The book consists almost entirely of quotes because the author wanted to capture the essence of each account: musicians, producers, and music journalists. “I didn’t experience 80% of what they went through. The important thing was for them to speak, to let them guide the narrative, and to preserve their inflections, their words, and their ways of expressing themselves,” she said about the format of her work.
“I was interested in the 2000s because they hadn’t been studied from a musical perspective; but when I started researching, I realized that the ’90s were great. They were the seed for everything that came after [in Uruguayan rock],” he said.
The author's career in journalism has focused on music, which is her favorite subject. She worked for five years at the newspaper El Observador, where she wrote about music. She is currently taking her first steps with her startup, PiiiLA.com, a music news website with a youthful, modern vibe that features new artists.
Journalistic investigation process
“As I worked on my project, I started thinking about what I could do for my final thesis. That’s when it occurred to me that I could do something on the 1990s, and then I expanded it to include the 2000s,” he explained.
The research involved a process of constant exploration. Each interview required a great deal of guidance from the interviewees, especially the early ones. She was also supported by her editor, Joaquín Otero, who guided her throughout the process.
The graduate highlighted the tools and knowledge she acquired during her time in the Bachelor’s program in Journalism, which were essential during the book’s creation process. For example: the techniques and practices for conducting interviews and writing feature stories. “My first school was the university; my second was El Observador.”
During her research, Kristel was struck by the strong networks of communication that developed among musicians between 1990 and 2009—alliances that endured over time.
These are generational connections fostered by shared tastes, shared instruments, stages, audiences, and/or rehearsal spaces. “I think that because of Montevideo’s unique characteristics—its small size and the sense that we all know each other—these connections are easy to form.” For example, the bands that played at the Juntacádaveres or BJ pubs shared similar sounds and attitudes.
Another aspect that stood out in his work was precisely the fundamental role played by these clubs—the places where bands used to gather. “Having those spaces where young people can come together and express themselves culturally is important for creating a music scene, which is what’s missing most today,” he noted.
Furthermore, while conducting the interviews, he realized the great significance of an artistic event in 1992: “Cargo 92,” which took place as part of the celebrations marking the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the Americas. Thus, the street theater company Royal de Luxe, with the support of the French government, converted the ship Le Melquiades to facilitate a cultural exchange across 35 cities in Latin America and present various artistic performances, including a show by the French band Mano Negra.
The ship was anchored in Montevideo from June 24 to July 4, 1992. The performances it hosted and the cultural exchange it fostered sparked a major movement within Montevideo’s artistic community, the effects of which were felt in the years that followed. Accounts from that period suggest that there was a clear turning point in Montevideo’s musical and theatrical scene.
“While I was doing research for my thesis and later for the book, I realized that ‘Cargo 92’ was one of the most important events of the decade; it was the seed for a lot of bands that were formed later, such asNo Te Va Gustar and La Vela Puerca, ”said Kristel. “It was an event that left a lasting mark on rock music. That mix of genres took shape there.”
“The show was visually stunning and musically excellent (…). They were giving you a key to another dimension of music that an entire generation hadn’t explored, because all post-dictatorship rock was marked by a political and generational stamp, and there weren’t many references to rock concerts,” says Guillermo Peluffo, lead singer of Trotsky Vengarán, in the book.
“Because they brought the French avant-garde on that ship—not just in music but in theater as well. In the cargo hold, they had set it up to look like a French street with lots of little bars, and that’s where the bands played and put on plays; the bigger productions were staged at the port or in front of the Solís Theater,” according to Alfredo Chole Gianotti, singer and guitarist for the bands Congo and La Abuela Coca.
“‘Cargo 92’ was very influential. It showed us a different way of doing things. It was fascinating to see Mano Negra and realize that music can be an art form, that it can be linked to other disciplines—it was a completely fresh perspective for Montevideo at the time,” says Juan Campodónico, guitarist for El Peyote Asesino and current member ofBajofondo and Campo, in the book.
Recognition at the Graffiti Awards
For Kristel, the most significant aspect of winning aGraffiti Award is that her book reaches beyond the music world.
“The thing about the music journalism scene is that I feel like sometimes we’re in a bubble—we all know each other, we celebrate each other’s successes, and it never goes beyond that.”
Kristel is pleased to know that her book is also reaching other social circles thanks to this recognition. “Several people I don’t see every day have congratulated me; they know what you’ve done and have read the book because they heard about it. It’s a great achievement.”
The Graffiti Awards, established in 2003, recognize Uruguayan music. Although they initially honored only Uruguayan rock, over the years they have come to represent all genres of national music. There were 35 categories recognized this year. The Lifetime Achievement Award, proposed by the jury members, has been awarded to musicians such as Jaime Roos, Ruben Rada, Hugo and Osvaldo Fattoruso, Gabriel Peluffo, Larbanois & Carrero, and Fernando Cabrera, among others.