The bunkers

Los Bunkers is a Chilean Alternative Rock band from Concepción, active from 1999 to 2014, and from 2022 to the present, with a brief reunion in 2019. The group was formed by brothers Francisco and Mauricio Durán, both on guitar, Álvaro and Gonzalo López, on vocals and bass, respectively, and drummer Manuel Lagos, later replaced by Mauricio Basualto.

Considered one of the most important and successful bands of Chilean popular music, they stood out for their "Chileanization" of classic rock, fusing sounds coming from the folkloric roots (essentially from the new Chilean song) with the style from Anglo-Saxon groups such as The Beatles and Cream, and from penquista compatriots such as Los Tres and Santos Dumont. Although over time, the band would experiment with various musical styles that would mark the sound of their latest albums, such as the Britpop, electronics and psychedelia.

Los Bunkers would go on to publish seven studio albums and thirty-one singles (of which two would reach number 1 on the Chilean charts). Their tribute album to Silvio Rodríguez, Música libre, is the fifth best-selling Chilean album in physical format during the XXI century.

During their fifteen years of activity they would be recognized and awarded by various means; In 2006, the American magazine Al borde ranked his third album La culpa (2003) among "The 250 most important albums of Ibero-American rock", and his song "Miño" (Canción de faro, 2002) among "The 500 most important songs of Ibero-American rock". of The 50 Best Chilean Albums. In 2012, the Chilean newspaper La Tercera would name Los Bunkers as the best national group of the century XXI, also becoming recognized with three Copihue de Oro (popular vote), two APES (journalists) and one Altazor (peers), being also named in August 2013 "cultural ambassadors" of their hometown by mayor Álvaro Ortiz Internationally they would receive nominations for awards such as the Latin Grammy, MTV Latin America and Lo Nuestro.

In March 2014, after more than 300 concerts in Chile, Mexico, the United States, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru; the band would separate in an "indefinite recess" so that the members of the group could enlist their own musical and personal projects, after this, Mauricio Basualto would take over as drummer for the Chilean singer-songwriter Manuel García, while the two blocks of the group would start projects independent pop and rock; the López brothers would form the band of the same name, while the Durán brothers would collaborate with Los Santos Dumont and Los Ángeles Negros, to later form Lanza Internacional and, together with other renowned artists, the supergroup Pillanes.

Invited by Human Rights groups, and in support of the social outbreak, Los Bunkers returned surprisingly to offer two completely free shows on December 13 and 14 of the same year, in Plaza Baquedano (Santiago) and the University of Conception respectively. They made the announcement just a day before on their Instagram account, with a mysterious countdown and a photo of Plaza Baquedano where the historic group Inti Illimani also performed. However, the members of Los Bunkers refused to speak. with the press the days before, during and after said concerts, and flatly ruled out any definitive reactivation of the band. So that return was a small parenthesis. In May 2022, they announced their return for March 2023 with two concerts in Santiago de Chile, at the Santa Laura Stadium, to which a third concert was later added in the city. de Concepción, to be held at the Ester Roa Rebolledo Stadium.

History

The beginnings and fame in Concepción

The Bunkers are originally from the city of Concepción. Two of its members (Álvaro López and Francisco Durán) met around 1996 at the Colegio Salesiano de Concepción, where they became part of various bands, such as La Pol Chefer Band together with drummer Alejandro Silva, dedicating themselves to playing versions of groups from the 60s. This band was also made up of Gonzalo López and already had its own repertoire. The other two members of Los Bunkers (Mauricio Durán and Mauricio Basualto) are at the School of Journalism at the University of Concepción, forming part of a group that played songs by The Beatles, called Los Biotles. Another project was Grass, a quartet made up of Basualto, M. Durán, Pedro Araneda (also a bassist for Pettinellis) and Cristian "Coyote" López. In the winter of 1999 the band Los Bunkers was created, with Álvaro López on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Gonzalo López on bass, Francisco and Mauricio Durán on guitars and backing vocals; and Manuel Lagos (drummer from Álvaro and Francisco's teenage years at the Salesian College) on drums. Already at that time they were interested in composition. This is how, in the first concerts, songs like "Fantasías Animadas de Ayer y Hoy", "Buscando Cuadros", "No Sé", "Jamás" and "Entre mis brazos" are heard, which would form part of their debut album. Along with this, they interpret versions of songs by The Kinks, The Beatles, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, The Byrds, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, and many more.

