Hugo Fattoruso (Photo: RawheaD Rex)
Multi talented and multi-instrumental, the Uruguayan artist Hugo Fattoruso has kept Latin America entertained with his versatile music style for over 50 years.
Currently a solo artist as well as a member of several other musical projects, including a reformed family jazz trio, he seemed destined for a life in music.
Born in Montevideo in 1943, he was encouraged by his father to learn the piano when he was only four years old and by nine years old had been enrolled by his father as the accordionist in a family group.
Comprising of Hugo, his younger brother Jorge Osvaldo on drums, and their father Antonio playing an inverted bucket bass made up of broomstick and string, ‘El Trio Fattoruso’ performed in street festivals all over Uruguay.
This early musical experience, gave Hugo exposure to a diverse range of musical styles such as Uruguayan boleros, tangos and murgas that would later influence his music.
After six years, he made a brief departure from family formed groups and joined a swing band named The Hot Blowers. Together with the band, he toured Latin America and became well practised in improvisational music techniques, but left four years later to begin a new and very different project.
Adapting to the trend of rock and roll that swept the Uruguayan music scene in the 1960s, Hugo elected to reunite musically with his brother and formed a new group called Los Shakers.
Combining Roberto “Pelin” Capobianco on drums and vocals, and Carlos “Caio” Vila on bass and vocals, the brothers’ new band was a huge success and their unique blend of Latin American styles and rock music backing beats proved contagious.
As one of the most influential rock and roll groups in the ‘Uruguayan invasion’, Los Shakers spurred on the growth of rock and roll in Argentina and all throughout Latin America.
Modelling themselves on their British counterparts, and covering several Spanish language versions of their songs, the group were, for five years, Latin America’s answer to the Beatles.
But not content with his success in South America and looking to expand his musical horizons, Hugo took his Afro-Uruguayan and jazz infused portfolio to New York, where he formed another band, Opa in 1969.
Fusing rock, jazz, and Afro-Uruguayan candombe with other Latin American rhythms, the group was, once again, a musical venture made up of close family and friends.
His brother Jorge returned to play drums, as he had done in the original family formation, and childhood friend, Ringo Thielmann, joined them on bass.
With the longest career of all of his bands, Opa were a distinctive voice in the Latin American jazz scene for over 30 years, coming to an end only as recently as 2005.
Their albums ‘Golden Wings’ and ‘Magic Time’ undoubtedly influenced the generation of Uruguayan musicians that followed, and earned them international recognition.
Having toured various cities and collaborated with numerous musicians whilst he lived in the United States, Hugo chose to settle afterwards in Brazil, where he continued to work and record with renowned Brazilian artists such as Milton Nascimento. The acclaimed album ‘Nascimento’, which they composed together, was awarded a World Music Grammy in 1997.
In 2000, Hugo and Jorge decided to reform a family trio – this time with Hugo’s son, bassist Francisco Fattoruso, taking the place of the original trio’s founder, Antonio.
More than ten years on, the Fattoruso Trio are still going strong, while Hugo continues to be a big name. Never forgetting his colourful background, he recently competed on behalf of Uruguay in the 2010 World Cup of Music.
Genre: Rock, jazz and a unique blend of Afro-Uruguayan
Dates Active: 1952 – present
In their own words: “I’ve been lucky to be close to people that play music seriously – for me it is always a learning experience, infinite, without end and with an open future.”
Most Famous Song: ‘Rompen Todo’
Best lyric: “You forget you’re tired, you forget you’re sad, can I shake and dance, with friends tonight!”
Famous for: Forming part of the Uruguayan group of musicians and artists whose pervasive influence on Argentine rock and roll was dubbed the ‘Uruguayan Invasion’.
Best to listen to: On a sunny rooftop terrace
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