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Bandana were a Latin Grammy-nominated female pop group from Buenos Aires, Argentina. They saw both local and international success from 2001 until 2004 when they disbanded. In total, they released 3 studio albums, 1 live album and DVD, and a film starring themselves.
Members
The group consisted of 5 girls:
All the girls hailed from Buenos Aires, apart from Guzmán, who is a native of Colombia
Casting
Formed in 2001 on the reality TV show Popstars, 5 girls were selected from 5,000's of contestants who had attended the casting. Their emergence coincided with a period of nationwide economic depression. As such, their success contrasted greatly with the general mood of the country, & one of the judges commented that "this was an opportunity to shine at a very downbeat moment for Argentina".[1] The final line-up was unusual in the sense that the girls didn't conform to traditional ideas of beauty: Ivonne wore braces & Lourdes was known as la peti (shorty) due to her height. Judge Afo Verde noted that "appearance didn't matter to us, what each girl conveyed was most important".[1]
Musical History
Their first self-titled album, Bandana, was the best-selling album of the year in Argentina, turning platinum soon after release.[2] It spawned a number of hits including Cómo Puede Ser, Guapas & Maldita Noche. They also completed a successful tour, selling-out Buenos Aires' biggest theatre, Teatro Gran Rex, more than 40 times during winter vacations (July). Later in 2002, they recorded a Spanish version of Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley (Muero De Amor Por Tí), for the Disney film Lilo & Stitch . In 2002, they released their second album, Noche (Night), which wasn't as successful as the first but it was still the best-selling album of the year. They also won Best New Artist-Southeast at the MTV Video Music Awards Latin America.[3] In December 2002, they performed a joint concert with Mambrú in the Vélez Sarsfield stadium.
In order to promote themselves internationally, they travelled to the USA, appearing in New York & Miami[4] & also featuring on the cover of Billboard Magazine. This was notable for being the first time that an Argentine group had achieved this feat[5].
They disbanded in 2004.
Cultural Impact
Following on from a trend established by the Spice Girls in the UK & internationally in the late 1990s, Bandana became a carefully marketed product which was especially popular among young girls. Many licensed products with their brand were available to purchase, and contributed to the heightened interest in the group, occasionally referred to as 'Bandanamania'.[6] Their signature bandanas of varying colours were quickly imitated by the teen population, as were their lyrics & dance routines.[6]
Vivir Intentando (Go For It)
In 2003 they released their first movie, Vivir Intentando, filmed on location in Buenos Aires. It premiered in Argentina on the 14th June 2003,[7] & met with mixed reviews. One critic claimed it a success "thanks to the competent technical aspects, precise use of emotion that plays with the audience, but above all, the atmosphere which it creates in the cinema".[8] Others were less complimentary, commenting "their acting talents are just passable.....the songs shine due to the absence thereof.....& the script comes straight from the 'teenager dreams of being a singer' handbook".[9] In spite of this, the movie grossed over ARS 10,500,000.[10]
Discography
Albums
- Bandana (2001)
- Noche (2002)
- Vivir Intentando (Go for It) (2003)
- Hasta Siempre (2004) - Live Hits album
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DVDs
Tours
- Gira Argentina (2002-2003)
- Gira España y Latin America' (2003-2004)
- Gira Argentina: Hasta Siempre (2004)
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Singles
- 2001: "Guapas"
- 2002: "Cómo Puede Ser"
- 2002: "Muero de Amor Por Ti" (for the film Lilo & Stitch)
- 2002: "Llega La Noche"
- 2002: "Un Demonio"
- 2003: "Sigo Dando Vueltas"
- 2003: "Hasta El Día de Hoy"
- 2003: "Canto Con Vos"
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Awards and nominations
See also
References
External links
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