A drawing class given by Michael Jackson? It sounds at first like the journalist coup of the century: not only is Michael Jackson still alive and kicking, but he is in fact living in San Telmo in Buenos Aires, giving travel drawing classes to English speakers and selling his artwork at the market on Sundays.

With baited breath, I arrived for the 5pm class at Sótano Blanco, an art school situated in the heart of San Telmo that, over the past 15 years or so, has cultivated local illustrators’ talent. A young man in a short sleeved shirt sits opposite three girls in a sparsely decorated white room. He stands and offers a hand as I enter, “You must be Hugh, I’m Michael”. Of course, this isn’t the moonwalking, pale faced, Shamone shrieking scoop I was looking for. I hide my brief disappointment and get ready to draw.

I learn that the other students heard about the class when they stumbled across Jackson’s stall at the San Telmo market on Sunday. Situated on Defensa in between the streets Chile and Mexico, the artist sells calendars and posters of his work, and has done for the last three-and-a-half years. His impressive pencil drawings tend to depict various historic sites in the San Telmo neighbourhood and he explains that “people can use them as a walking tour of the area.” It is from his stall, that Jackson recruits pupils for the drawing classes, an initiative aimed at those who keep travel diaries and hope to document their adventures with sketches as well as words.

The lesson begins with a lengthy explanation of art materials. Turns out there is more to drawing than a pencil and paper – at least that is what Jackson’s endless spiel about 4H and 2B and paper thickness and erasers and sharpeners leads you to believe. For those perhaps more interested in drawing than Straedler’s red series, I suggest you switch off for this part. In fairness, I now fear stationery shops much less than before.

Our heads bursting with facts about lead, we proceed to our first drawing task. Jackson arranges a wine bottle and box on the table and tasks us with representing it. I stare at my blank piece of paper in abject fear. But Jackson’s wide-eyed enthusiasm for drawing his surroundings is infectious and soon all four students are happily destroying the page, yours truly in particular. Fortunately, ability is not what matters. According to Jackson, “everyone can draw a box and a line and with that you can draw the city.” It’s just a shame that his lines and boxes tend to be easier on the eye than mine.

For the second part of the lesson, having swallowed all we can about shadow and perspective, the class takes to the streets of San Telmo to attempt to depict a nearby cityscape. Today the plan, as is the norm with beginners, is to go to Parque Lezama to allow people to draw what Jackson refers to as “a scene that is relative to them.” However, a sudden downpour forces a last minute change of plan and we veer into El Federal café.

We settle at a table, order a beer, and once again begin collectively doodling objects – imaginary and real – at the instruction of Jackson. Participation is obviously encouraged, but some people draw more than others, and the class certainly feels as though it is as much about socialising and sharing ideas as it is about churning out artwork. The charismatic Jackson entertains with tales of how he learnt Arabic merely by writing down words phonetically while working on a documentary project in Egypt. He explains that he prefers Argentina to the Middle East since here in the cultural-whirlpool of Buenos Aires he is not defined by race. He complains of the homogenous nature of youngsters in the United States, and describes how he felt uninspired by his hometown in California. He also raises an interesting point that a slow pace of life, characteristic of Argentine culture, is well suited to those who wish to spend a long time looking and reconstructing the view presented before them.

As someone who keeps endless notebooks and travel journals, and ruins them with terrible handwriting and messy scribbles, I appreciate the opportunity to learn how to make them into something slightly more aesthetically pleasing. Lots of us like to doodle, but as Jackson points out, drawing is “like learning a language – you need a little bit of a grammar.” And that is certainly true in my case; the doodles were never going to improve without a bit of direction.

Jackson poses the question: what is more appealing, a mass-produced Quilmes T-shirt that screams “I’m a tourist” or a haphazard sketch in your journal of Argentina’s most popular beer bottle? Why buy the stereotypical postcard image of San Telmo’s cobbled streets when you could sketch your own impression? There are a lot of English-speaking, journal-scribbling travellers, who undoubtedly would be keen to hone their doodling skills. With that in mind, Jackson might well be onto a winner. I will certainly be going again.

