Metal Club in El Alto!
Last night we went up to El Alto to check out the famed Oveja Negra rock bar, see one of our favorite bands and a couple of others. As usual, we had a fantastic time. We got there a little late, so missed Morbogore, but caught Angaros’ set, which was very good, and Armadura, of course.
The Bolivian Metalheads treated us as honored guests, as we have come to expect. El Alto is not a place most Paceños will go to for the nightlife. Certainly not many diplomats will be found up there after dark (unless on their way to or from the airport). And, as Boris Mendez, the lead singer of Armadura said, “Oveja Negra is the most ‘underground’ place you will find in La Paz.” (Though it was up two flights of stairs from the street — watch your heads.) We were greeted by acquaintances and new friends with hugs and offers of drinks (singani and sprite being the concoction most in evidence). The club was packed with people and smoke-filled. The music was hard rocking and the crowd was very into it.
We had a great time. For me, as for most of the crowd, the highlights were two covers and one original composition of Armadura. Their cover of Hijos de Cain (Children of Cain) by Spanish hard rockers Baron Rojo is spectacular. Their cover of the Ama sua, ama llulla, ama kella (Thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not lie, thou shalt not be lazy) by Bolivian folk greats Kallamarka is one of my very favorite new (even if just to me) songs. The conversion from folk song to hard rock is fantastic. Finally, their own hit, Premonición, always gets the crowd going.
I managed to record a video of Ama sua, ama llulla, ama kella, and though neither the video nor the audio quality do the concert justice, they do give you a sense of the venue, the band, and the excitement. And don’t miss a highlight at 5:30.
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Posted: June 9th, 2013 under Altiplano, Bolivia, Concert, El Alto, Metal, Music, Rock, South America.
Tags: Bolivia, El Alto, La Paz, Metal, Music, Rock
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