Bandana is an Argentine pop
girl group
A girl group is a music act featuring two or more women in music, female singers who generally vocal harmony, harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female p ...
formed in 2001. Following the international trend of
teen pop
Teen pop is a sub genre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards Preadolescence, preteens and teenagers.Lamb, Bill"Teen Pop". About.com. Retrieved January 28, 2007. Often, the artists themselves are teenagers during their break ...
girl groups established by the
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls are an English girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Mel B ("Scary Spice"), Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"), and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice"). They have sold over 10 ...
, the five members of Bandana —
Ivonne Guzmán,
Lourdes Cecilia Fernández,
Valeria Gastaldi,
Virginia Da Cunha
Virginia da Cunha (born 15 June 1981, in Cordoba, Argentina) is an Argentine singer, actress, and dancer; also she was a member of the Argentinian girl-group Bandana (pop group), Bandana.
Discography
* ''See Bandana (pop group)#Discography, Ban ...
and
María Elizabeth Vera — were selected on the TV show ''
Popstars
''Popstars'' is an international reality television franchise aimed to find new singing talent. Serving as a precursor to the ''Idol'' franchise, '' Popstars'' first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the girl gr ...
'' and were a carefully marketed product that became a phenomenon in the country, particularly among young girls.
History
Their self-titled debut album was released in 2001 on
Sony BMG Records, led by the hit single "Guapas", and was certified four-times
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
by the
CAPIF.
Despite being initially snubbed by many critics and artists, Bandana emerged as Argentina's best-selling act since 2001.
At the time of their disbandment in 2004, the combined sales of Bandana's three studio albums were estimated to be 450,000 copies sold.
Their career was marked by several landmarks for Argentine musicians — specially bearing in mind the
1998–2002 Argentine great depression
The 1998–2002 Argentine great depression was an economic depression in Argentina, which began in the third quarter of 1998 and lasted until the second quarter of 2002. It followed fifteen years of Economic history of Argentina#Stagnation (197 ...
:
280 thousand tickets were sold to see them perform in the
Teatro Gran Rex
The Teatro Gran Rex is an Art Deco style theatre in Buenos Aires, Argentina which opened on July 8, 1937, as the largest cinema in Argentina.
Located near the centre of the city at 857 Corrientes Avenue, it was designed by the architect Albe ...
(with a total of 86 concerts in the venue); they performed twice for a total of 90 thousand people in the
José Amalfitani Stadium; and released ''Vivir intentando'', a film starring themselves that was seen by over 1 million people.
In 2016, Bandana announced a reunion concert (without Ivonne Guzmán) at the Lola Membrives Theatre in Buenos Aires; due to the high demand for tickets, the group has added five more dates.
The concerts sold out within an hour and a half.
The band also released a new album, titled ''La Vuelta'' which contains new versions of some of their biggest hits. On January 16, 2017, the band released their first original song ever since 2003 entitled "Bombón". The following day, da Cunha announced her departure from the band. In March, 2017 the 3 Bandana members, Lourdes, Valeria and Lisa, flew to the US to record the music video for their first single since their comeback, "Bombón" featuring Wisin. The music video was produced and directed by Lourival Rodriguez and co-directed by Ruslan Shakirov. It was shot in a Mansion in Miami Beach, FL.
Following da Cunha's departure, the band continues to release new singles, including "No No No" and "Baila" in 2018, and their latest single, "En la Punta de la Lengua" in February 2019.
Members
The original group consisted of 5 girls:
*
Ivonne Guzmán (2001—04)
*
Lourdes Cecilia Fernández (2001—04, 2016—present)
*
Valeria Gastaldi (2001—04, 2016—20)
*
Virginia Da Cunha
Virginia da Cunha (born 15 June 1981, in Cordoba, Argentina) is an Argentine singer, actress, and dancer; also she was a member of the Argentinian girl-group Bandana (pop group), Bandana.
Discography
* ''See Bandana (pop group)#Discography, Ban ...
(2001—04, 2016—17)
*
María Elizabeth Vera (2001—04, 2016—present)
All the girls hailed from
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
, apart from Guzmán, who is a native of
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
.