The debut takes place at the Technical University Federico Santa María de Talcahuano, and his continuous circuit of concerts between 1999 and 2000 makes the local press begin to notice his activity and highlight his talents.

Trip to Santiago and first album

With some local fame, the group decides to emigrate to Santiago in February 2000, hoping to expand their circuit of presentations and find better places to show their repertoire. Manuel Lagos leaves the band and stays in Concepción, and is replaced by Mauricio Basualto who, in March of the same year, takes over the drums. This would be the definitive formation of the band.

His debut in the capital takes place on April 5 at the Tomm Pub. The reception on the part of the capital is favourable; the group continues to play with good results in various venues in the city. Meanwhile, they record a first promotional EP of six songs, titled "Jamás", edited independently and sold by the band at each of their concerts. In July 2000, and in the record time of two and a half days, they recorded their first complete album, entitled Los Bunkers, from which the single "El Detenido" was extracted, which was promoted on the radio. Rock & Pop. In October of the same year, they recorded the promotional program Raras Tocatas Nuevas on the same radio, in which they played their songs live. Thanks to their growing popularity, they sign a contract with the Big Sur label, which reissues the album with a bonus track (the song "El Derecho de Vivir en Paz", a cover by the legendary Chilean singer-songwriter Víctor Jara), recorded in the radio session.

Song of far and rise

During the same 2001, they collaborated with Álvaro Henríquez in the tribute to Violeta Parra (Después de Vivir un Siglo), interpreting an arrangement of «Gracias a la Vida»; in addition to participating in the Yein Fonda II and continuing his tour circuit throughout the country. Álvaro Henríquez himself would produce the band's second album the following year, Canción de faro, released by the multinational Sony Music Chile. Miño, his first promotional single (released in April 2002), contains a deep social theme, referring to the immolation of Eduardo Miño in front of the La Moneda Palace in November 2001. The song is one of the biggest hits on the history of the band, giving rise to the new album receiving a warm reception from the public and fans. His fame increases with the new singles, "The things that I changed and left for you", "Poor Heart" and "Song of Far". In October 2002 they received two nominations for the MTV Awards, and in December they won the APES Award for "Group of the Year"; In addition, they receive a nomination for the Altazor Awards.

Live performances follow each other in importance and gravitation. On September 6, 2003 they played together with Claudio Parra, pianist of Los Jaivas, at the musical meeting Salvador Allende: El Sueño Existe, 30 years after the Military Coup. That same month, and in its anniversary edition, the El Sábado magazine of El Mercurio names the band as "one of the 100 leaders of the year".

Guilt and Growth

It was in this climate that La Culpa was released, the band's third album and the first self-produced one, with the collaboration of engineer Gonzalo González and Carlos Cabezas from Los Jaivas on quenas. The album, which rescues a certain nostalgia for the time of the New Chilean Song, includes instruments of folkloric roots, as well as for the first time including synthesizers and somewhat more experimental sounds, showing the group in constant evolution. The single "No Me Hables de Sufrir» sounded strong on Chilean radio stations, becoming one of the great hits of the group's career, and allows the group to continue advancing in diffusion and notoriety. The group performs two presentation concerts, they appear on the cover of the Wikén supplement of El Mercurio and even in Rolling Stone magazine.

The second single "Canción para mañana" continues the good positioning of the band on the national scene. On January 25, 2004, Los Bunkers debuted at the Festival del Huaso in Olmué, after which they launched a national tour of university circuits. A third single from La Culpa, "La Exiliada del Sur" (Patricio Manns covers of a song co-written by Violeta Parra) is released as the third and final single. The single is introduced with a toccata exclusive with 12 arrangements by the band for songs by the Chilean folklorist, which would be broadcast on the radio.

