[youtube YxUBWyUQuDo] Although I have lived most of my life in the states, originally I am from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Bersuit Vergarabat, or just ‘Bersuit’ as they are more commonly known, are a very popular alternative rock band in Argentina. They are kind of like the Radiohead of Argentina.
They are very different from Radiohead though in that their music completely embodies counter-culture, identifying with the misfits and outcasts of society, their music and performances carry strong themes of madness and psychosis, in fact they often perform wearing clinical pajamas to show their solidarity with individuals who are marginalized by society’s view of ‘madness.’ Unlike a lot of more escapist pop music that comes out of South America, their songs also tackle the issues of poverty, corruption, and general social unrest that plague Argentina and much of South America.
This song, ‘En La Ribera’ (roughly translates to: ‘On the Riverbank’) from their ‘Testosterona’ album, is about the impoverished riverbank communities on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. Anyone who’s spent some time in Buenos Aires would know exactly what I am talking about, as these communities are numerous and many of them are visible from major highways. These are ‘tinsel towns’, houses built from aluminum siding, adobe, garbage, whatever people can get their hands on and provide very limited access to plumbing and electricity. The unemployment and economic problems that plague Argentina are vast and there are thousands in these communities.
This video really reminds me of home and I really like the way the video (much like the song) at first shows the riverbank as only a place of poverty and misery, but goes on to show that the people living in these communities live rich, fulfilling, very social lives that perhaps result in more happiness than the quiet isolation of those who work in offices all day.
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