Upon the band's comeback tour in 2016, Guzmán decided not to return, being the only member who did not rejoin. Guzmán's role was not replaced.
On January 17, 2017, da Cunha revealed through her Instagram account she had left the band to focus on her solo career. The rest of the members announced subsequently that they would not replace da Cunha and instead, would continue as a 3-girl group.
Gastaldi left the band in 2020, leaving Lissa and Lourdes as the only remaining members. Now as a duo, they released their latest single, "Fuego".
Casting
Formed in 2001 on the reality TV show
Popstars
''Popstars'' is an international reality television franchise aimed to find new singing talent. Serving as a precursor to the ''Idol'' franchise, '' Popstars'' first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the girl gr ...
, 5 girls were selected from 5,000's of contestants who had attended the casting. Their emergence coincided with a period of
nationwide economic depression. As such, their success contrasted greatly with the general mood of the country, & one of the judges commented that "this was an opportunity to shine at a very downbeat moment for Argentina".
["El sueño del estrellato veloz convertido en realidad"](_blank)
Página 12 Article Julián Gorodischer 01-11-2001 The final line-up was unusual in the sense that the girls didn't conform to traditional ideas of beauty: Ivonne wore braces & Lourdes was known as ''la peti'' (''shorty'') due to her height. Judge Afo Verde noted that ''"appearance didn't matter to us, what each girl conveyed was most important"''.
Musical history
Their first self-titled album, ''Bandana'', was the best-selling album of 2001 in Argentina, turning platinum soon after release and achieving 4 platinum certifications. It spawned a number of hits including ''Cómo Puede Ser'', ''Guapas'' & ''Maldita Noche''. They also completed a successful tour, selling out
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
' biggest theatre,
Teatro Gran Rex
The Teatro Gran Rex is an Art Deco style theatre in Buenos Aires, Argentina which opened on July 8, 1937, as the largest cinema in Argentina.
Located near the centre of the city at 857 Corrientes Avenue, it was designed by the architect Albe ...
, more than 40 times during winter vacations (July).
Later in 2002, they recorded a Spanish version of
Can't Help Falling in Love
"Can't Help Falling in Love" is a song written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss and published by Gladys Music, Inc. The melody is based on " Plaisir d'amour", a popular French love song composed in 1784 by Jean-Paul-� ...
by Elvis Presley ''(Muero De Amor Por Tí)'', for the
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
film
Lilo & Stitch . In 2002, they released their second album, ''Noche'' (''Night''), which wasn't as successful as the first but it was still the best-selling album of 2002 in Argentina. In 2003, they released their third studio album, titled ''Vivir Intentando'' which was also the soundtrack of their film of the same name released during the same year. They also won Best New Artist—Southeast at the
MTV Video Music Awards Latin America.
[Best New Artist Southeast – Winners](_blank)
, MTVLA.com — MTV Video Music Awards Latinoamérica In December 2002, they performed a joint concert with
Mambrú in the
José Amalfitani Stadium with over 40,000 tickets sold.
In order to promote themselves internationally, they traveled to the USA, appearing in
New York &
Miami
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
& also featuring on the cover of
Billboard Magazine
''Billboard'' (stylized in lowercase since 2013) is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events and styles related to th ...
. This was notable for being the first time that an Argentine group had achieved this feat.
In 2016 they are back in order to do several shows and a tour around the country. They revealed through interviews that reuniting had always been a possibility, but it kept being postponed due to some of the members' pregnancies and other professional commitments. A new album, ''La Vuelta'' was released to celebrate their reunion, which contains revised versions of some of their biggest hits. The track list is also the set list of their tour.
On January 16, 2017, the group released their first original song since 2003 entitled "Bombón" featuring Puerto Rican rapper
Wisin. The following day, da Cunha revealed she had left the band, hence why she did not participate in the recording of this song. This brand new song serves as the main theme of one of
Telefé's reality show, ''Despedida de Soltero'' (''Stag Party'').
Cultural impact
Following on from a trend established by the
Spice Girls
The Spice Girls are an English girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Mel B ("Scary Spice"), Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"), and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice"). They have sold over 10 ...
in the UK & internationally in the late 1990s, Bandana became a carefully marketed product which was especially popular among young girls. Many licensed products with their brand were available to purchase, and contributed to the heightened interest in the group, occasionally referred to as 'Bandanamania'.