The classes will run all summer, but schedules and prices fluctuate, so for more information write to Jackson at mitajaajatim@yahoo.com or go and speak to him in person on Sunday at the San Telmo Market.

Lucas Radicella visits La Fabrica, an alternative cultural space in San Telmo that has grown out of the rubble of an abandoned factory.

Camera & Editing: Kristian Andersen

It’s been a rainy week in Buenos Aires, but that hasn’t stopped well dressed porteños across the city from stepping out in style. Once again we hit the streets with a camera in one hand and an umbrella in the other to track down the best in Argentine street style.

This week we hit the cobbled streets of San Telmo to chat with some of the laid back locals. This bohemian barrio is more about vintage markets and artisan products than the designer malls and expensive brands that typify other parts of the city.

We caught up with some of the local shoppers to talk about creativity, individuality, and why knitting your own coat is the way forward…

Name: Anabella

Age: 31

Where do you live? Buenos Aires, Zona Sur

What do you do? Works as an administrator in a factory

What are you wearing today?

“Today I’m wearing some leggings I bought with a friend, I put them on to show her. They’re from Bendita Elocuencia, my jacket is Emporio Cueros and my tunic is A.Y Not Dead. I’m not sure where my shoes are from, they were a present. I like to play around with clothes. I don’t have a specific style – one day I might wear a certain style and the next day it’ll be completely different.”

What do you think of fashion in Buenos Aires?

“I love clothes, I like fashion here more than ever because it’s a really liberated style with a lot of diversity. Everyone has their own style. I think everyone should have their own style and be diverse, some people have a more classic style, others are hippies, there are loads of different styles.”

Favourite brands/ designers?

“There are loads of independent designers which are interesting and make good clothes, and then there are bigger designer brands like A.Y Not Dead which I like…there are a lot of interesting brands out there.”

Name: Mariel Mosca

Age: 43

Where do you live? Parque Chacabuco

What do you do? Sells artisan knitwear

What are you wearing today?

“I knitted this cardigan coat, it’s my favourite part of what I’m wearing. I bought this top from Bolivia. You can see my boots aren’t particularly fashionable, I just wear what I like.”

What do you think of fashion in Buenos Aires?

“Certain people follow fashion but it repeats itself and they look the same but there are people who prefer to be more individual, like me. I just wear what I want to and fashion isn’t important. I think people in Argentina are quite scared of using big and happy colours and playing around with it, which is what I like to do. Argentines don’t have this urge; they have more colours which are dark and sombre, they wear a lot of black.”

Favourite brands/ designers?

“I don’t like designer clothing. I like to know who made my clothes, I like artisan pieces.”

Name: Diego Amengual

Age: 38

Where do you live? Boedo

What do you do? Owns a tattoo shop

What are you wearing today?

“My jacket is from a Feria Americana (vintage shop), my shoes are from Bond Street and my jeans are City Rockers.”

What do you think of fashion in Buenos Aires?

“I like fashion design but I don’t particularly follow fashion trends. There are a lot of interesting designers here, a lot of creative things in the fashion world here, I don’t know exactly what defines what is fashion at the moment but there are a lot of creative things going on.”

Favourite brands/ designers?

“I really like Ferias Americanas,  I also like DTS a lot.”

 

Name: Dolores Encole

Age: 31

Where do you live? Tribunales

What do you do? Teaches fashion and textiles

What are you wearing today?

“Almost everything I’m wearing today is vintage, mainly from Argentina. Though my shorts are Gamuza, I like interesting fabrics like this.”

What do you think of fashion in Buenos Aires?

“I love it too much, I studied fashion so I’m very interested in it. I would like to look for more specific things than what you normally see around though. I’m really interested in the vintage scene here, I think it has a lot to offer.”

Favourite designers/ brands?

“There are lot of interesting designers here, like Gamuza, but generally I prefer to look for more unique things, that’s why I buy so much vintage, but there are a lot of designers doing really interesting things.”