Despite the good reception from the public and critics (who considered La culpa as the best Chilean rock album of 2003), this ambitious stage did not have the results expected by the band, which would lead them to face a nebulous moment, which even calls into question the continuity of the group. There were a few years left for the penquistas to have their reward.

Vida de Perros, massive success and internationalization

After participating in the meeting of the legendary groups Inti-Illimani Histórico and Quilapayún in August 2004, after a new nomination for the MTV Video Music Awards Latin America, after the appearance of the instrumental Carrerón on the soundtrack of the famous Chilean film Machuca, after a label change (to La Oreja/Bizarro), and a period of crisis from which they came out much stronger, Los Bunkers record their fourth album Vida de Perros, which was released on September 8, 2005, under the cover of the first single "Ven Aquí" and "Llueve Sobre La Ciudad", another of his most successful songs. This is their best-selling album to date, for which they received a gold record, surpassing more than ten thousand copies throughout Chile. The album is also released in Mexico and the United States, achieving record sales for Chilean bands in those countries.

Los Bunkers at the Talca Regional Theatre on February 5, 2006.

In the course of 2006 the group receives the Altazor award as the best Chilean band, an award from its peers. The following two months, the group performs twenty dates at different universities in the country, also highlighting the presentation on March 12 at the Velodrome of the National Stadium where they open the show for the band Oasis. In addition, it is preparing for its final internationalization, promoting the third single from Vida de Perros, "Ahora Que No Estas", in addition to preparing his first DVD, which finally came out in November. In May they successfully perform at the famous Vive Latino festival in Mexico, the most important rock festival in Latin America, being their first presentation on Mexican soil. The rest of the year is occupied by presentations in North American countries.

2007 began for the group with a tour throughout Chile, for the presentation of their DVD. On January 6 they performed very prominently at La Gran Cumbre del Rock Chileno, in which they shared the stage with groups of the stature of Los Jaivas and Los Tres. On February 23 they performed at the Viña del Mar Festival, receiving two torches (gold and silver) for his performance, concluded after half past three in the morning.

The Bunkers at the Conception University Theatre in their hometown in 2007. From left to right, Francisco Durán, Mauricio Basualto, Álvaro López, Gonzalo López and Mauricio Durán.

On April 15, they are presented at the Crystal Festival Live, Vive Latino, in its Chilean version, sharing the stage with Jorge González, leader of the prisoners, which interpreted the theme "It rains on the city" next to the penquistas. Then the Bunkers accompanied González in the interpretation of some of the prisoners' classics.

At the beginning of October, the launch of a compilation album of the singles that managed to consecrate the group, from 2001 to 2006, as a way to close the contract with its previous record house, Sony/BMG, is reported.

On October 12, 2007, the Bunkers are presented in «Dale race» (event held at the Caupolicán Theater in Santiago, in commemoration of the day of the race). This time, the band performed a new Song, which would be part of his next studio album, called «Party». This event was followed by important presentations in various places in Mexico, Colombia (at the Rock Festival to Park 2007), Chile and the rest of Latin America.

Barrio Station and Experimentation

In early 2008 the quintet seals a qualified agreement of "unpublished for the recent history of local rock", consisting of the firm by five albums with the Universal Music multinational, in the category of "priority artist" and, by That same reach, publication of their next jobs in all the countries of Latin America.

On March 25, 2008, and simultaneously in Rock & AMP radios; Pop of Chile and Radio Reactor of Mexico, the Bunkers launch the first single of their new album, given to call neighborhood station , in reference to the Bohemian neighborhood of the city that saw them born, Concepción. Song, called "Debts", has since available at the band's MySpace. Due to disagreements between the seal and the main record distributor of Chile, the album is sold exclusively in the leading supermarket.

The album, recorded in group sessions in Santiago, in the midst of its usual tours and trips to Mexico, during the Chilean winter of 2007, was published in the second week of June 2008. On Wednesday, June 11, the album in the Group's Myspace, and announces it in the last concert they gave at the Caupolicán Theater two days later, the last before their departure to Mexico.

