Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas

Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas is an Argentine rap duo formed in 1991 by Dante Spinetta and Emmanuel Horvilleur. In 2001 Dante and Emmanuel split to continue their careers as soloists. The duo took their name from that of the Russian spy Illya Kuryakin, a character in the hit 1960s TV show The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and the Colombian footballer Carlos Valderrama.

History

They met as children given the friendship between their parents, Luis Alberto Spinetta and Eduardo Marti. In 1987, with 12 and 11 years of age, Dante Spinetta and Emmanuel Horvilleur formed with younger siblings a rocker version of Menudo. Later on they became a duo.

Fabrico cuero (1991-1992)

In 1991 they released their first album entitled "Fabrico cuero", which combines rap, synthesized sounds, catchy melodies and ironic lyrics. Public media accused them of being popular because of their names rather than their musical skills. But that changed when renowned musician Charly García invited them to play at one of his shows to perform "Fabrico cuero" and "Rap del exilio". They shared the stage with Luis Alberto Spinetta in Venezuela.

Horno para calentar los mares (1993-1994)

In 1993, sales allowed them their second album, much harder than the previous one, with a new record label, PolyGram. It contains good songs like "No Way Jose" and "Virgin de rina". Despite having evolved musically, this album was not widely distributed. The album features Tweety González.

Chaco (1995)

With their savings they went on recording what became their most successful album, "Chaco". They chose to start their own label, Gigolo Productions. Chaco sold over 250,000 copies. The first single from the album was famous song "Abarajame". The video received the Latin MTV Award for Best Video of 1996. According to band members "'Chaco' is a summary of what happened to us musically and socially in recent times. The record suggests a new state of mind in which there is no place for discrimination or oppression." Hence comes the name Chaco, which is one of the few provinces in Argentina where aboriginals still live. AT this point they began to show in their videos their love of martial arts.

MTV Unplugged Ninja Mental (1996)

They performed different versions of well-known songs and included two new ones, this gave birth to "Versus".

Versus (1997-1998)

Already in the U.S., they started preparing their fifth studio album. This work leans more to soul music and funk music. It was recorded at Ocean Recording Studios, Burbank, and Battery Studios, New York. It was mastered at Sony Studios, New York and mixed at Battery Studios, New York. The result was a wonderfully crafted album. The first cut was "Expedicion al Klama Hama", one of the most beautiful songs of the band. A year later, its second cut "Jugo" became popular, and was nominated in 1998 in two categories at the MTV Music Awards. The album is very multicultural, musically speaking, as their sounds range from rock, funk, hip hop to ballads.

Leche (1999-2000)

"Leche" was loaded with African-American music and funk. Songs speak of doom and the end of the millennium. This record was distributed in Mexico. The album features American bass player Bootsy Collins whom introduces himself saying "my name is Bootsy Collins, old woman!"

Kuryakistan (2001-2002)

This album includes new versions of old tracks, remixes and hits of their career, plus four new tracks.

Musical Style

The musical style of Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas has always been questioned. It ranges from soul, funk, hip-hop and other African-American rhythms to rock, alternative, electronica, heavy metal and rap metal,

Aftermath

After and 11-year career together, the end was near. The tragic death of the duo's manager, José Luis Miceli had a big impact. The album 'Kuryakistan' was dedicated to him and included as homage songs 'A-dios' and 'Hermano'. The band split in 2001.

Both Dante and Emmanuel continued their solo careers. Emmanuel would focus on the current rock and pop-rop, while Dante preferred hip-hop. To everyone's surprise, Dante and Emmanuel met on the same stage again at the Viva Latino Festival 2008. On 24 April 2009, again appeared together as the opening act of the performance of the Puerto Rican duo Calle 13 GEBA in Buenos Aires.

Discography

• Fabrico cuero (1991)
• Horno para calentar los mares (1993)
• Cartuchera Porno (1994)
• Chaco (IKV album) (1995)
• MTV Unplugged Ninja Mental (album IKV) (1996)
• Versus (1997)
• Leche (Album) (1999)
• Kuryakistan (2001)
• Abarajame (EP) (2003)

References

http://www.mundokuryaki.com.ar/bio/biografia.html http://www7.rock.com.ar/bios/0/221.shtml Category: musical groups from Argentina Illya Kuryaki and the Valderramas page at rock.com.ar (Spanish) Mundo Kuryaki (Spanish)

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