Pioneer of National Rock, he was the author of great classics of Argentine song.
Miguel Ángel Peralta was born in the maternity ward of the Tornú Hospital, in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Villa Ortúzar.
Son of Virginia Peralta, he spent his childhood in an orphanage due to the illness of his mother, who had arrived alone in Buenos Aires from the interior of the country.
At the age of five the director of the orphanage took him to live in his house, and years later he returned with his mother.
He was never able to adapt to the school system but had a great interest in reading authors such as Marechal, Arlt and Cortázar.
He spent a good part of his adolescence on the streets and coexisted with drug use. He found a possible outlet in the practice of boxing, however, and following winning two amateur fights he received a beating that took him out of the activity.
His life changed forever on a trip to Mar del Plata, when hitchhiking on Route 2 he was picked up by a car in which Pipo Lernoud was traveling, a musician and journalist considered one of the founders of National Rock.
Lernoud and Miguel were dazzled by each other, and the musician introduced the young man to the budding scene of what would become national rock.
Miguel Ángel Peralta entered the scene singing bagualas and writing poems, molding himself musically with founding groups such as “Los Gatos” and “Los Beatniks.”
In 1967 and upon meeting a prominent producer of the time, the young man claimed to be part of a group that did not yet exist: Los Abuelos de la Nada.
Miguel took the name from a quote by Marechal that said “Father of lice, grandparents of nothing,” and from then on he was known as Miguel Abuelo.
Producer Ben Molar was seduced by the name and organized a series of recordings, so Miguel Abuelo had to form the band from scratch.
The first formation of Los Abuelos de la Nada had Miguel accompanied by musicians such as Claudio Gabis, “Pomo” Lorenzo and “Pappo” Napolitano himself.
After differences with his colleagues, and overwhelmed by the oppressive climate of Buenos Aires, Miguel Abuelo abandoned the project and went to try his luck in Europe.
In the old continent he distanced himself from music but while in France he recorded “Miguel Abuelo et Nada”, an album considered cult for Argentine rock.
In 1981 and following being detained in Ibiza accused of robbery, Miguel Abuelo returned to Argentina thanks to an exchange of letters with the musician “Cachorro” López.
Both re-founded “Los Abuelos de la Nada” with a consecrated line-up that included Polo Corbella, Daniel Melingo, Gustavo Bazterrica and the young Andrés Calamaro.
With Charly García producing the album of the same name, Los Abuelos de la Nada began a path of success on the Argentine and international scene.
Songs like “Himno de mi corazón”, “Monday at dawn” and “A thousand hours” marked a generation, becoming classics of National Rock.
The success of the band was followed by the sparks that ended up dissolving it. Miguel Abuelo headed a new formation and in 1986 he released “Cosas Mías”, his last released material.
Miguel Abuelo learned that he was HIV Positive and his health began to deteriorate, so in 1988 he put an end to his projects.
He died due to an infection on March 26, 1988, five days following his 42nd birthday.
His musical legacy is part of Argentine culture.
On March 21, 1946, Miguel Abuelo was born. The story is also news on Radio Perfil.
by Radio Profile
