Broken voice, impudence and a strong character associated with the singer that makes person and role inevitably merge in front of and behind the camera. This is Maximiliano Calvo, the 31-year-old Argentine musician who is revolutionizing the scene indie rock of the Spanish capital.
He came to the industry hand in hand with the group Intrepid sailors in his native Argentina and now continues his career as a soloist in Spain.
It is not coincidental; His destiny has been musical. The singer, composer and actor landed on the streets and bars of Madrid to find the thousand adventures, friends and inspiration that he was looking for. Five years have passed since I made the decision: “I came to discover the Madrid that I knew.” by the songs of Joaqun Sabina. From the first day I felt like I was at home.”
Influences, rock band and solo career
Calvo is clear about his references. I grew up listening to tangos, boleros, Andrés Calamaro… I discovered Fito Pez’s rock as a child in his hometown, Rosario, but it was in Buenos Aires where at the end of his adolescence he set up his first rock band, the Intrepid Navigators. With them I opened for bands like Arctic Monkeys, Muse, The Killers, Arcade Fire… “We play football with the Strokes, they do it very badly.”
After this stage, the composer set out on his own and joined Tweety González. right hand of Gustavo Cerati and producer of Fito y Calamaro to take your first steps. From there he crossed the pond to reach Madrid. There, Calvo discovered flamenco, which fused his rock roots. He soon began playing in venues such as Café Berlin, Sala Caracol and Libertad 8.
His two albums as a soloist
Since then, Calvo has had time to release two LPs and join his voice to that of rappers, trappers and the new generation of pop and urban artists from many parts of the country.
First, Maximilian’s thing (2021), has themes such as The farewellwith Paco Soto, Dani Dicostas or Febrilewith Valeria Castro, in addition toIt, a song that features the voice of the hit-maker and legendary figure of music in Spain who was ahead of her time, María Jiménez. In it, the artist couple laments an addiction to partying, guilty of ruining a relationship.
Maximiliano Calvo, Mara Jimnez – EL LO (Lyric Video)
He has already collaborated with producers Carlos Ares and Menend, Garababo, Mumbai Mon, D3llano, in addition to immersing himself in trap with Solea Morente and Aron Piper or merging with the flamenco of Antonio Carmona.
Last March he released his latest album, The roostera work that he composed, largely, on a trip to Asturias, and which has just affirmed his taste for renewal of seventies rock. Many guitars and the need to tell his life from a rogue and poetic side that plays with double meanings. “Almost everything I write is an autobiographical lie. It corresponds to what I would like to happen in my life. It is a playful future,” he confessed in his interview for El Pas.
Polyamory, Fucking, M30 either Italian Moccasins These are some of the themes presented in this latest project.
The controversy surrounding his statements about Franco
Now, we can see the Argentine in the program Two incredibles, the television program in which veteran performers choose young singers to form duets, betting on music in Spanish and versions of classic songs.
But there is another format in which Calvo recently appeared and whose statements caused a certain revolution on social networks. This September, the artist went to the podcast The meaning of beer, presented by Ricardo Moya. In it, the man from Rosario responds after being asked about the Spanish dictator: “In Argentina, the dictators died in prison and in Spain, Franco died in bed. And I think that changes everything, because in Argentina no one suits you.” to say “long live Videla”, and here yes. Today they say “long live Franco” and everything is fine. I think history also marks. The songs, the art of each country and the way of being of that society.”
The publication of that fragment of the interview on social networks raised a movement of violent comments towards the artist, to which he himself responded in a new image on his Instagram account: “I have received a lot of quite violent messages for saying something that, I think it wasn’t that aggressive,” the interpreter began. “It is my point of view of the history of two countries that I know. History that, in my opinion, changes the vision of art in a sociocultural environment, which is where songs, literature, cinema and painting are developed. In the comments of said video you can see how Franco continues to be defended tooth and nail, which makes me realize what I said is not so far from reality,” he continued, concluding: “Sometimes, like now reading comments on the video, I lose faith in the sensitivity of human beings.
Maximiliano Calvo, on ‘Polyamor’: “A real partner deserves to be told the truth”
