When you form a band with your best friend, you’d never expect to be touring the world to screaming crowds of fans around the world that know every word to your songs.
However, the South American duo Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso are doing just that. After completing two successful weekends at Coachella, the duo will continue touring in the United States in the coming months and move on to Europe in the summer.
Both hailing from Buenos Aires, Catriel Guerreiro and Ulises Guerriero met in elementary school and became close friends. Ca7riel also has a musical background, attending music school that was named after an Argentine composer, Juan Pedro Esnaola. They went on to form a band called Astor.
Astor only has one EP out right now, titled “Vacaciones Todo el Año,” which was released in 2017. They have not released anything since, due to their pursuit of solo careers. However, the band’s progressive-rock sound is funk-inspired with hints of soul, reggae and prog that also shines through the music they make today.
The pair also have ongoing solo careers under the same names, releasing music dating back to 2018.
They’ve been making noise in the South American music scene for a few years now, but recently broke into the United States after their viral NPR Tiny Desk video – now totaling at over 33 million views.
Songs that stood out in this video are “El Único,” where the two find out they’ve been sleeping with the same girl, and “La Que Puede, Puede,” a song about enjoying the finer things in life.
The two have also made a memorable appearance on Jimmy Fallon, performing songs off their newest EP, “Papota,” which is Argentine slang for someone on steroids.
Their two musical projects also feature short films to accompany them. In their first, “Baño María,” it follows them as they move through an almost never ending night. As the evening progresses, they are seen at a club, fighting each other outside, kissing each other on the floor and stumbling through the streets just to end right back where they started.
In the second film, the scene is set immediately after their Tiny Desk. They are dressed in the same outfits – and also include the jazz ensemble – when they are approached by a seemingly greedy music executive who wants to make them famous in the United States.
Their story unfolds until they get over consumed with their appearance, inevitably ending with them splitting up and pursuing solo music. However, they find their way back to each other, rejoicing through the song “El Día Del Amigo,” which is about cherishing your closest friends.
What makes them unique is their genre mixing within their discography. Initially starting with a trap sound, their earlier singles are proof of progress in their musical maturity. While their 2024 album “Baño María” clearly has strong electronic influence, their live performances feature a jazz ensemble that plays their back tracks, showing their musical versatility.
The songs only seem to sound better when they’re played with the ensemble. Some of the songs from the Tiny Desk video performed better than some of their earlier singles on Spotify.
It’s always refreshing to see artists who also have a captivating stage presence: jumping around the stage, screaming their lyrics and getting the crowd moving–all things this group displays regularly. Their Coachella sets were entrancing to the point where it was impossible not to find out more about them afterward. Other concert videos like their performance in Buenos Aires demonstrate their consistency in giving their audience a good show.
It will be interesting to see how their music progresses following the worldwide attention they are beginning to garner. It’s also exciting to hear a new group getting involved with the music scene in the United States, and there is no duo better for the task than Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso.
Marianne Akre can be reached at [email protected]
