Before the Sex Pistols, There Was Peruvian Punk Rock
Western punk groups have taken credit for starting the punk movement, but a small group in 1960s Peru would say otherwise.
Peruvian punk band Los Saicos. TravelingMan. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Punk music has been used for decades as a means to express discontent about numerous topics, including politics and controversial events. But where does the genre come from? While it is easy to claim Western influences, like the Sex Pistols and The Clash to be the forefathers of the punk scene, the Peruvian rock band Los Saicos, formed in 1964, is a strong contender for the position of “Originators of Punk.”
In order to make comparisons between Los Saicos and Western punk bands, a definition of punk music is in order. Punk music consists of fast beats and often aggressive lyrics that seek to critique certain ideas or systems of power. A recent academic article discusses how the lyrics to the Sex Pistol’s “Anarchy in the U.K.” were a critique of the U.K.’s foreign policy in Ireland, a period known as The Troubles. The Los Saicos song “Demolición” lacks a specific reference to Peruvian politics at the time, but clearly expresses discontent with government infrastructure.
The members of Los Saicos were likely influenced by the political turmoil within Peru during their upbringing. Guitarist and vocalist Erwin Flores and drummer Francisco Guevara had just graduated high school and were grappling with unprecedented political strife, drastically affecting how they prosper as adults. The group was established in 1964, with “Demolición” being one of the country’s biggest songs that year. Amidst massive inflation under President Fernando Terry’s land redistribution policy, economic hardship increased for Peruvians. The lyrics are representative of a future that was promised to them with Terry’s liberal redistribution policies, but one that ultimately drowned with the Peruvian sol’s value. ‘Demolición’ expresses hatred at the government for promising a future and delivering inflation.
Los Saicos broke up in 1966, but its influence was picked up by garage rockers throughout Peru and abroad in the U.K. The punk genre’s grungy and generally angsty music did not necessarily originate from the members of Los Saicos, but they were critical in the genre’s explosion in popularity, especially in areas where there was a discontent with state functions.
“Nobody invented the wheel, we were obviously building off of what others have done,” said Flores in an interview.
The band’s desire to express themselves within a country in turmoil ranges across languages and generations, effectively changing how the music scene functioned as ‘angry’ music started becoming mainstream and profitable.
Clayton is an aspiring photojournalist with a Bachelor's in Liberal Studies with a minor in History from Indiana University - Bloomington. In his free time, he enjoys hikes, movies, and catching up on the news. He has written extensively on many topics including Japanese incarceration in America during World War II, the history of violence, and anarchist theory.