The historic drummer and founder of Los Iracundos Juan Carlos Velázquez passed away this Thursday in Ecuador. “El Bebe”, as he was known, was in Ecuador after a tour of the United States, according to channel 4 of Paysandú. Velázquez performed with his group for the last time in Paysandú in the last Beer Week on Sunday, April 17, at the Amphitheater of the Río Uruguay. Previously, he had participated in tribute to Los Iracundos which was held at the Florencio Sánchez Theater on October 11, 2021. Velázquez was born in Paysandú on November 13, 1941. He was 80 years old.
Los Iracundos band was formed in the city of Paysandú in 1958. Originally, it was made up of six musicians. Initially they called themselves the Blue Kings since at that time names in English were fashionable; but a music teacher at the school where they attended told them to choose a name in Spanish, then they adopted the name of The Wrathfuldue to joining the powerful RCA VICTOR label. Edward Franco‘Franco’ (vocalist, composer, arranger), his brother leonardo frank‘Leoni’ (lead guitar), Juan Carlos Velazquez‘Johnny’ (drums), John Bosco Zabalo‘Bosco’ (second guitar), Hugo Burgueno‘Burgues’ (electronic bass, composer and choirs) and Jesus Mary February‘Febro’ (keyboards) were the six original members of the group.
Los Iracundos achieved international fame in the middle of the 1960s with youthful romantic themes like Shut up (recorded March 31, 1965), and the city sleeps (released July 25, 1965) Everything is over, youth, The disenchanted (from the album La Juventud), the rain ended, happiness, happiness,you will no longer be, The winner Y It’s the rain that fallstheme included in the album Angry in Rome -the most successful of this decade- successes that lead them to enter, even, in the cinema, on several occasions as guests and in one of them as protagonists, in the film this crazy summer where they also interpreted the songs of their repertoire.
His debut occurs on October 10, 1961, in the historic Florencio Sanchez Theater; in less than two years they had recorded their first single in Montevideoon the Clave music label, which contained the songs hold the night Y Madison. They also recorded the songs. To Saint Tropez Y wake up lorenzo.
The topic Montt porta composition by Eduardo Franco and Cacho Valdez, is undoubtedly the group’s emblem song, being recorded on October 16 from 1968 in the RCA studies in Argentina and presented at the II Buenos Aires Song Festival on November 11th from 1968, being the most remembered in the world of the band. In the 1970s reaffirm their popularity with several gold records, for songs like A tear is falling, I ask you on my knees, and you are left alone, Chiquilina, I’m a jerk, Green River, Infidelity is your betrayal, cardboard puppets, every night of mine, You’re killing me, And I stayed at the bar, you gave me love, passion and life. In 1972, they attend the Vina del Mar Festival as guests. Releasing an album per year, and in some cases two, it is noteworthy that in this decade the group leaves the Italian compositions and begins to record with songs authored by its members, with its own style. Thus, a total of six albums with instrumental themes are also released, including young tangowhere they record songs from the tango repertoire, including Eduardo Franco interpreting the last coffee. They also recorded several EPs, mini plays and 45 discs. Among them is the mini play The Wrathful for kids with four themes we ask i ask, the bad word, Pepito Agustin Y Pedro the liar.
They continued to record year after year, throughout the 1970s, with productions containing songs composed by Eduardo Franco, Hugo Burgueño, L.Franco and JCVelázquez. as they are And I stayed at the bar, every night of mine, how do you expect me to love you, it was a fable.
At the beginning of the 1980sthey make an appearance in the movie «Crazy for the music«, together with other musicians, contributing his success, «That corner». In 1981 they released their gold record, Summer Storm, in 1982, Forty degrees, whose main theme was also recorded in Portuguese by various groups of the time. Likewise, the group recorded a 45 rpm disc with two songs in Portuguese (Passion and life – You gave me love, you gave me faith) to be distributed in the Brazilian market.
In 1984 released one of their most successful hits internationally, “Tú con el”, authored by Eduardo Franco, on the album of the same name and where the song “Las Puertas del Olvido” can also be found, which also became a success in the United States. United States and much of America.
In 1985after their retirement from the RCA Argentina label, where they remained for more than 20 years, a compilation album is released with five unreleased songs: “Tu por aqui”, “Chocar la misma pared”, “Adiós, blur y Cuenta Nueva”, ” I don’t want a kiss” and “You and I, as equals”.
The March 20 from 1985 did a grand tour of bolivia produced by bassist Hugo Burgueño visiting the departments of Santa Cruz, Tarija, El Beni, Cochabamba. They participated in many events and festivals, such as the song festival in Calama (Chile).
For 1986 The group had achieved world fame, with successful tours, releasing their album “Iracundos 86”, already under the Microfon Argentina label (Micsa), with compositions such as “O me voy o me quedo” and “Pedazos de papel” and later they released the “Historia de Los Iracundos” a unique album in its content with all the classic songs of his career produced by “Eduardo Franco and Hugo Burgueño”. Due to internal problems Hugo Burgueño withdraws from the group in full tour in the USA.
In 1987the 5 remaining members, release a new album, with the name “Eduardo Franco y sus Iracundos de siempre” with new songs, which achieves relative success with the songs “Por que me you cheated” and “Tell me who” that sounded time later.
The April 3 from 1988Eduardo Franco makes his last live performance in his homeland Paysandu, Uruguay in “The beer party”. In the month of June of that same year, he performed in several cities in Peru, including three performances at the Satchmo Jazz Bar and at the “Amauta” Coliseum in the city of Lima, being his last visit to that country.
The February 1st from 1989Eduardo Franco died in Paysandú, after suffering for several years from Hodgkin’s disease. The group remains, until today, with a different integration interpreting their songs.
