EL BLOG SILENCIOSO

THE HISTORY OF THE STICK CENTER IN ARGENTINA AND SPAIN.

What makes an idea become a story over the years?
The answer is action.

This was the premise I had in mind when I founded the first Stick Center in Argentina in 1995, also known as “The Stickistas” as the press later called us. At that time, offering Stick concerts was a risky idea because no one knew this instrument or had seen it on stage. Much more innovative was a Stickist Ensemble of 5, 6 and up to 10 musicians playing together or around the public, as this was the characteristic of this ensemble.

The Stick Center in Argentina and later in Spain began as a laboratory of ideas with improvisations between musicians who played the Stick, but it was finally transformed into an artistic event with the premise that it was possible to make music with unusual elements. The action led us to do concerts in different cities, play on television and radio, and, curiously, appear in national newspapers despite not being a commercial product, as required by the rules of the music business. We even play with artists like Fish (Marillion), Jhon Wetton (King Crimson) or the progressive Caravan – in Barcelona.

It was the first Stick Center in Latin America and the starting point for its counterparts in France, Germany, Japan, and the USA, among others. Currently, we continue to organize events such as the European Stick Camp, a pioneering event that I had the honor of directing. In Argentina, the Stickistas are organized to offer the now-classic Stick concerts around the public, a hallmark of our group since 1995. In Spain, the Stickistas concerts emerge from the Stick Camp, and we have created trios, sextets, and different formats.

But returning to history, I was and am convinced that the concerts at the Stick Center will forever remain a pioneering page in the musical lives of both Argentina and Spain and will forever be a point of reference for other musicians who dare to do something different.

G.C.