Name: Mercedes Santos

Age: 22

Where do you live: La Plata

What are you wearing today?

“My trousers are from Awada, they’re my favourite thing about this outfit – I like the pattern. I really like these boots too, they’re from Complot. My coat is from Wanama.”

What do you think of fashion in Buenos Aires?

“I love fashion in Buenos Aires, you can get everything here, there are lots of different things going on.”

Favourite designers/ brands?

“One of my favourites is Materia. I also really like the ones I’m wearing – Wanama and Complot especially.”

In what appears to be part of a wider picture of urban and economic development in the South-East of the city, in December 2011 the Buenos Aires City legislative body approved a law to build a future commercial, cultural and gastronomical centre in San Telmo.

The plans for the centre have generated controversy, dividing opinion among residents. Every Thursday, a group of teachers, students, and artisan workers meet in a small classroom under the 25 de Mayo motorway bridge in the Mercedes Céspedes sports centre. They are there to fight against the centre, which in their eyes poses a serious and deep threat to local education and social activity.

A Controversial Project in the Epicentre of San Telmo

The project, known as Feria del Sur, was voted on virtually unanimously by legislators of the PRO party and by the majority of the opposition. Out of 55, only four abstentions and one negative vote were cast. The law must be voted on twice, and since the composition of deputies in the Legislative body has changed since the first vote, the construction of Feria del Sur is probable, though not yet definite.

The construction of the centre would involve a $15 million investment from a group of four private construction companies; Lanusse S.A., Criba S.A., Servente S.A., and Crivelli Construcciones. Feria del Sur would be located between Bolivar and the half block between Balcarce and Paseo Colón, under the 25 de Mayo motorway. It would measure 16,000m2, with parking space for 266 cars. According to the presentation of the project, the centre would include “cultural, community and commercial activities” including a cinema and restaurants, as well as a graffiti wall and a gallery.

It is hoped that Feria del Sur will bring diversity, money and tourism to the barrio, upliftingand modernising the area underneath the motorway, that according to the governmnet has been “abandoned.”

Although it is generally accepted that the area still needs to be improved, its critics ask why improvement must mean radical change, instead of maintaining and upgrading what is already there.

In the proposed location under the motorway, an artisan cooperative and a community sports centre can be found. While the artisan shops hope to be involved in the project, it is still unknown what would happen to the Mercedes Céspedes sports centre. Schools in the area use the centre for physical education, and a number of local community projects operate here as well. If the shopping centre goes ahead, their space could disappear.

Unifying San Telmo and Healing the “Scar” Created by the Motorway

In 1980, the 25 de Mayo motorway was created, and for most people its construction split San Telmo in two, effectively creating two separate barrios. 20 years later, both the City Government and the private companies state that a principal function of Feria del Sur is to “unify the division in San Telmo, and involves large scale investment in the south of the City.”

Speaking to local paper El Sol de San Telmo, Eduardo Servente, from Servente S.A, deems the project a way to heal the “scar” that the motorway has created in San Telmo, a way to “cure the injuries produced by the motorway and unify the two sections of the barrio which are today separated by an inhospitable and ugly place.” The creation of a shopping centre would also respond to local preoccupation with the safety of an area that can still pose dangers: “Another issue that many people mentioned was the light and security in the area just next to the motorway, and how we could improve it.”

David Kullock, research professor and director of Urban Planning Post-Graduate study at the University of Buenos Aires believes the shopping centre would do nothing to heal the division. “These are just words. On the contrary, it would divide. A shopping centre could never be a friend to everybody – it’s a social fallacy. Of course, this would create more divides.

“This centre wouldn’t be for people who actually live in San Telmo,” he continues. “These residents aren’t the type of people who are going to use a shopping centre. Its purpose is to capture middle class people and tourists.” Kullock explains that the social effects of a shopping centre are extremely difficult to predict, but that in this instance, the project could potentially create more divides within the area.

