Porfiado Explained

Porfiado
Type:studio
Artist:El Cuarteto de Nos
Cover:Porfiado - El Cuarteto de Nos.jpg
Genre:
Length:49:21
Label:Warner Music Argentina
Producer:
Prev Title:Bipolar
Prev Year:2009
Next Title:Habla Tu Espejo
Next Year:2014

Porfiado (English: Obstinate) is the thirteenth studio album by Uruguayan rock band El Cuarteto de Nos, released on April 27, 2012, through Warner Music Argentina.[1] It was produced by Juan Campodónico and was written by Roberto Musso and Santiago Tavella, two members of the band.

At the 13th Annual Latin Grammy Awards, the album won Best Pop/Rock Album while "Cuando sea grande" won Best Pop/Rock Song, being the band's first Latin Grammys.[2] The album also won Best Pop Album and the Audience Album of the Year award at the Graffiti Awards in 2013, given to recognize the best in Uruguayan music, additionally, the band received a Special Mention from the jury for "obtaining two Latin Grammy Awards, which highlight its growing international career and demonstrate the importance of the band as an exponent of Uruguayan music".[3]

Background

The album followed the changes in the line-up of the band that happened during the recording of their previous album Bipolar (2009), where guitarist Ricardo Musso left the band while Gustavo Antuña and Santiago Marrero joined in the guitar and keyboards respectively, Porfiado was the first album of the band with their new five-member formation.[4] The album has been often considered as the end of a trilogy of albums, containing Raro (2006) and Bipolar (2009).

It was produced by long collaborator Juan Campodónico, mixed and recorded by Julio Berta in Montevideo, Uruguay, and mastered by Tom Baker in Los Angeles, United States.[5] To promote the album, the band performed at the Estadio Luna Park in Buenos Aires, Argentina on June 22, 2012.[6]

Composition

The album is composed by twelve tracks, ten written by Roberto Musso and two by Santiago Tavella, both members of the band. The name of the album, "porfiado" ("obstinate" in English), relates to the obsessive characters that appear throughout the songs as well as the themes of vengeance, like in the song "Buen día Benito", about the obsession of a man with a former classmate he wants to take revenge on, and obstination, which appears in "Algo mejor que hacer", that features the lines "seré un quedado pero acá me quedo, y no intenten alterar mi estado" ("I might be an idle but here I stay, and don't try to alter my state").[7] Mainly an alternative rock album, Porfiado also features various genres of music such as ska in "Algo mejor que hacer", hip hop in "Cuando sea grande" and cumbia in "Enamorado tuyo".

Critical reception

Writing for the Argentine edition of Rolling Stone, Humphrey Inzillo gave the album four out of five stars, commenting that with the album "the musical personality of Cuarteto de Nos remains chameleonic". Luis Paz from Argentine newspaper Página 12 wrote that "with this album, the band closes a trilogy started by Raro and Bipolar, characterized by the sound power and Roberto Musso's capacity for special and very personal lyrics".[7]

Track listing

All tracks were produced by Juan Campodónico.

Credits

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Porfiado. July 9, 2022. Apple Music.
  2. Web site: El Cuarteto de Nos ganó dos premios Latin Grammy. El Observador. November 15, 2012. July 9, 2022. es.
  3. Web site: Premios Graffiti Ganadores 2013. Premios Graffiti. July 9, 2022. es.
  4. Web site: El Cuarteto de Nos: los cinco fantásticos. La Voz. April 22, 2012. July 9, 2022. es.
  5. Web site: El Cuarteto de Nos presenta "Porfiado". Cancioneros. May 21, 2012. July 9, 2022. es.
  6. Web site: El Cuarteto de Nos se la juega con "Porfiado". TN. April 16, 2012. July 9, 2022. es.
  7. Web site: Esos uruguayos porfiados. Página 12. Luis. Paz. May 9, 2012. July 9, 2022. es.
  8. Web site: Ranking (Abril 2012) . . February 28, 2023 . es . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120607060058/http://www.cudisco.org/ . June 7, 2012 .