concerts in countries like Mexico.
"It's funny:
in Latin America we are known for many songs,
while here we are, above all, those from
Here there is no beach
, which mainstream people classify as a song of the summer. And I think that lack of appreciation is generated by root of something that everyone knows, which is
the Spanish character of pulling down those who triumph,
those who have a little success. Today I just read something that made me very funny, which ended by saying that when someone throws a poisoned criticism at you, it is that you are moving forward. But you have to have a lot of strength to put up with that: envy, it all comes down to that in the end, "says Bernardo, who, in addition to being the head of The Refrescos, is an expert in communication and media.
During the last decades, Vázquez, who
studied journalism,
has gone through the
acting school of Cristina Rota,
on the screens of Televisión Española, has served as a director, scriptwriter and presenter on Disney Channel and has even composed songs for other artists.
Even so, the singer affirms that his vocation is on stage and that his path will forever be intertwined with that of The Refrescos: "What I want is
for everything to get back on track, that we can do concerts again
and present our new album . An album based on the music of the 20th century. We have swing, rumba, chotis, Mexican waltz and we spend it all in the cocktail shaker at Los Refrescos, "says Vázquez, who will perform live again at the Wizink Center, the next 1 of May.
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