On the other hand, they grind me to sticks (second single from the album) was in the first place in the preferences of the auditors (in the radios of Mexico), and in the sixth place of The charts of the same country. Subsequently, it was released as a simple "nothing new under the sun", which had a video with high rotation in MTV Latin. During the summer of 2009, the group makes a series of presentations in Chile, beginning with an applauded performance at the Chilean Rock Summit, at the Santiago Equestrian Club, during January. The tour included concerts in the main cities of Chile, and closed with a massive free concert offered by the group in the Plaza de Armas of Santiago on June 8, 2009, which was attended by between ten and fifteen thousand people, according to The different existing estimates. In the concert there were almost the entire album neighborhood station , with winds invited in winds, accordion (touched by Camilo Salinas, current member of historical intiimani, in «a Cloud hangs on me »), additional keyboards, and even a string quartet for" party. "

After the concert, and having postponed a planned trip to Mexico for the cancellation of the 2009 version of the Vive Latino festival, which they should attend, due to the outbreak of human influenza registered in May 2009, the group confirmed Its presentation at this event, now made at the end of June of the same year. For their part, they were able to travel to Chile to present a concert in Concepción, suractive, celebrating the Youth Day sponsored by INJUV and sharing the scenario with De Saloon.

Free music and definitive consecration

On April 1, 2010, the Bunkers began recording what would be their sixth studio album, which was full of novelties. First is that it is his first studio album recorded in Mexican lands. The plaque producer is Emmanuel «Meme» of the Real, guitarist, keyboardist, singer and programmer of the Aztec Café Tacvba band. Another novelty is that they had the collaboration (unique of the project) of the Chilean singer -songwriter Manuel García, one of the most acclaimed Chilean musicians in recent years. And, the big surprise, is that this album is composed of between 10 and 12 covers of the outstanding Cuban troubadour Silvio Rodríguez, who declared "fans since childhood." On Tuesday, September 7 of that year, it appeared simultaneously in Radios Chilean and Mexican, the first promotional cut of the album "Sleep with snakes."

On September 22, the name of the new plaque is announced: Free Music , which has the release date on November 16 in Mexico and at the end of November in Chile.

[ Required appointment during the 21st century.

On Wednesday, November 24, it leaves simultaneously on the radios of Chile and Mexico, as the second promotional cut of the album, its version of the theme "Whoever." In Mexico the album has been available since November and in Chile it came out in December of 2010 through the newspaper the latest news and in different supermarket chains (for the same problems in which its previous album, Barrio Station was sold in a similar way), a date that coincides with its return to Chile to undertake a tour of the country. In the midst of this was his presentation at the Crystal Cristal Festival: The 2010 hug on December 11 at the Ellipse of the Park O ' Higgins of Santiago. This festival contemplated in a marathon day of more than 10 hours, gathering historical exponents of Argentine rock with great figures of Chilean rock, in which they opened the show and invited the leader of Babasónicos, Adrián dárgelos to sing the theme « It rains on the city ». On December 30, 2010, two concerts have returned at the Néscafe theater of the Arts, which includes the closing of 2010 and the first part of the free music tour of Chile. In addition, the two presentations are broadcast live by the Dulce Patria de Radio Cooperativa program and recorded by the Via X channel to be broadcast and a possible DVD.

On January 19, 2011, they were confirmed as one of the bands for the closure of the 2011 Coachella Festival, to be held on April 17, becoming the first Chilean group to play at the Californian festival. There they would share the stage with artists like The Strokes, Duran Duran, Kanye West and PJ Harvey on the day of closing; and others such as Arcade Fire, Kings of Leon, Interpol, Suede, Brandon Flowers and Scissor Sisters, during the festival. Time, the United States Embassy did not allow them the work visa in time to play, so the bunkers, four days before their presentation in Coachella, had to cancel the show. /i>]

Between August and September, they undertake a series of long -term concerts in theaters in Mexico and Chile, scanning concerts at the Metropólitan Theater in Mexico City on August 11, and then in Punta Arenas on August 27, in The Theater of the University of Concepción on September 4 and at the Regional Theater of Maule in Talca on September 8 celebrating 10 years as a professional career and its first homonymous album Los Bunkers. A peculiarity of these concerts is that a limited edition was sold in vinyl of free music . Within these presentations, the Caupolicán Theater stands on September 1 in which they presented themselves to full theater and played more than 40 songs, in a 3 -hour show that was broadcast by sound FM live and by the Via X HD full days later.

