Rata Blanca

{{Short description|Argentine rock band}} {{More citations needed|date=October 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Rata Blanca | image = Adrián Barilari y Walter Giardino (Rata Blanca, en 2008).jpg | caption = Rata Blanca's frontman Adrián Barilari and guitarist Walter Giardino in concert, 2008 | image_upright = 1.2 | origin = [[Buenos Aires]], Argentina | genre = [[Heavy metal (music)|Heavy metal]], [[hard rock]] | years_active = 1986–1998, 2000–present | spinoffs = {{flatlist| * [[Walter Giardino Temple]] * [[Adrián Barilari#Barilari (2001–present)|Barilari]] * [[Alianza (Argentine band)|Alianza]] }} | spinoff_of = [[V8 (band)|V8]] | label = [[PolyGram]], [[Ariola Records|Ariola]], [[Sony BMG]], PopArt Music (Sony), Icarus Music | website = {{URL|ratablanca.net}} | current_members = [[Adrián Barilari]] Alan Fritzler [[Walter Giardino]] Danilo Moschen John Paul | past_members = Saúl Blanch [[Gustavo Rowek]] Sergio Berdichevsky Hugo Bistolfi Gabriel Marian [[Javier Retamozo]] Mario Ian Guillermo Sánchez }}

'''Rata Blanca''' ("White Rat" in English) is an Argentine [[heavy metal (music)|heavy metal]] band, formed in 1986.

== History == === Beginnings === [[File:Walter Giardino como guitarrista de V8 (durante el recital en la Biblioteca Popular de Olivos).jpg|thumb|[[Walter Giardino]] during his brief time in [[V8 (band)|V8]]]] The guitarist [[Walter Giardino]] replaced [[Osvaldo Civile]] in [[V8 (band)|V8]] for a short time, and left the band when his songs were rejected. His friend Roberto Cosseddu, bassist of [[Kamikaze (band)|Kamikaze]], helped him to record a demo tape with those songs. The drummer [[Gustavo Rowek]], who had also left V8 a short time before, declined his projects with Civile and joined Giardino. The [[session musician]]s Rodolfo Cava (singer) and Yulie Ruth (bass player) completed the line-up that recorded the demo. The songs were "Chico callejero", "Rompe el hechizo", "Gente del sur" and "La bruja blanca". Seeking stable members, the band took Saúl Blanch as singer, who was working in the hard-rock band Plus. They met the bass player Guillermo Sánchez with the help of Giardino's friend Sergio Berdichevsky, member of WC at that point.<ref name="memoria">{{cite web|url= https://www.rollingstone.com.ar/1582491|title= Rata Blanca: los discos de la buena memoria|trans-title= Rata Blanca: The albums of good memoir|language= es|author= Juan Ignacio Provéndola|date= 16 May 2013|publisher= Rolling Stone|access-date= 3 September 2014|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140821040105/http://www.rollingstone.com.ar/1582491|archive-date= 21 August 2014|url-status= dead}}</ref>

Rata Blanca played their first concert on 15 August 1987 in the Luz y Fuerza theater. Saúl Blanch left the band, and he was replaced by Carlos Périgo, who composed the song "Días Duros". Périgo left the band soon after that. Rodolfo Cava returned for a brief time, and Shito Molina got ill and could not sing anymore. As the band was about to record their first album and needed a singer immediately, Saúl Blanch returned to the band and helped record it. The album ''[[Rata Blanca (album)|Rata Blanca]]'' was released in 1988, with nine songs.<ref name="memoria" /> In that year they took part in the "Halley en Obras" concert, along with Alakrán, JAF and [[Kamikaze (band)|Kamikaze]].

=== Success === [[Polygram]] requested that the band create an album which would have high sales in the first semester to renew the contract, and the band sold four times the required number. The keyboard player Hugo Bistolfi joined the band in 1989, and the singer [[Adrián Barilari]] replaced Saúl Blanch. The band subsequently made their second album, ''[[Magos, espadas y rosas]]'', which contained the popular songs "Mujer amante" and "La leyenda del hada y el mago". It was a successful release, and in its wake the band appeared on the TV show ''Ritmo de la Noche'' and played in [[Argentine cumbia|cumbia]] concert halls because typical rock venues could not accommodate their large audiences.<ref name="memoria" />

The album was followed by "[[Guerrero del Arco Iris]]", and a concert at the [[José Amalfitani Stadium]]. The band ended their contract with [[Polygram]] recording a live album, made at the Opera Theater with an orchestra,<ref>{{cite interview |last= Blanca|first= Rata|interviewer= César Fuentes Rodríguez|title= La hora de las Brujas|date= December 1993|work= [[Madhouse (magazine)|Madhouse]]}}</ref> but this album was released years later. Once on BMG they made an EP called ''[[El Libro Oculto]]''. This work was more aggressive, both in instrumental style and lyrical style, as a result of the criticism from heavy metal fans towards the band.

