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"With pride, Petroglyph Records introduces fine artists from Chile. Their music is not only superb in quality, it is incredibly relevant in this time. And as the artwork etched in stone from which we take our name, we believe this music will stand the test of time."
"Blending traditional South American folk with jazz, contemporary blues and electronica, Petroglyph Records is the independent record label bringing you Chile's finest award winning musical talent. Our recording artists are masters of their craft, creating some of the most innovative latin jazz, jazz fusion and world music of today."
Often, the greatest art is born of the greatest suffering, such as
suffering at the hands of political oppression. The people of Chile
suffered such oppression for nearly two decades under the rule of
General Augusto Pinochet. Today, the song of Chile emerges in a voice
that understands what it has survived and rejoices in what it is now
free to create. The musicians of Petroglyph Records are the artists who
are leading Chile in creating this new voice.
On September 4, 1970, Salvador Allende Gossens was elected President
of Chile. Allende's victory marked the first free elections in the
history of the country. But this victory was short-lived. On September
11, 1973, Pinochet took office by means of a bloody coup, deposing the
democratically elected Allende. Later, Allende's abbreviated term would
be called by many the "1,000 Days of Spring" for the time of great hope
it had represented, however brief, and for the promise of individual
freedom.
The nostalgia for such a time persisted for the duration of the 17-year
rule of Pinochet's regime. A retaliatory wave of persecution against
the leftist parties of Chile was Pinochet's first order of business
upon installing himself in office. During this period of dictatorship,
much of the Chilean culture was wounded. Pinochet is credited with
imprisoning, torturing and "disappearing" thousands of Chileans who
dared to speak against him.
As in every society, the Chilean artists served as conscience and
unifying force of the people. Music in particular stirred feelings of
shared struggle, patriotism, and frustration. Chile's musicians did not
disappoint. Beloved songwriter Victor Jara, for example, battled
injustice with lyrics and celebrated in song the life of the working
class. He was a primary force behind the movement known as "Nueva
Cancion" or New Song. This movement was an integral part of
revolutionary activity throughout Latin America, and was clearly
considered a threat by the Pinochet regime.
Along with many other Chileans who had supported President Allende,
Jara was taken prisoner and tortured by the military forces of Pinochet
with special zeal. The general belief is that his hands were cut off
but facts seem to indicate they were in fact badly broken, a symbolic
equivalent to their removal. Either way, though he could not play his
guitar, he continued to sing songs of the left political party, which
quickly led to his brutal execution at the age of 38.
The countless acts of brutality are not all that impeded the musical
arts. Destruction of the vinyl industry brought an abrupt end to the
production of vinyl records and effectively prevented any new work from
reaching the radio. An additional impediment arrived in the form of a
strictly enforced 9 p.m. nightly curfew, dissolving any efforts for
live music activity.
Today, with a Democratic government supporting the arts, there is a
huge rebirth of music in Chile, offering the world a breath-taking
array of talent, masters of their instruments and a powerful desire to
be heard. Years of forced silence are now broken in such stirring and
beautiful ways, releasing songs that are born of suffering but rejoice
in freedom. As Chile rediscovers its musical roots and integrates them
with influences from around the world, a cultural identity is being
redefined.
Spring has come again to the long-suffering land of Chile. This is a
modern renaissance.
Petroglyph Records' musicians are the generation of talent that is
leading their country in re-establishing this musical identity. Their
work reflects influences from around the globe but also the indelible
imprint of living in a brutal dictatorship. They are rediscovering the
songs and rhythms from the past and blending them with contemporary
jazz, rock, blues and electronic music to create something uniquely
Chilean. This music crosses genre boundaries and its spirit captures
wide audience attention.
The talent in Chile runs deep and is virtually undiscovered. Chile's
government offers some financial support for artistic endeavors from
its Fundart project. Petroglyph Records artist Francesca Ancarola is
currently working on a tribute to Victor Jara, recording several of his
most powerful songs and some he was unable to record before his brutal
death. However, despite the government support and depth of talent,
there is little infrastructure in place for these artists to move their
music into the world market.