[Biography](_blank)
MTVLA.com Their signature
bandanas of varying colours were quickly imitated by the teen population, as were their lyrics & dance routines.
From 2001 to 2003, there was an official ''Bandana'' store selling much merchandise. The store was located at Avenida Corrientes, right besides Teatro Gran Rex.
Vivir Intentando (Go For It - Cinco Amigas)
In 2003 they released their first movie,
Vivir Intentando, filmed on location in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
. It premiered in Argentina on 14 June 2003, and met with mixed reviews. One critic claimed it a success "''thanks to the competent technical aspects, precise use of emotion that plays with the audience, but above all, the atmosphere which it creates in the cinema''". Others were less complimentary, commenting ''"their acting talents are just passable.....the songs shine due to the absence thereof.....& the script comes straight from the 'teenager dreams of being a singer' handbook"''. In spite of this, the movie grossed over ARS 10,500,000. and had a bigger B.O. than many international blockbusters.
Discography
Albums
* ''Bandana'' (2001)
**Label:
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...
,
Jive Records
Jive Records (later stylized as JIVE Records) was a British-American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary of the Zomba Group of Companies, Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chic ...
US,
MGLA
* ''Noche'' (2002)
**Label: BMG,
Jive Records
Jive Records (later stylized as JIVE Records) was a British-American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary of the Zomba Group of Companies, Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chic ...
US,
MGLA
* ''Vivir Intentando (Go for It)'' (2003)
**Label: BMG,
Jive Records
Jive Records (later stylized as JIVE Records) was a British-American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary of the Zomba Group of Companies, Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chic ...
US,
MGLA
* ''Hasta Siempre'' (2004) - ''Live Hits album''
**Label:
Jive Records
Jive Records (later stylized as JIVE Records) was a British-American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary of the Zomba Group of Companies, Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chic ...
US,
Sony BMG Music Entertainment
Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout ...
AR
* ''La Vuelta'' (2016) - ''Remix album''
**Label:
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...
AR
DVDs
* ''
Vivir Intentando'' (2003)
* ''Hasta Siempre'' (2004) - Live hits
Tours
* ''Gira Argentina'' (2002–2003)
* ''Gira España y Latin America (2003–2004)
* ''Gira Argentina: Hasta Siempre'' (2004)
* ''Bandana: La Vuelta'' (2016)
Singles
* 2001: "Guapas"
* 2002: "Cómo Puede Ser"
* 2002: "Maldita Noche"
* 2002: "Doce Horas"
* 2002: "Muero de Amor Por Ti" (for the film ''
Lilo & Stitch'')
* 2002: "Llega La Noche"
* 2002: "Un Demonio"
* 2003: "Necesito Tu Amor"
* 2003: "Hoy Empieza"
* 2003: "Sigo Dando Vueltas"
* 2003: "Hasta El Día de Hoy"
* 2004: "¿Qué Pasa Con Vos?"
* 2004: "A Bailar"
* 2004: "Canto Con Vos"
* 2016: "Llega La Noche"
(2016 version)
* 2017: "Bombón" (feat.
Wisin)
* 2018: "No No No"
* 2018: "Baila"
* 2019: "En la Punta de la Lengua"
Awards and nominations
*
MTV Video Music Awards Latin America
** 2002: Best New Artist – WON
*
Premios CAPIF:
**2002: Best Pop Band – Nominated
CAPIF Official
/ref>
**2002: Best New Artist – Nominated[CAPIF Oficial](_blank)
/ref>
**2002: Best Music Publishing – Nominated
**2003: Best Pop Album – Nominated
**2004: Best Pop Album – Nominated
See also
* List of all-female bands
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
Valeria Gastaldi's Official Site
Valeria Gastaldi's Fans Club Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bandana
Argentine pop music groups
21st-century Argentine women singers
Latin pop music groups
Latin American girl groups
Latin music groups
Teen pop groups
Vocal quintets
Musical groups established in 2001
Musical groups disestablished in 2004
Musical groups reestablished in 2016
Popstars winners
2001 establishments in Argentina
Musical groups from Buenos Aires