Efrain Cruz, actively against Feria del Sur, has worked hard to develop the area, as well as volunteering in social activity locally, and is involved at the Mercedes Céspedes sports centre. For him, these claims come too late. For the last eleven years, he has been working extensively with others in the barrio to help unify San Telmo. He opened Feria Gráfica just under the motorway, a shop selling graphic art that upholds Argentine tradition. Along with the Artisan

Cooperative across the street and the creation of the sports centre, it has made people cross San Juan to the area under the motorway, which aided in bridging the divide. He is outraged by the project proposal: “This private project called Feria del Sur seems to tell us that it’s coming to do what we’ve been doing for 11 years.”

The Impact in Focus: Sacrificing Education

Cruz has not only worked to help bridge the divide and improve the area, but he has also been involved in projects aiming to help local children. Around 2,500 children from local schools in the area use the Mercedes Céspedes sports centre for physical education, and the destruction of the sports centre would leave them without a space to practise sport.

Those at the centre work hard to offer help and activities for children in the area. Local schools use the centre to offer extra classes for children who are falling behind at school, an activity the schools currently do not have space for. Groups such as ‘Club de Jovenes’ and ‘Taller de Musica’ also operate here, offering help to children from difficult or violent backgrounds, and giving free music classes to local children.

Unfairly, those at the sports centre only found out about the project through a journalist who came to ask them what they thought for an article about Feria del Sur. There is a strong feeling that they have been left in the dark, left only to wonder about what will happen to the children, the centre and the social activity that is done there. They have reached out to legislators, writing questions to ask what will happen to the centre, but they have been met with silence.

“These people just don’t care that 2,000 children will be left without a space,” says Diaz. “They will destroy everything that we have created. You can improve without destroying.”

Improvement, maintenance, investment are all welcome; they know the area is not without its faults. But what continually emerges is the sense that macrismo is leaving them behind – favouring big, private businesses and allowing their work to crumble in the wake. Moving somewhere else simply is not an option; there is no other space in San Telmo that could cater for the 2,500 school children as well as the social activities.

“There is no better place around here for what we’re doing. They’re putting in private money to a public space, when they should be investing and maintaining it,” says Ricardo Fuentes, a delegate for volunteers in the 4th district.

Next Steps

As it stands, it seems that only those behind the project – the government and the private companies – can see the advantages of Feria del Sur, while locals feel that investment is necessary, but that this project is not worth sacrificing a community centre and the barrio’s authentic feel.

For Kullock, a modern shopping centre in San Telmo is the “antithesis” of the backdrop of antiquity and bohemia that characterises the barrio. There is “no advantage of building this shopping centre. I think San Telmo is the worst place that they could be building it.” He notes that San Telmo has undergone much change and development over the last 20 years, and currently there are areas that need developing much more.

“They have to invent words: ‘would complement’, ‘would diversify’ – but for me we don’t need to make San Telmo more diverse, but instead we should aim to focus on its uniqueness, on its singularity.”

The second vote on Feria del Sur is on 9th May. Until then, those at the sports centre will continue to campaign against it. For now, they are distributing flyers, and talking to legislators, but they will protest if their concerns continue to be met with silence.

It is impossible to tell what the project will do for the area. PRO legislators must now decide if the change, improvement and development the project could bring to San Telmo is enough tosacrifice local work of the last 11 years, or if Feria del Sur will ultimately create a much deeper and long-lasting scar in San Telmo.

Find out what the locals think about development in San Telmo here.

In December of 2011, a law was voted on by the Buenos Aires City legislative body for a substantial new commercial and cultural centre to be built in bohemian San Telmo. Heralded as a necessary modernisation of a derelict neighbourhood, the Feria del Sur project is to include a mixture of shops, restaurants, bars, a gallery, and a cinema. Essentially, it will bring money and tourism to the underdeveloped area under the 25 de Mayo motorway bridge – between Bolívar and Paseo Colón.

Before the new centre can be approved, the legislative body must vote once more, but with 50 out of 55 ‘yes’ votes, the project already seems inevitable.