The recording industry has never fully rebounded from the devastation
of Pinochet. After the destruction of the vinyl industry in the 70s and
with the huge advances in recording technology, Chile has not been able
to keep up. What is more, distribution outside of the country is
crippled. This means that many talented artists do not have the
resources available to disseminate their works. Chilean record labels
have a tremendous supply of quality music that has not found an outlet
beyond its borders.
Sales of music CDs among Chile's 15 million citizens average at 2.5
million annually, in comparison to nearly 500 million CD sales per year
in the US. Most of Chile's CD sales are imports from North America and
Europe.The general Chilean population has not fully recognized the
tremendous musical talent within their own borders and they still
look outside of Chile for music, just as they were forced to do during
the silent years of Pinochet. There is an extensive influence of
European and North American tastes upon this re-emerging culture.
Often, Chilean artists that are not promoted by large labels lack the
recognition they require to hit a mainstream marketplace. Unless they
achieve recognition in Europe or the US first, many artists are forced
to leave Chile in order to achieve their career goals. Finding more
available opportunities to break into the larger markets in Europe and
North America, these musicians seek recognition and career advancement
in Spain, Portugal, Germany and the US.
Petroglyph Records is working hard to change that. Their efforts are
aimed at Marketing Chilean music worldwide and telling the story of
Chile's rich musical history and cultural rebirth. After nearly three
years of developing relationships with music professionals on three
continents and earning the trust of their musicians, these goals are
nearing fruition. Petroglyph Records has formed a partnership with
Berlin based Be1Two to distribute their CDs in Germany, Austria,
Switzerland and Japan and they are working to bring a concert tour to
the US and possibly Europe in 2006. Petroglyph is bringing a long
overdue spotlight to shine on some very talented musicians for the
whole world to see.
©Petroglyph Records website
Several Petroglyph Records Artists' pieces
are featured on
"Fuse This Jazz" program
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Antonio Restucci was born in Santiago,
Chile, in 1956. A guitar and mandolin virtuoso,
Antonio began his career at the age of 15, recording
his first LP with Brazilian composer Manduka. In
1986, his band La Hebra won Radio Beethoven's
Best Latin Jazz Band award. He toured Europe for
several years playing with Amalgama who greatly
influenced his work. In Chile, he participated in
several projects along with local musicians such
as Joe Vasconcellos, Francesca Ancarola, and
Los Tres, with whom he traveled to the US to
record an MTV Unplugged program.
Antonio has developed his own unique
contemporary composition style, blending
the folk sounds of his South American
roots with Flamenco and Classical Spanish
guitar, Latin Jazz and Jazz Rock. He has
recorded five solo CDs and was highly influential
on many others.
He has been recognized as one of the best musicians
in Chile. In 1998, Restucci was named
Best Guitarist of the Decade by Sociedad del
Derecho de Autor (SCD). In 2000, he won the
ALTAZOR Award for his album "Vetas" as the
best "Jazz-Alternative Record" of the year.
In 2001, he moved to Barcelona, Spain, where
he joined the band Ojos de Brujo with whom he
toured Europe. He recently signed a recording
contract with Petroglpyh Records in the United States
where he just completed a new CD entitled Crisol.
Crisol is Spanish for the crucibles used for melting
precious metals and is an appropriate title since this
album masterfully melts together sounds and styles from
Spain, South America, India, the Middle East and more.
Truly a world-class musician with a commanding
stage presence, Antonio Restucci regularly blows
his audiences away. Critics compare him to Al Di
Meola, Paco De Lucia and John McLaughlin.
©Petroglyph Records website
Francesca Ancarola began composing music at the age of 9. A graduate of the University of Chile and a Fulbright Scholar, she earned her Masters Degree from the Manhattan School of Music. Classically trained in voice with several opera performances to her credit, Francesca prefers a more contemporary application of her wide-ranging vocal talents. She studied jazz guitar under several masters and plays cello and piano as well.
Francesca Ancarola has toured Europe, North and South America and received numerous awards and acclaim for her work as a latin jazz musician. Well known in her own country, she was recently invited to perform for the Chilean Congress. She recorded three CDs in Chile prior to her "Sons of the Same Sun" North American debut.