On September 7 they are the first confirmed and the first Chileans for the Liii Viña del Mar 2012 Festival, being appointed on her Twitter account by the mayor of Viña, Virginia Reginato.

On September 14, they hold an acoustic session in the application of the application high Documentary of the band made by the Radio Sonar FM and directed by Pascal Krumm, the bunkers: a documentary by sonar and then ended with a strenuous presentation within the framework of the "electrifying fonda" made by that center cultural.

On November 24, in the state of Monterrey, in Mexico, they participated in the Pa ' L Norte Rock Fest.

On December 13 of the same year, the documentary at the Nescafé de las Artes theater in the framework of the Octave Edition of the 2011 Official Sonar FM site for free download and online reproduction, and in two weeks it got more than 150 thousand downloads. The documentary was exhibited in the 2012 version of the IN-EDIT festival in Barcelona.

In January 2012 they return to Chile to carry out a national tour that would take them to the Viña del Mar Festival.

The Bunkers, in concert in Nezahualcóyotl City.

On Saturday, February 25, Los Bunkers open the fourth night of the LIII Viña del Mar International Song Festival, with a 90-minute performance, bringing up the then festival jury, Manuel García, to interpret the song «At the end of this journey in life", Los Bunkers took all the possible prizes and being described by the press that covers the contest together with the public as "The best of the 2012 festival" apart from "making a presentation qualified as world-class rock ». Along with the presentation of Manuel García, they marked the night with various slogans of a social and political nature, especially when they performed "Canción para Mañana" in which phrases such as While you watch television? You know what laws Congress is approving, Smog is the government's promises going up in smoke!, Education... The business where the customer is not right! or For a homeland for all, I respect the Mapuche people.

The speed of light and maturity

The Speed of Light was her seventh studio album and was released on May 14, 2013. On February 4, 2013 her first single was released, titled Dancing Solo and which corresponds to the first composition of Los Bunkers since the album Barrio Estación, released in 2008. The single was released in digital download format, and on the 7th of the same month it hit the iTunes store. an international tour called La Velocidad de la Luz Tour, which began on July 26 in Mexico City.

In August of that year the band made some national appearances. On the 2nd they performed at the Movistar Arena in Santiago, filling the venue, and on the 10th at the SurActivo events center in Concepción, their hometown, where they were named "cultural ambassadors" of the city.

In the framework of the National Holidays, the band decided to return to Chile to replenish batteries for what would be an upcoming tour of Mexico. They had occasional presentations, such as on September 17 in Maipú, also at the Enjoy Santiago casino, from September 18 to 21 as a fixed dish at the Fonda del Uno on Matucana 100, where space was given to collaborations with Sonora Palacios. and with the musician Zalo Reyes.^{[citation required]}

They also presented the video clip for their second single Si estás pensando mal de mí, recorded in Los Angeles.

Indefinite recess

During the summer tour "The Speed of Light Tour" that toured around 20 cities and towns throughout Chile, before the group performed in San Javier, speculation began that this would be the last performance of the Penquista band, which caused confusion among their followers through social networks, so which the band through their Facebook account denied a separation, but they did assume that they would take a break throughout the year. His last presentation would take place on March 27 at the Vive Latino 2014 festival in Mexico, in which his last words were "We are Los Bunkers, goodbye, good night". To this day Mauricio and Francisco Durán make up "Lanza Internacional" (with Ricardo Najera) and "Pillanes" (together with Felipe and Pablo Ilabaca -from the Chancho en Piedra group- and Pedropiedra). Álvaro and Gonzalo López make up "LÓPEZ". Gonzalo López also has alternative projects as a bassist for the groups "Cigarbox Man" and "Kolumbia". Mauricio Basualto is "temporarily retired" of musical activity (his last project of his was as a drummer for Manuel García and & # 34; Cigarbox Man & # 34; which he abandoned for family projects).