=== Changes in lineup and reunion === Barilari did not like the new style found on ''El Libro Oculto'' and left the band after a concert in Obras.<ref name="memoria" /> Bistolfi followed him, and both of them created the band [[Alianza (Argentine band)|Alianza]].

Barilari and Bistolfi were replaced by Mario Ian on vocals and [[Javier Retamozo]] on keyboards. With this line-up they released ''[[Entre el Cielo y el Infierno]]'' ("Between Heaven and Hell"). Later that year, they were invited to play in the Festival Monsters of Rock in [[São Paulo]], [[Brazil]], along with [[Ozzy Osbourne]], [[Therapy?]], and [[Alice Cooper]].{{citation needed|date=February 2011}} They released another album with new singer Gabriel Marian called ''Rata Blanca VII''. The group disbanded in 1998. Gustavo Rowek and Sergio Berdichevsky created the band Nativo, and Giardino continued with [[Walter Giardino Temple]].

Barilari and Bistolfi were invited to a concert of Walter Giardino Temple in 2000, which led to a reunion of the band. Rowek and Berdichevsky refused to be part of the reunion. The radio station [[La Mega Media|La Mega]] aired frequently the old "Mujer amante" song, generating a renewed interest in the band. The new album, ''El camino del fuego'', released in 2002, was a huge success. Its follow-up, the 2005 album ''[[La Llave de la Puerta Secreta]]'', had great sales and went Gold even before being officially released.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rollingstone.com.ar/707545|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140911014653/http://www.rollingstone.com.ar/707545|url-status= dead|archive-date= 11 September 2014|title= La llave de la puerta secreta|trans-title= The key of the secret door|language= es|author= Sebastian Feijoo|date= 1 June 2005|publisher= Rolling Stone|access-date= 10 September 2014}}</ref>

Rata Blanca played with famous member of [[Deep Purple]] [[Glenn Hughes (British musician)|Glenn Hughes]] as a guest at the [[Teatro Gran Rex|Gran Rex Theater]], in 2003. They played the band's hits as well as Deep Purple's classic songs. In order to gain a more international profile, Giardino approached former [[Rainbow (English band)|Rainbow]] singer [[Doogie White]] to record an English version of the ''Forgotten Kingdom'' album in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.doogiewhite.com/news/rata-blanca.htm|title=Doogie White to record in Buenos Aires with Rata Blanca|website=Doogiewhite.com|access-date=14 October 2020}}</ref> [[File:Doogie White - MSG.jpg|thumb|Doogie White recorded an English versions of El Reino Olvidado]]

=== 2010–present === Early in 2010, longtime Rata Blanca keyboardist Hugo Bistolfi left the band and was replaced by Danilo Moschen, a former member of Barilari's soloist band.

In 2013, original members Gustavo Rowek, Sergio Berdichevsky and Saul Blanch reunited with Rata Blanca for some shows. In 2015 Rata Blanca released their tenth studio album, ''[[Tormenta Eléctrica]]''.

In May 2017, bass player Guillermo Sánchez died due to [[sepsis]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://elcuarteldelmetal.es/|title=El cuartel del metal – Música|website=Elcuarteldedelmetal.es|access-date=14 October 2020}}</ref> A few days before, singer Adrián Barilari announced that Guillermo was in poor health.

== Personnel == === Current lineup === * [[Walter Giardino]] – lead guitar (1986–1998, 2000–present) * [[Adrián Barilari]] – vocals (1989–1993, 2000–present) * Danilo Moschen – keyboards (2010–present) * Alan Fritzler - drums (2024–present) * Juan Pablo Massanisso - bass (2024–present)

=== Past members === * Saúl Blanch – vocals (1987–1989) * Mario Ian – vocals (1993–1996) * Gabriel Marian – vocals (1996–1998) * Sergio Berdichevsky – rhythm guitar (1986–1998) * Guillermo Sánchez – bass (1986–1998, 2000–2017; died 2017) * [[Gustavo Rowek]] – drums (1986–1998) * Hugo Bistolfi – keyboards (1989–1993, 2000–2010) * [[Javier Retamozo]] – keyboards (1993–1998) * Fernando Scarcella – drums (2000–2023) * Pablo Motyczak – bass (2017–2023)

=== Live members === * Shito Molina – vocals (1988; died 2003) * Carlos Perigo – vocals (1988) * Rodolfo Cava – vocals (1986) * Alejandro Zon – drums (2005, 2022) * Mariano Elias Martin – drums (2018)

=== Timeline === {{#tag:timeline| Imagesize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:18 PlotArea = left:120 bottom:80 top:0 right:30 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1986 till:{{#time:m/d/Y}} TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1986 ScaleMajor = increment:3 start:1986 Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom

