Fulano (band)

Fulano
Background information
OriginSantiago, Chile
Genres
Years active1984–2003, 2009–2015
Websitewww.grupofulano.cl

Fulano was a Chilean rock band. They were one of the most important bands in the development of jazz-rock in Chile or, as described by musicologist Juan Pablo González, of "anti-hegemonic eclecticism".[1] With an oeuvre consisting of six high quality and virtuosic albums, they have been widely recognised as pillars of jazz-rock and experimental music in Latin America.

Fulano was founded in 1984 in Santiago de Chile by members of Santiago del Nuevo Extremo: Jorge Campos (bass), Cristián Crisosto, (saxophones and flute), Jaime Vivanco (keyboards), and Willy Valenzuela (drums); joined by Arlette Jequier (voice and clarinet), and Jaime Vásquez (saxophones and flute).

Their first era lasted from 1984 till 2003, releasing four studio albums Fulano (1987), En el Bunker (In the Bunker, 1989), El infierno de los payasos (Hell of the clowns, 1993), and Trabajos Inútiles (Useless works, 1997). These albums were particular in their creative complexity and the very original fusion of varied stylistic and musical elements. They also stood out for their instrumental and vocal virtuosity and the ironic, humorous and, especially, antiestablishment lyrics against the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, and later the Chilean transition to democracy. The group positioned itself from the start as one of the most influential fusion bands of Latin America, although always keeping an uneasy relationship with mass media. They decided to dissolve after the tragic death of Jaime Vivanco in 2003, releasing the live album Vivo (Alive) (2004), which contained Vivanco's last performances.

The second era began in 2009 when they decided to reform, with Raúl Aliaga on drums, who had been playing since 1996, and Felipe Muñoz on keyboards. They released a live DVD entitled La Farsa Continúa (The Farce Continues, 2011), and after multiple changes in the line up, a fifth and final studio album entitled Animal en Extinción (Endangered animal, 2015), that counted only with Crisosto and Campos from the original members, with Paquita Rivera in charge of vocals, after which the dissolution of the band is announced at the end of 2015. Since then, three posthumous live albums have been released: La Batuta 1993, En vivo en Los Ángeles 2002 (Live in Los Angeles), and En directo FestivAlterNativo México 2010. A tribute album from MediaBanda entitled ''Maquinarias'' was released in 2021.

  1. ^ González, Juan Pablo (2017-09-20). Des/encuentros de la música popular chilena 1970-1990 (in Spanish). Ediciones Universidad Alberto Hurtado. ISBN 9789563571103. Retrieved 2018-08-09.