Nueva ola

The nueva ola (pronounced ['nwe βa 'o la]; Spanish for "new wave") was a loosely affiliated group of musicians, mainly in Spanish-speaking South America, who played and introduced rock 'n roll and other American and European music of the 1950s and 1960s to their countries. The term "nueva ola" was coined in Argentina around the turn of the 1960s to denote the foreign rock and roll styles that were gaining popularity among the youth, along with their local exponents.^[1] From there, the concept spread to Chile, with exponents such as Buddy Richard, Los Carr Twins, Los Red Junior, Luis Dimas, José Alfredo Fuentes, Fresia Soto, Cecilia, Gloria Aguirre and Pat Henry.^[2] And in Peru, with exponents such as Kela Gates, Jimmy Santi, Los Doltons, Joe Danova, Los Silvertons, Los Belkings and Anita Martinez.

Nueva ola bands usually had their names in English and rather than producing their own material they recorded versions of songs that were already popular in the United States or Europe.^[3] More than an artistic movement the nueva ola was an economic and social phenomenon that marked the beginning of youth culture and pop music in South America.^[3]

Artists associated with the nueva ola reached their peak of popularity in the 1960s. Nueva ola music was contemporaneous with nueva canción, a style which, together with nueva ola, became the precursor to the rock en español scene that rose to prominence in the 1980s. During the '90s nueva ola music experienced a revival in Chile.^[4]