Colors = id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:lead value:teal legend:Lead_Guitar id:rhythm value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_Guitar id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:keys value:purple legend:Keyboards id:studio value:black legend:Studio_Album

LineData = at:08/22/1988 color:black layer:back at:04/24/1990 color:black layer:back at:10/12/1991 color:black layer:back at:07/02/1994 color:black layer:back at:11/19/1997 color:black layer:back at:07/01/2002 color:black layer:back at:04/26/2005 color:black layer:back at:08/21/2008 color:black layer:back at:10/28/2009 color:black layer:back at:07/31/2015 color:black layer:back

BarData = bar:SB text:"Saúl Blanch" bar:AB text:"Adrián Barilari" bar:MI text:"Mario Ian" bar:GM text:"Gabriel Marian" bar:WG text:"Walter Giardino" bar:SB2 text:"Sergio Berdichevsky" bar:GS text:"Guillermo Sánchez" bar:PM text:"Pablo Motyczak" bar:JPC text:"John Paul Chotas" bar:GR text:"Gustavo Rowek" bar:FS text:"Fernando Scarcella" bar:AF text:"Alan Fritzler" bar:HB text:"Hugo Bistolfi" bar:JR text:"Javier Retamozo" bar:DM text:"Danilo Moschen"

PlotData = width:11 bar:SB from:start till:07/01/1989 color:vocals bar:AB from:07/01/1989 till:07/01/1993 color:vocals bar:MI from:07/01/1993 till:03/01/1997 color:vocals bar:GM from:03/01/1997 till:03/01/1998 color:vocals bar:AB from:07/01/2000 till:end color:vocals bar:WG from:start till:03/01/1998 color:lead bar:WG from:07/01/2000 till:end color:lead bar:WG from:07/01/2000 till:end color:rhythm width:3 bar:SB2 from:start till:03/01/1998 color:rhythm bar:GS from:start till:03/01/1998 color:bass bar:GS from:07/01/2000 till:05/27/2017 color:bass bar:PM from:05/28/2017 till:12/31/2023 color:bass bar:JPC from:01/01/2024 till:end color:bass bar:GR from:start till:03/01/1998 color:drums bar:FS from:07/01/2000 till:12/31/2023 color:drums bar:AF from:01/01/2024 till:end color:drums bar:HB from:07/01/1989 till:07/01/1993 color:keys bar:JR from:07/01/1993 till:03/01/1998 color:keys bar:HB from:07/01/2000 till:07/01/2010 color:keys bar:DM from:07/01/2010 till:end color:keys }}

== Discography == === Studio albums === * ''Rata Blanca'' (1988) * ''[[Magos, espadas y rosas|Magos, Espadas y Rosas]]'' (1990) * ''Guerrero del Arco Iris'' (1991) * ''Entre el Cielo y el Infierno'' (1994) * ''Rata Blanca VII'' (1997) * ''El Camino del Fuego'' (2002) * ''La Llave de la Puerta Secreta'' (2005) * ''[[El Reino Olvidado]]'' (2008) * ''Tormenta Eléctrica'' (2015)

=== Live and compilation albums === * ''En Vivo en Buenos Aires'' (1996) * ''Grandes Canciones'' (compilation, 2000) * ''Oro: Grandes Éxitos'' (compilation, 2002) * ''Poder Vivo'' (2003) * ''En Vivo'' (2003) * ''Magos Espadas y Rosas: XX Aniversario en Vivo'' (2011)

=== Singles and EPs === * ''El Sueño de la Gitana'' (1988) * ''La Leyenda del Hada y el Mago'' (1990) * ''Días Duros'' (1990) * ''Mujer Amante'' (1990) * ''Abrazando el Rock & Roll'' (1991) * ''Guerrero del Arco Iris'' (1991) * ''Nada Es Fácil Sin tu Amor'' (1991) * ''El Libro Oculto'' (EP, 1993) * ''Basura'' (1994) * ''Mujer Amante'' - versión acústica (2000) * ''Rata Blanca'' (EP, 2001) * ''Teatro Gran Rex XIV - XII - MMI'' (2001) * ''Highway on Fire'' (EP, 2002) * ''Volviendo a Casa'' (2002) * ''El Reino Olvidado'' (2008) * ''La Leyenda del Hada y el Mago / Mujer Amante'' (live, 2011)

== Cover versions == Spain's [[Mägo de Oz]] recorded a version of "Mujer amante".

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == {{Commons category}} * [http://www.ratablanca.net/ Official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130401182112/http://www.ratablanca.net/ |date=1 April 2013 }}

[[Category:Argentine heavy metal musical groups]] [[Category:Musical groups established in 1986]] [[Category:1986 establishments in Argentina]]