.
Who
Guardianes del Amor is a Latin GRAMMY® award-nominated, Latin pop quintet formed in 1992 in Mexico City. Together, founding members Pablo Calderón (guitar); Ernesto “Neto” Grazzia (bass); Oscar Cervantes (drums); and, Arturo Rodríguez (lead singer/accordion), have recorded twelve albums selling over 3,000,000 to date, earning them national and international recognition. Former members include Daniel Poplawsky (keyboards). Musically, “GDA” is known for its rhythmic, high-caliber musical productions, and their commitment to romantic themes in the form of low-key ballads, and catchy pop tunes with Mexican overtones.
History
GDA is the artistic intellectual creation of renowned Argentine producer Aníbal Pastor who, seeking to create the new sound of Latin grupero music, put the band together in 1992. First to be recruited for the project were Arturo and Oscar, already involved in Mexico City’s music scene at the time as members of the band Espías. Next, after their share of playing local gigs as wedding band members of Enigma in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Pablo and “Neto” joined GDA having relocated to Mexico’s capital in pursuit of a musical career. Finally, Daniel was introduced to the emergent band by a friend and underwent an audition after which he was hired on the spot.
The convergence of the five musical talents would confirm producer Aníbal Pastor’s reputation for foresight, soon thereafter, GDA’s first release in 1993, Cuatro Palabras under the RCA International label, goes double-gold and earns them the Furia award for Romantic Revelation of the year. The singles “Cuatro Palabras,” “Dejame secar tus lagrimas,” “Amor se Escribe con Llanto,” and ”Los Angeles Lloran” rank high on Latin American charts; more surprisingly however, “Los Angeles Lloran” also makes it to the top 50 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Single chart, putting them on the musical map.
In 1994, GDA tours Mexico, Central America, and Argentina, their success throughout Latin America wins them that year’s Furia Musical award for Romantic Revelation. By 1995, they are ready to record a second album.
Camino al Cielo is released under BMG-Ariola, it produces the hit singles “Para que quiero un corazon,” “Corazón Romántico,” and “Ya lo se todo.” The first climbs up Billboard’s top twenty Hot Latin Singles and Latin Regional Mexican Airplay charts within weeks. In addition, starting what will become the first of several collaborations throughout their career, GDA records the duet “Un Amor Entre Dos” with legendary Mexican romantic ballad singer, Marco Antonio Muníz. GDA also tours Mexico, the United States, Central America, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, and for the first time, Spain, where they further conquer the hearts of their widening European fan base.
In 1996 the BMG U.S. Latin label releases Por Siempre y Para Siempre, spawning the successful hit single “El Perro, El Gato y Yo.” This album also sees the release of “No Somos Nada” a duet with Lupe Esparza, vocalist of Bronco, the top Mexican Regional band at the time. GDA again tours Mexico, the United States, Central and South America, and Spain, where they become the first band of its genre ever invited to perform twice in that country; their international career takes off.
GDA’s 1997 fourth album, Te Amo Todavía explores new Latin genres such as chicano, vallenato, and norteño. Its first single, “El Hechizo” makes it to the top 50 Billboard Hot Latin Single chart, and confirms their nack for light-headed, catchy romantic tunes.
In 1998 GDA releases Lo Mas Romántico de Ayer con Los Mas Románticos de Hoy under RCA International, the album pays tribute to Mexican romantic hits of the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s. Widely successful, it goes once gold in Mexico, and once platinum in the United States, and ranks among Billboard’s top 50 Latin Albums of the year. The album also includes “Mi Alma Te Seguirá,” the only authorized Spanish version of Titanic’s “My Heart Will Go On” originally written by James Horner and Will Jennings, and adapted to Spanish by GDA guitarist Pablo Calderon.
1999’s Pedazo de Luna marks a turning point in GDA’s career, their work with famed Argentine musician/producer Bebu Silvetti earnes them their first nomination for the 2000 Latin Grammy award in the category of Best Grupero Performance of the year; GDA becomes one of Mexico’s most respected bands of its genre.
Nomination in hand, GDA switches labels and releases Un Millón de Lágrimas under Fonovisa. The album produced the hit singles “Sospechas de Mí” Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds” cover, “Tu Angel Guardian,” and “Un Millón de Lágrimas;” it peaks at twenty on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums, while climbing to sixth on their Regional Mexican Album chart. GDA tours extensively throughout Latin America and begins to consolidate a career in the United States.
With the success of their last release, in 2001 GDA earns their second Latin Grammy Award nomination for Best Grupero Album of the year. They also release Muriendo de Frío, produced by A.B. Quintanilla, who introduces them to the modern grupero sound of the new decade. The album spawns “Te Sigo Amando,” “Te Extraño,” and “Muriendo de Frío,” and Billboard ranks it at 75 among the Top 100 Latin Albums of that year.
In 2002, GDA sees their third Latin Grammy Award nomination for Best Grupero Album of the year. Furthermore, they receive their first nomination for Best Grupero Band of the year by Mexico’s music industry National Awards for Recorded Music, best known as the Oye! Awards. As if not enough accolades for one year, Javier Aguirre, Technical Director of the Mexican National Soccer Team, selects the band’s cover of Freddy Mercury’s “We are the Champions,” to musically represent the team at the World Soccer Cup in Korea and Japan
The following year, GDA releases Me Enamoré de un Angel under Fonovisa, a cumbia-driven album that quickly rose to the top of Mexican charts producing hit singles such as “Me Enamoré de un Angel,” “Te He Querido Olvidar,” and “Dímelo,” which also made it to the top 100 of the Latin Regional Airplay chart on Billboard. Successful at home, throughout their career with Fonovisa, GDA targets the international market.
After consolidating a career in Latin America and the United States, GDA makes a
comeback to Mexican stages in 2004 with a new abum, Olvidarte Nunca, “ in which they venture into alternate musical terrain experimenting with the genre of cumbia-rap. “Bebiendo Lágrimas,” the album’s first single, rises quickly to the top, followed shortly thereafter by hits such as “La Carta,“ and “Amores Idos” .“Bebiendo Lágrimas” earns them the 2005 South Texas Award for Best Song of the Year as well as “Song of the Year” award in El Salvador. This song marks Arturo and Pablo’s first songwriter collaboration. Another notable mention being that the song remained No. 1 for 8 straight weeks on Stereo Latino, the number one Texas Hispanic Radio Station
Decórame el Corazón is released under Fonovisa in 2006, a mix of cumbia and danceable contemporary pop, this album is the first entirely produced by GDA. It includes a collaboration with Guatemalan duet Angels covering “Esa Chica es Mía,” Michael Jackson’s “That girl is Mine,” and “No Soy Perfecto” Simple Plan’s “Perfect.” Both songs adapted to Spanish by GDA guitarist Pablo Calderon.
Along with bands such as Los Bukis, Bronco, Selena y Los Dinos, and Temerarios, GDA was part of an explosion of regional Mexican music in the 1990’s. After a sixteen-year career that has included musical-trend shifts in the industry, GDA has survived market shifts because of their willingness for innovation finding common ground between old and new, more importantly however, their musical commitment to romantic themes expressed through the universal language of love, appeals to a diversity of generations and cultures. In 2008 GDA will release new material firmly sedimenting their status as one of Mexico’s best in the last twenty years, across genres.
