“Gustavo was a ten in everything. They are hard shoes to put on”: El Cuarto Soda, band honoring Soda Stereo, will be touring in Colombia

In September 2014, Gustavo Cerati, the vocalist of the legendary Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, passed away. Since then, the history of the group split in two, and the panorama of this musical genre, in Latin America, was filled with an immense feeling of nostalgia and sadness. Although his voice can no longer be heard live and live, his legacy remains intact, not only because of what is available in different file formats, but also by followers who don't let their art disappear. In 2017, El Cuarto Soda was born, a band dedicated to honoring them.

In a talk with Infobae, Brian Tolenti, guitarist and vocalist of the group, talked about how complex it is to give life to a band of the Soda Stereo caliber and explained the differences between imitation and homage. For Tolenti, what El Cuarto Soda does is far from being a shadowing, on the contrary, it is a joint effort to celebrate his work and legacy.

“I like the word homage better. Tribute sounds like an obligation to have to copy someone in everything. Homage opens doors to you more opens the doors to understand that it can be under any interpretation. I stopped saying that we are a tribute a while ago because if not people, the first thing they say is 'imitate'. This imitation thing is more for a talent scout contest, do you understand me? In this case, I think my band is a tribute to Soda Stereo, and we have the freedom to decide whether to dress the same or not, or to use the same arrangements or not,” he began saying in his talk with Infobae.

The task is not easy. Every aspect of the band requires special care. Costumes, for example, have to be searched in vintage clothing stores even, knowing, that identical pieces will not be found. Sometimes, the option is also to have the garments made, when they are very specific. “We don't make the exact replica, we try to make sure that we are visually with the same colors as the look of the time, that you see us and say, 'yes, I'm in 1986'. That's a bit of the game,” said the vocalist who composes the band alongside Gabriel Muscio, drummer and percussionist, and Pol Walls, on bass and choirs.

The band, which will be performing in Bogotá, Barranquilla, Medellín, Tunja, Bucaramanga and Manizales, in the spokesperson for Bri, highlights that the shows that have been performed, and which will also have Colombia on stage, are meetings made by fans and for fans. The band, of course, is a loyal follower of Soda Stereo, so they promise concerts based on the love and respect they have about it. “Gustavo was a ten in everything. They are difficult shoes to put on,” he said.

“There is a lot of work behind, this is what we live on too. It's very difficult. It's a band that got everywhere for what it was. For what it is. It's a highly respected and complex band. They're all really good musicians. The idea is to make it natural. Gustavo had a lot of charisma, he sang very well, he interacted with the audience, he played the guitar, everything seemed very natural,” Brian stressed.

According to what the vocalist said, there is no close relationship with the members that make up Soda Stereo. From time to time, he says, they receive short congratulations. “They respond well when they are grateful for what we do, as long as we don't mess with what is legal. We cannot use images, videos, the same sounds, there if we would be in trouble. They take it well. It would be nice, anyway, if they were a little more affectionate with those who honor them. I have friends who pay tributes to other bands and have a lot more contact with them, even messages personalities,” he said in his talk with this portal.

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