Yet not everyone sees this development project as indisputably beneficial for the area. The new shopping mall will be constructed on the very ground that Mercedes Céspedes, a community centre which helps around 2000 children, is currently sitting on. Although the developers are promising to help the centre move elsewhere, it is clear that there is nowhere near to go, side-lining countless vital community projects.

The Indy took to the San Telmo neighbourhood to see what the locals had to say about this development project.

Patricio Useglio, 30, Rosario

I think that some development in San Telmo would be good, but not a shopping centre. There are other things that need to be developed first in the area that are more based on the culture around here, more clubs and more social things. Instead government money should be going towards more benefits for the clubs and the community centres. I think it will affect the area in a bad way. I don’t think they should move the community centre, for the children that go there to play some sport, it is very important to be near to the house, and it would be very hard to move to another place.

Norma Mesquiatti, 49, Artisan, San Telmo

Certain areas and aspects of San Telmo need to be developed further, for example, the protection of the historic quarter, regularisation of street sellers, the situation of artisans, and also the preservation of antique shops that are being lost.

I think [the proposed development] is going to be negative, the spirit of San Telmo is not just the historic centre but also the foundation of the city. In fact that’s why San Telmo became famous in the first place, with all the antique shops. It represents everything that is old, it represents the foundation of Buenos Aires.

I will never be for a project that goes against solidarity and justice. The kids need community centres, and I hope one day we won’t need them, but for the time being I know that they shelter many children from the street. That is fundamental for social development, not only for San Telmo, but also for the country.

Kevin Dean, 24, Food Entrepreneur, Belgrano

Part of San Telmo’s charm is that it’s underground, hippy, and bohemian, so I’m not sure if a commercial mall fits with the whole vibe. Although, I do think the plans might gentrify the area a bit more. Sometimes when a sports stadium is built they usually put it in a not so good neighbourhood, so that more businesses, restaurants, and bars sprout up, and it usually works. But I don’t know if San Telmo needs a shopping centre, as it’s cool as it is. It could be good for the market because it could bring more people, but it might be bad because people might go to the mall instead of San Telmo fair.

If the community centre can be moved to a good location, then I don’t think it’s a problem. But I sometimes think becomes a last priority concerning plans like this, so they should have that sorted before they start knocking [the community centre] down.

Olena Proskurova, 48, Retired, Microcentro

I don’t like the idea of a commercial centre because when they build it they are going to destroy the area. With modernisation, San Telmo will loose its style. I like San Telmo, because it’s small, old, romantic, it has warmth, and is comfortable. This is not an area to be building modern buildings, although I understand it’s business and it can bring a lot of money here. It might be good in more modern areas, like Puerto Madero, but not in San Telmo.

I‘m not against Macri, or Cristina, I just don’t like it. If it is an area where people go out for walks, with restaurants then I would like that, but not a commercial centre.

It’s better to leave to community centre for the kids, instead of building anything else. Macri wants to build things like shopping centres for money, and the community centre doesn’t matter because he can’t make a profit out of children. Children don’t produce money, they are the ones that need investment.

Venecia Negron, 28, Secretary, Palermo 

The idea of a shopping centre has nothing to do with San Telmo, because it is a very touristy neighbourhood, and a shopping centre is a monster.

But, I don’t like Havanna and Starbucks in this neighbourhood, I feel they have nothing to do with downtown San Telmo. The building where Starbucks was built was originally a very old, very touristy café, it was stupid to replace it. These new modern developments should be in Palermo or a more modern neighbourhood, but not in San Telmo.

The people that sell at the market are the artisans, who live and sell their handcrafts. If you put a commercial centre too close it won’t help these people, it will only be for tourists.

I think to replace somewhere that is a centre for the community is total madness. It’s not necessary. It is more necessary to have community centres to help the children.

At only 2.5m wide, Casa Mínima has the unique distinction of being the narrowest house in the city of Buenos Aires.

