“I have a story like this”, the posthumous album of the “Gypsy”, contains 11 songs that walk through the different musical styles that he experienced throughout his career. And the idea of bringing it to light arose more than two years ago when Jon Aguilera (Rubén’s son, producer and arranger of sandro for a decade) began together with Nelson Pombal (producer of Palito Ortega and Charly Garcia, among others) the classification, restoration and digitization of these interhouse recordings that the composer had entrusted to his father.
In addition to the unpublishedThat which is done by two” and “Don’t go away yet”, there is a song that had not been released in Argentina: “Tú, que saber del amor”, which was recorded under the name “She is much more female”, in the United States edition of the album “I come to occupy my place” (1984). There is also a version of “La vida dura” (1986), but sung in Italian. The remaining seven reversals go through the different moments of Sánchez’s artistic career.
Most of the songs in the repertoire are authored by Sandro, except for “There is a lot of agitation” (Dave Williams) and “you notice”, a song he premiered at his legendary recital at the Madison Square Garden from New York, shared with Armil, the pseudonym of his representative Oscar Anderle: he was the one who motivated him to explore his profile as a balladeer, at the First Buenos Aires Song Festival, a milestone in the career of the native of Valentín Alsina, who he never ceased to endorse his rocker profile on the other hand.
In the ’90s, on his television program “Dear Sandro” (El Trece), he had the pleasure of singing with daddy “I come to take my place” and “I am wild”; in 1996, he teamed up with Raul Porchetto in the re-recording of “Dancing on the sidewalk”; and in 1999 he had his tribute, performed by Divididos, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Caballeros de la Quema, Bersuit Vergarabat, Attaque 77, León Gieco and Virus, among many others.
Part of that rock romance is reflected in “I have a story like this” on the track “That which is done by two”, in which they participate Charly Garcia and Pedro Aznar, which comes to light thirty years after the unforgettable recording of “Rompan Todo”, for the album “Tango 4”, from 1991.
“It was very funny because Pedro at home is very neat. No smoking, no nothing. We were waiting for him and I told him: ‘Pedro, when Sandro takes out the cigarette case with the S on it, tell him that he has to put it out’. Of course Sandro took out his cigarette case and Peter didn’t say anything. Pedro and I wrote the lyrics for ‘Rompan todo’ in Spanish, and Sandro spiced it up. At one point Pedro tells Sandro: ‘We have to see how we fix this’. He was referring to payment. And Sandro replied: ‘I came here because I am a friend of Charly. And besides, you know, I’m priceless.’ I died! Sandro was authentic”, Charly recalled about that historic moment.
And to accompany the release of the album, “I have a story like this: The Documentary” came out at the same time, available on the artist’s Official YouTube channel, which has already received more than 125,000 views. There he tells, from the hand of the protagonists, how this project was conceived and that it also had the participation of 13 musicians linked to the long history of Robert Sanchez.
The anecdotes that surround each song leave nothing more than a feeling of admiration for the person who conquered stages around the world, and who today continues to leave us with a halo of nostalgia for a time that is already part of another life. It also shows that the singer-songwriter of “I have“He continues to have an important weight in the music industry, where he was a benchmark and pioneer in much of what has to do with the promotion of his shows and singles: in 1968, when Sandro completely consolidated his success with the album”A girl and a guitar”, had released a theme every month, a method that is used today to be mainstream on Spotify.
That’s how songs like “Because I love you”, “As I did it”, and the song that gives the album its name became hits.
Tributes. In 2018, the first Argentine pop star had a biographical series, “sandro from america”, which was produced and broadcast by Telefe; and then the documentary “Yo, Sandro”, which has the “Gypsy’s” own voice telling his story, with unpublished film material (it can be seen for free on the Cinearplay platform), with which “I have a story like this: The Documentary”, comes to expand the filmography on sandro.
One that exceeds dozen movies, and which he starred in between 1965 and 1980, in a row and like Elvis: for the anniversary of his death, Canal Volver broadcast several of those films in marathon mode, including “I want to fill myself with you” (1969), directed by Emilio Vieyra with a script of Salvador Valverde Calvo; “I will always love you” (1971) and “Operación rosa rosa” (1974), both by Leo Fleider; and “Life continues” (1969), directed by Emilio Vieyra and a book by Salvador Valverde Calvo.
And the publishing industry also continues to have the Gypsy as a recurring character. On January 10, Aldo Aresi (Sandro’s historical manager) passed away at the age of 90, and left his memoirs in the book “Sandro, Doors Inside”, which can be read for free – in PDF format – on Google. And it also focuses on the figure of the artist”frantic”, Magdalena Girardi’s novel that focuses on her fans, “Las Nenas”.
Girardi, newcomer as a novelist, builds a funny story from a sum of small scenes, anecdotes of objects, and jealous brawls of the Gypsy fans, mostly led by elderly women.
With her psychoanalyst gaze, the author manages to unravel what is specific to each “baby”, avoiding the superficial gaze and without falling into the grotesque.
Finally, to make clear the still overwhelming presence of sandro in this world, next April 8 at the Gran Rex Theater, the singer Fernando Samartin will dedicate a tribute to him 15 years after Sánchez’s last presentation in that theater: Samartin plays the “Gypsy” 20 years ago and is considered the best country imitator.
And to celebrate the memory of the author of “Trigal”, the sandro’s castle (a place that he designed and built himself in the Boedo neighborhood of Buenos Aires), today converted into the Cava Cultural Center (tickets cost 900 pesos and can be booked online), conducts guided tours to learn about its history in depth, see up close personal items (such as his iconic red robe and the golden goblet he drank from before and after each show), and a full photographic display.
by Sarah Fernandez
