Torbellino, 25 years later: former members of the band meet and tell the details of their next big concert | EC Stories | ARE

The same was the case in 1997. Return from school, eat lunch, do homework and wait for the soap opera of the moment to begin: “Whirlwind” in Iguana productiones, Frequencia Latina. Thousands of Peruvian teenagers and young adults, hypnotized in front of the television, recognized and danced to the group of talented students of Amadeus Academy, who experienced romance, complications and everyday scenes in each episode with unusual chemistry and healthy humor.

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As we approached the new millennium we lived through a difficult time for the country with the economy in crisis (as usual). “Makhali TV” programs started and Iguana Productions’ soap operas broke the ratings of national television. The dictatorship of cell phones, videos and social networks had not yet appeared: “We came out at the same time as other soap operas with big stars, but we had a new product, closer to our reality. We had an unbeatable rating at the time we competed to the death, something that was lost on the platforms,” Margarita Morales, producer at Iguana Productions and Luis Llosa’s partner, tells us at the time. “It was a diverse group in terms of personality and musical tastes,” she points out, but together the harmony was palpable.

This group of actors and singers, consisting of Érika Villalobos, Marco Zunino, Gabriel Calvo, Daniela Sarfati, Pablo Saldarriaga, Bárbara and Fiorella Cayo, began to leave the screen little by little in its original version (later, changes in members). Towards visions that fulfill the imagination of a generation. Here, a sample of his musical influence: his first album-and only production-, “Torbellino: Corazón de la ciudad”, topped the music charts, sold more than 100,000 copies in our country and won gold albums. and platinum.

Their songs were heard in countries like Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia and Colombia, and are still claimed today. “Iguana didn’t create a music group, so we all learned as we went, for example, they realized the need for security or a cooler wardrobe. We never thought that Torbellino would be a success,” recalls Daniela Sarbati, one of its protagonists, 25 years later. Precisely, this year To celebrate the anniversary, the band has decided to reunite, and it’s still unclear what impact the announcement will have on them. There are He caught up with the former Hurricane before their rehearsal.

Even when sitting down, energy is high. Marco Zunino’s dog Tyson accompanies them in this interview. Memories and events overwhelm each other. They prepare all the details for the big event: TBO’s concert, 25 years of passion and fire. To their surprise, the presentation will be their first major concert in the capital. “Roosevelt was a surprise, no one imagined it,” says Zunino. This marks the group’s first foray into the Franklin Roosevelt School, where the children of Iguana Productions director and Torbellino creator Luis Llosa attend. They went on stage and the madness broke out, they wondered what was going on; They never expected the impact they made at that school, a sign of what was to come in the country’s regions.

“We recorded from Monday to Friday, and we did concerts on the weekends,” says Fiorella Cao. We came back, got off the plane and went straight to recording and rehearsing. We didn’t stop and the deals started coming in automatically. Success got out of control, and stress and fatigue added: “One day, I got ‘charmenage.’ During a recording, I started to feel my face freeze. I wasn’t eating well. Fortunately, I was able to control it,” says Fiorella. There were moments when midnight came and they continued to record: “There was excitement, but at the same time there was exhaustion. I cried so many times I couldn’t bear it and wanted to go home and sleep.

Inner fire

Barbara Gayo encountered part of this ‘earth’ when she was married and pregnant with her second daughter, Alessia Rovegno: “We went all over the country. We filled the coliseums with 10, 15, 20, 35 thousand people. It was crazy”. But nothing stopped them. Tours were packed through Iquitos, Cusco, Arequipa, Trujillo, Chiclayo, Ica… At Pisco, their bus mirrors were smashed for the pure emotion of seeing their faces. In an attempt to touch them, they even pulled their clothes and hair. It was overwhelming and sometimes dangerous. At Tumbes, the stage almost collapsed, and they never sang at their best.

During their shows, they threw stuffed animals, cards and even — Gabrielle says with a laugh — underwear at them from the most daring fans. One of his biggest encounters with the Ecuadorian public was as unexpected as in Peru: “We filled presentations in Guayaquil, many media interviewed us. It will be great to play there again,” says Pablo Saltarriaga. “At the time, we didn’t realize the impact. As we grew up, we understood the dimension.

The hurricane sounded everywhere. Night clubs, parties, weddings. In schools, dances of their songs were performed. “Without much hope, we are part of the ‘soundtrack’ of many people’s lives,” says Gabriel Calvo. And it’s true. How many of the base three or four can say they’ve never heard or danced to a song like “Solomente Do”, “Poco a Poco” or “Torbellino”? Famous TV host Dan Francisco wanted to interview them, music producer Emilio Estefan had his eye on them, and they were invited to Colombia to sing with Menuto. But the group did not continue.

Back to the neighborhood

As soon as it arrived, the vortex disappeared in 1999. They never released an album again, and without warning, they stopped their concerts. Torbellino’s biggest fan, Alfredo Jiménez, is the producer of the documentary “Torbellino: Passion y Fuego” where he managed to reunite the group. For this feat he lost an inherited piece of land.

He tells us more about that moment: “Torbellino doesn’t have a closure or an end. I think almost nobody knew it was over. They didn’t have a farewell concert or anything. For me, I think the moment came when the Kayo sisters released their solo album. It’s a great shame because we have become attached not only to the team but also to the characters in the novel,” he tells us. Jiménez collected everything about Torbellino: photographs, calendars, posters, notebooks. He traveled to the regions so as not to miss their concerts. This return may have been inspired by his documentary. Seeing them again when he was 14 is an illusion for him: “I hope that with this reunion we can do more shows, more tours, more music, more Torbellino productions.”

Exhibition Park concert closing they’ve been waiting for: “I have a feeling people haven’t closed the loop. It was the only album we played everywhere, 10 songs and a ‘medley’ (mix of covers) that we played over and over again. They had to take the next step, but they didn’t want to, people paused,” says Erika Villalobos. Twenty-five years later, that seemingly impossible musical meeting will happen, and the ninety generations will wonder if they want to see them again as adults, at least one last time. Fly, touch the sky and spin again. //

Behind the first win

The iconic song of the telenovela, “Torbellino”, was composed by Christian Meyer and produced by Manuel Garrido-Leca, a major professional nominated multiple times for the Latin Grammys and producer of Peruvian bands such as Arena Hash. “When they came out, both the song and the novel were a total hit. It was the first time what formula was created as RBD,” says Garrido-Lecca, meaning a musical group born out of a soap opera.

Garrido-Lecca thinks that much of the Torbellino team’s success is due not only to the talent and professionalism of the members (despite being so young), but also to the great charisma of each. brings them together,” he maintains. “On the first day of voice recording, everyone was very professional. They came with lessons on what to do for the song. Since they had experience in the acting field, they took it very naturally to be directed by someone who is in music,” highlights the producer.