Situated on a corner of Defensa, the main tourist thoroughfare in the historic neighbourhood of San Telmo, the charms of this tiny abode are endless though easily missed. Partially exposed brickwork contrasting with a white adobe façade, a green-painted front door, lace-curtained windows and a wrought-iron balcony adorned with colourful flowerpots are the only hints at the historical significance of what’s within.

Legend has it that the house was given to a slave after his former owner had freed him, but according to historians at the neighbouring archaeological museum El Zanjón, the house was always part of a larger, grander residence on the corner of Defensa and San Lorenzo.

Nowadays a site of public interest, the original house was built in 1807 and was a typical Spanish-style residence with a centre courtyard and side entrance for horse carriages. The section of the house that is now called the Casa Mínima most likely served as a kind of watchtower, suggested by the fact its roof is significantly higher than that of the rest of the building.

In 1871 when a yellow fever epidemic broke out in San Telmo, the oldest suburb of Buenos Aires, wealthy residents fled to their country houses and to more northern neighbourhoods such as Recoleta. Their homes were then either sold for use as tenement quarters, or taken over by squatters and immigrants arriving from Europe.

Casa Mínima was one of three tenement houses created from the subdivision of the original house, and is the only one of the three that has remained a residence. Its neighbours were, in later years, converted to a tango club and a general store.

The last person to live in the house was a craftsman in the 1970s. Since then, it was vacant for a ten year period before being bought, along with the rest of the original house, by El Zanjón in 1994. The museum has completely renovated the part of the property that lies adjacent to Casa Mínima, displaying an innovative use of old materials that allows visitors to easily visualize the buildings heritage.

In 2007, the entire structure was opened to the general public and the restored section is now an elegant space, available to rent for special events.

Remaining essentially as it was when it was a tenement house, the front door of Casa Mínima leads to an arched hallway that features the original tile floor. Beyond that, a small open-air courtyard has steps leading upstairs to a single room on the second floor.

Despite the fact that the only other room in the property is a kitchen in the back of the house, whose ceiling height is probably three times greater than its length, the house is actually more spacious than it appears from the outside.

But perhaps the most interesting aspect of stepping inside this thin slice of history, is imagining the house during its days as “lookout” for an affluent Argentine family and wondering “What did the watchmen see from their posts on the long dark nights of the early 19th century?”

Who has the best beer selection in Buenos Aires? I claim that the best beer fridge in the city does not belong to a bar, a pub or even a specialty shop. It belongs to Martín Boan and Carolina Pérez, heads of the Centro de Cata de Cerveza in San Telmo.

When entering the Centro de Cata (Tasting Centre) you will see an impressive collection of beer books, bottles, and other memorabilia on the shelves that border the room. Inevitably, your eye will be drawn to the contents protected by two glass doors on the far wall. The two fridges are a densely packed library of styles from across the continent and around the world.

Amassing and replenishing their constantly revolving collection is all in a day’s work. Carolina and Martín are leading figures in developing the South American craft beer industry and their fridge is a testament to wide travels, influence and admiration. They are Argentina’s foremost beer educators, drawing students from across South America and colleagues from around the world to their classroom. They also have a hand in the malting industry and in founding the South Beer Cup, a beer competition and festival inaugurated last May in Buenos Aires.

I was recently lucky enough to attend a low-key meeting between Martín, some of his students, and Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) president Gordon Strong. Mr. Strong happens to be the BJCP’s most experienced judge and had passed through Brazil before lecturing and judging at a brewing competition in Santa Fe.

The stylistic variety and origins of the beers we shared and discussed was surprising. From out of the fridge came a Baltic Porter brewed in Scotland, a Brazilian Black India Pale Ale, an Argentine Pale Ale in the American style, and Argentine versions of Bock and Imperial Stout to name only a few.

Perhaps the most intriguing of the beers was a Brazilian ale inspired by the Belgian brewing tradition. Fermented using Brettanomyces (a unique strain of yeast that creates a distinct sour taste), it offered tart and refreshing sips. It would be at home in a Belgian café and is an ideal restorative on a hot day.