Little meeting

At the end of 2019, Los Bunkers announced their "return" through a concert in favor of Chilean social problems, after the protests that had been taking place since October. The event took place in the Plaza Italia in Santiago de Chile, on December 13 of the same year, in which the group played nine of their hits, among which "Come here", "Miño", "Llueve about the city", "Dancing alone", among others. After this, the band confirms a new concert at the University of Concepción for the next day. However, the band stated that they had no intention of going on tour again and less to record a new album, so the recess continued, continuing with the personal projects of the members of the group.

The return: New concerts

On May 2, 2022, Los Bunkers announced a new concert under the name of "Come Here" for March 11, 2023 at the Santa Laura Stadium. Selling out quickly, the band adds a new date for March 12. They also released a list on Spotify called "Rumbo a Santa Laura", alluding to the stadium where their return took place. On August 1, 2022, Los Bunkers announced a concert in the city of Concepción, for March 25 at the Ester Roa Rebolledo Stadium. In October 2022, the band announced their return to Mexico as part of Vive Latino 2023, and later set a tour in Monterrey, Guadalajara and Cuernavaca. On January 31, 2023, a new date was announced in Chile, on March 26 at the Quinta Vergara amphitheater in Viña del Mar. To date, the band has sold nearly 120,000 tickets in Chile alone.

On February 23, 2023, Los Bunkers surprised with their appearance at the end of Fabrizio Copano's routine at the Viña del Mar Festival.

On March 1, 2023, the band held a surprise concert, free and with a ban on mobile phones, at the discotheque Blondie, in the midst of the run-up to their comeback. All 500 tickets were available the same day virtually, selling out in a matter of minutes. The fans respected the band's request, which surprised them on social networks.

On March 11, halfway through their show at the Santa Laura Stadium, Los Bunkers premiered Rey, their first original song in 10 years. In addition to their live performance, the single debuted simultaneously on digital platforms, and premiered that same night on Radio ADN with a 31-minute presentation by Juan Carlos Bodoque (Álvaro Díaz) and Señor Manguera (Fernando Solís).

Musical Influences

The name of the band is born from their two biggest musical influences as a group; Phonetically the word “BunKers” has the two strong consonants B and K which are the initials of The Beatles and The Kinks.

During their concerts or on albums they have covered bands such as The Beatles, The Kinks, T. Rex, The Animals, ELO, Kula Shaker and Cream, among others. And in Spanish Violeta Parra, Víctor Jara, Inti Illimani, Los Prisioneros, Los Angeles Negros, Café Tacvba, Los Tres, Los Jaivas, Silvio Rodríguez, among others.

Manuel García cited Los Bunkers as an important referential figure since he began composing his first songs as a soloist. Cristóbal Briceño (Ases Falsos) also recognized that when he was young he would go see them live. Francisca Valenzuela, Emmanuel del Real (Café Tacvba) and Andrea Echeverri (Aterciopelados) have also shown their admiration for the band.

Members

Main membership

• Álvaro López – Voz, guitar (1999-present)
• Mauritius Durán – Guitar, voice (1999-present)
• Francisco Durán – Guitar, keyboards, voice (1999-present)
• Gonzalo López – Bajo (1999-present)
• Mauritius Basualto - Battery (2000-present)

Former members

• Manuel Lagos – Battery (1999)

Discography

Albums of study

• 2001: The Bunkers
• 2002: Song from afar
• 2003: The blame
• 2005: Dog life
• 2008: Barrio Estación
• 2010: Free music
• 2013: The speed of light

Tours

Awards

Some recognitions obtained by the band have been the following:

Grammy Latinos Awards

MTV Latin American Awards

APES Award

Altazor Award for National Arts