sports
'Not just a singer': Argentinians queue for miles to mourn biggest rockstar most of world has never heard of
Hundreds of thousands gather to remember Carlos ‘Indio’ Solari, who inspired cross-generational devotion, especially among working class
TL;DR
- Hundreds of thousands attended the wake for Argentinian rock star Carlos “Indio” Solari.
- Solari was considered Argentina’s most popular musician, with his last concert drawing 400,000 people.
- His popularity was largely confined to Argentina and Uruguay due to his unique lyrical and musical style.
- His lyrics, dense and cryptic with literary, political, and historical references, inspired a devoted following, especially among working-class youth.
- Solari co-founded the influential band Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota and continued as a solo artist.
- He identified as a Peronist, and his wake was held in Avellaneda after the government rejected permission for it to be in Congress.
- His music's distinctively Argentine style, rooted in a cosmopolitan yet local cultural synthesis, prevented it from easily circulating internationally.
- Solari's self-production, refusal of major labels, and austere image were appreciated by fans as a strong statement of principles but hampered overseas marketing.