Mr. Strong had this to say when asked to characterize Martín and Carolina’s influence on educating hopeful beer judges: “The BJCP would not have a presence in South America if it were not for Martín and Carolina. They helped organize and proctor the first exams, and also helped start up the program in Brazil. They are exactly the right type of people to lead the judging community”. More judges means more beer competitions and more chances for brewers to be shaped by competent criticism and praise from their peers. Better beer is the inevitable outcome.

The beers in the Centro de Cata de Cerveza are for educational purposes. The Centro offers regular topical workshops for those looking to indulge their curiosity about beer appreciation, as well as technical talks for homebrewers. For the more serious student, several long-term courses are offered through the Centro (including distance education) and each involves many hours of sensory evaluation. Beer’s raw materials, brewing science and other key technical subjects are also on the syllabus.

In any case, signing up for a class means drinking beer will quite literally be your homework.

Aaron Brown is a Canadian beer lover and writer exploring Argentina one beer at a time. He writes for the Adventures In Alcohol blog and is frequently on Twitter. He hosts regular beer tastings in Buenos Aires. For more information please see the blog or Facebook.

The illustration magazine has turned seven, and for this birthday they decided to unveil a new format.

Now you can find an excellent selection of illustrators drawing from the same jumping off point: illogic, in this full colour 10x20cm version.

With this concept as an excuse, illustrators display all kinds of aesthetics, formats, styles and more!

Pick up the magazine for $45 in Cualquier Verdura. Open Thursday-Sunday, midday to 8pm. For more information, click here.

When you first listen to Superchería’s soothing rock ballads, least of all their first album ‘Una Casa Detrás’, it comes as no surprise that the Argentine four-piece were heavily influenced by The Beatles. With Revolver, the Brit-foursome created “pretty much a bible for songwriters,” they tell The Argentina Independent, adding that “That kind of music cuts to the core of us.”

Any fans of the Argentine great Charly García should have a listen too, though it is Luis Spinetta, and namely his phase in ‘Pescado Rabioso’, a band whose short-lived but wildly successful trajectory are considered an important part of the country’s musical history, that inspired them the most.

Superchería’s four members met in high school, and sharing a love of rock music, practiced playing together, becoming solid friends along the way. However, they didn’t formally get together until 2007, at which point they started writing and performing with more maturity. With the enigmatic Pira Bastourre and Joaquín Alvarez as frontmen, supported by Martín Tuffano on bass and vocals, and Jerry Ferala on drums, the band made their debut at the Sala Pueyrredón, a haven for up and coming rock groups in Buenos Aires’ alternative music scene.

This is a route they have always intended to go down: “In the underground or alternative music scene in Argentina you can find loads of really very talented bands that show just how, after a bit of a dry patch, a new wave is emerging”. Not surprising then that their circuit has taken them to the edgier venues the city has to offer—La Cigale, The Roxy, and La Castorera amongst others—where their nostalgic lyrics and uplifting vocals have gathered a solid fan base.

Of all their gigs, the one they remember most fondly is the debut performance of their first album in September 2010. Where their first release was an EP, ‘Una Casa Detrás’ is their first full album. “The production, the stage, the room full of people was amazing- it was also a seminal moment, to be playing the disc live so soon after finishing it off”.

Highlights of the album include ‘Te Quema los Pies’, (It burns your feet), with a definite brit-pop vibe, or the hauntingly romantic ‘Dormí conmigo’ (I slept with me). But the tone of the album is very versatile, with a seamless mix of heavier and lighter Strokes-esque rock. What’s more, you can download it absolutely free off their website!

This week’s product is from an Argentine designer. The Pebeta Teta brand has earrings, brooches, and necklaces made of acrylic. With a synthetic line, primary colours, and simple ideas, it has created a family of products which combine well with each other and your other fashion accessories.

Today, we present a variety of Pebeta Teta brooches. You can dress up your lapels from just $38.

Cualquier Verdura is open Thursday-Sunday, midday-8pm, at Humberto Primo 517, San Telmo. Visit www.cualquierverdura.com.ar for more information