Francesca's influences include the likes of Joni Mitchell, Toninho Horta, Violeta Parra and Brazilian jazz great Milton Nascimento. As the composer and arranger of her original music, Francesca blends the diverse folk sounds of South America with the smooth jazz styles of the United States. Her powerful vocals in both Spanish and English transcend cultural and political boundaries elevating the listener into a brighter world knowing only peace and beauty.
©Petroglyph Records website
Emilio Garcia's hard driving blues rock album ULTRABLUES reflects the influence guitar masters such as Jeff Beck have had on the Chilean born musician through his rise to the top of the South American music scene. If you love Eric Johnson and Joe Satriani you will love this instrumental album.
Emilio's burning electric guitar is beautifully accompanied by awesome musicians on keyboards, drums and bass and you also get glimpse of Emilio's jazz potential and his Latin flamenco side as well.
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Marcelo Aedo renowned in his native Chile as one of the top bass players in the country, Marcelo is a complete musician having excelled in many fields of music since the early '80s. He studied classical guitar at the prestigious School of Modern Music in Santiago, classical double bass at the Musical Institute of the Universidad Catolica then under the tutelage of Roberto Lecaros and Ismael Torres, Marcelo studied jazz and became a master of the double bass.
Marcelo Aedo collaborated with the most important Chilean musicians of his time becoming well known in the area of Jazz Fusion. He was a founding member of two of Chile's top Fusion bands, "Al Sur" and "Trifusion." He is currently a Professor of Electric Bass at the SCD Music School in Santiago. He owns a musical production company called WAMA and is the bassist and musical director of the band, which accompanies Alberto Plaza on his frequent concert tours.
As a composer and producer, Marcelo Aedo has also achieved tremendous success. He composed the music for three motion pictures as well as two highly acclaimed international theater and dance productions. With over ten years working with advertising firms he has written, produced or contributed to over 400 jingles.
Marcelo's first solo CD "Polosur Celeste" caught the attention of two Record Labels who recently signed agreements to distribute it worldwide. His compositions, production abilities and musicianship on this CD represent the pinnacle of his career thus far and set a standard for bass soloists to follow. He is now working on songs for his second CD and has become a member of the Petroglyph Records family of artists.
A diverse musician with wide experience throughout South America, The USA and Europe, Marcelo is on his way to becoming one of the world's most renowned bass players. Expect to hear much more from this talented musician in the future.
©Petroglyph Records website
Muza is Sol Aravena, an accomplished vocalist and composer who has worked with some of Chile's musical greats and is a driving force in its renaissance, her melancholy tunes reflect life under the dictatorship and her many European influences.
A native of Chile, Sol Aravana is a powerful musical force. With a voice described as "fairy like," "seductive and dreamy," and "entrancing," the strength of her music belies her youth.
Numerous tours through Spain, Germany, and Denmark followed the release of Muza's first album, Dream Electronico. Along with the collaboration on the other projects of diverse styles (Subhira, UD No, Banda Tao, Laura Fuentees, Rosario Mena), at the end of 2002 Sol started composing what would become her most recent release.
Her Petroglyph Records' debut album Cambio de Estacion speaks of love, magic, reincarnation, destiny, and illusion. Sol says of her album, "it's like climbing a train in a certain season of life and getting off as another person in another place, without anxiety, with more strength, and more desire to live the destiny that has chosen you. Open the heart, the mind and the feelings. to be silent... to listen."
©Petroglyph Records website
In addition to his studies at the Catholic University in Santiago, Chile, Emilio has had private lessons with David Lamar, Rodrigo Apablaza, and Toly Ramirez. As a teacher, he has worked at California Studio Music of Los Angeles, and the SCD School of Music in Chile, among several others.
An accomplished composer, Emilio has participated in numerous national productions. He has performed over 1,000 television and radio jingles and has toured with Larry Williams and Ana Robles as part of the LUZ album. Other albums include Trifusion's TIEERA, and EMILIO GARCIA TRIO LIVE, and Lado B (Fondart winner 2004).
©Petroglyph Records website
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