The unofficial figures speak of 21.000 sold copies of his first work "My Origin and my place", a phenomenon little frequent, above all in the argentine folklore and in a thin pockets time.
All of that, plus the performances inside and outside of his province, the musical series on Buenos Aires National Radio, the presentation of his new work "I Belong to this World" last October 24th at the Olimpic Club of La Banda, with the presence of Susana Argañaraz, who made a special show for National Radio from the local subsidiary, give much to be talked about.
The temptation is strong, those topics give to chat for a while, but... we better try to point towards some other place in order to get to know the character better.
In the quiet atmosphere of his simple house of the Ejercito Argentino neighborhood, with the background of a radio at the highest of its volume (tuned in in a folklore program, of course), Horacio talks about his son, Cristian, who accompanies him in the band that seconds it. The kid is a good soccer player, well trained at the Central Cordoba school. He went to be tested in the Boca Juniors soccer team, together with a cousin and both surpassed the first test. Everything continued its course. Trips, performances, recordings, etc.
One day, Cristian returned to La Candela (where the Boca Juniors team trained) and found the bad news that the second test had already been accomplished. It was useless. Now, another kid replaced him in the team and the quota of La Candela was covered. He can stay in Buenos Aires and train with the kids, but he must search for housing. "On the other hand, - explains Horacio - he was called from Central Córdoba but he had already quit training and he's more fond of music than sports, and he had bought a bass and equipment.
The same had happened to me. I used to play in the Estudiantes team, but the schedules were not coinciding with my artistic activity. I went to play sleepless and I was not yielding. I had to choose and I prefered music".
The folklorist needs more than "chacareras" (folkloric rythm) in order to live.
"We are listening to (Lito) Vitale, Pink Floyd, Queen, Creedence; my kids are discovering these bands".
Horacio talks about The Beatles (the best which could have happened to music), of when in his youth he used to sing their current hits in meetings.
He indicates curious things, like Cristian discovering Creedence and their songs now, which brings so many recollections to him because he used to listen to them with his wife Eva. He delights recalling the great names of Argentine Rock scene, such as Almendra, and puts special emphashis praising to Luis Alberto Spinetta (Almendra's founder), whom he defines as a "capo" (master).
"The other day when we saw Peteco (Carabajal) in the Opera Theater, Cristian asked me who was the man doing percussion. I was telling him that he was Rodolfo García, who used to be in bands as Tantor, Almendra, and Aquelarre. .. "
- Did you remember him?
"Yes, of course. (David) Lebón, Charly (Garcia), Nito (Mestre).
Horacio is fond of telling of when he went to see Elton John, in the River Plate Stadium. In order to enter the stadium he waited in line from 4 in the afternoon until 10 in the evening. "The file was six blocks long. It was a good experience to live those previous moments".
The differences between the international and the folkloric shows are abysmal, but something can be learnt. Horacio explains: I have always been very curious... "
"When I am in Buenos Aires and I have a free moment I go to see shows. I saw "Drácula" at the Luna Park stadium, I went to see Pablo Milanés and Víctor Heredia.
With the infrastructure they have, they to me blow my head, they suggest me lots of things. The sound has a compact disk quality, and above all, what pleases me more is their attitude on stage, the delivery, their complete professionalism, an example to be imitated. Anybody who forms a band must conscious about that. They are 100 per cent professional, and that's what makes the difference".
- Cand you imagine something like that happening to you?
"Yes, I dream. That's
"I dream. It's weird. I am one of those persons who has a positive attitude. I don't know if it will happen, but I live with that in mind. I see myself in that area and above all, with communication, generating people's happiness with my attitude"
- When you were watching Elton John or Pablo Milanés, were you observing the people answering to what they were being given from the stage?
"You've just asked a very nice question, because I was going to tell you what happened to me when I went to see Milanés. I had a great disappointment. I did not get tickets for the first show. The Opera theater was full. I did get tickets for the second.
When I was in file, I was paying attention to the inner ambience. Upon entering to the second show, I've noticed the scarce delivery of the artist.
Perhaps the people was not aware of that, this is only a personal thought. The people in the theater was enthusiastic, there was a climax. Milanés accommodated their glasses and the people shouted, he stood up and the people continued shouthing. It was almost crazy.
He sang little know songs and suddenly, as incidentally, he was singing a famous song and it was a pandemonium".
" When the recital endedand he was gone, the people burst into applauses. Standing, everybody we were requesting him to return.
He waited seven minutes more to come back. Sang another song and he was gone again. And after that he did the same all over again. It annoyed me that he waited so long to return, I think that having done that he was speculating with the people's fondness and affection. To the margin that there had been an schedule already prepared, he could have handled it differently. It seemed to me like if the guy was not inside, but outside of the people".
- The public was irritated?
"Look, I never leave the theaters first, I stay observing the people's faces. They all were very happy but also they were commenting "he did not sing such song.." In spite of all, the people's reaction was what it mattered".
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