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Biography

But now yoo play a very particular kind of blues, country blues. How do you get in it?
I’ve first heard to John Lee Hoocker, B.B. King, Budy Guy, you know, the musicians who you often listen to because you get they’re record easily. But I’ve had in my head an image: a man with his guitar, just that his guitar and his singing.
One day I went to see a concert and I’ve saw Cristina Aguayo (an Argentine Gospel and blues Singer) and I coudn’t believe what I was looking to: a blues musician singing blues with the guitar as I was expeting to do.
Some weeks later I heard in a cassette to Robert Johnson recordings an then I knew iwas in the road.
I’ve started some leassons with Aguayo and she also invited me to sing in her gospel choir and to play guitar with her. It was a great impetu for me.
But the real thing came when I met the great Argentine Country Blues men:
Fernando Goin. He and his group Folk and Blues give me the key the real country blues I was locking for.
I can’t forget al the thing he teach to me.

Who is your favorite blues musician?
So many. In this kind of music doesn’t exist bad thing. Every musician has an esential, spiritual value.
Mississippi John Hurt, Tommy Johnson, Peetie Wheatstraw, Blind Teddy Darby, Blind Blake, Memphis Minnie, en fin, son muchos.

Do you thing Argentina has an interesting blues scene?
Yes, is excelent. And I think that is one of the bests in the world because the level of the musicians.
But the problem is that we don’t have a substructure. For example, in Brazil you have magazines, radio programas, festivals, discography companies, etc. Of course, in Argentina too but they are all individual effort there is not an organization. Adrian Flores, for instance has his Blues Special Club, an The Blues Special Records. Guillermo Fernandez got the best Argentina Blues Web Site, I have my own Blues School and I organized the only Country Blues Festival in all South America, but we don’t work together.

Can you tell us about other argentine country blues musicians?
Yes, Fernando Goin, Marcelo Ponce, Juan Millones and many others. But I would like to mention specially Max Hoeffner one of the most important country blues collectors and one of my great teachers.

Are youn known in other coutries?
Yes, in Holland, New Zeland, Canada, England, The United States. I recieve e-mails and they have my CD.

Is it true that your CD “I’m Goin Home” is the first one to be recorded in Argentina?
Yes, Other artis recorded LP or cassettes but this one was the first Country Blues CD to be produced and recorded here..

Do you have a big collection?
900 or 950 cd, lp, cassettes.

What are you doing now?
Well, I’m goin on with my Blues School, and I’m playing a lot with my new group the Cotton Blues Pickers with Adriana Mercurio, Juan Codazzi and Julieta Pizarro. We are making some important things this year.

Do you have god expectations for the country blues in Argentina?
I’ve spend 10 years with the country blues and I’m lmaking a living with it but I know that the most important thing will be playing in Europe or in the United States. But we are having a great time playing in Argentina or in South America. They look to us as something strange, cool but it’s O.K. with this old country blues!