In 1964, while Beatlemania was sweeping the world, many young Uruguayan musicians grew moptops and emulated the British Invasion sound.
Los Shakers, formed in 1964 by brothers Hugo and Osvaldo Fattoruso, led the "Uruguayan Invasion." Inspired by the Beatles' A Hard Day's Night, they mixed rock, pop, and surf music with Beatles-style harmonies. They even mimicked the Fab Four's haircuts and clothes. Their albums included their 1965 debut, Break it All (1966) for the US, Shakers For You (1966), and the psychedelic La Conferencia Secreta del Toto's Bar (1968), often compared to Sgt. Pepper. Their career ended in 1969 due to limited funds, but their blend of global rock with candombe, tango, and bossa nova left a lasting mark on Latin American music.
From NPR:
Other groups soon followed, notably Los Mockers, whose artful impersonation of The Rolling Stones was the counterpart to Los Shakers. Although the lead singer, Polo Pereira, could not speak English, his ability to channel the persona of Mick Jagger was truly mind-blowing. Even their name (a combination of mods and rockers) conveyed the coy, tongue-in-cheek defiance that characterized the spirit of many of these bands: defiance toward one's elders, certainly, but also toward the geographical fate of Uruguay itself, tucked away at the bottom of the South American continent.
Here are Los Mockers doing their version of "Paint it Black" by the Rolling Stones, protruding lips and guttural sneer wholly intact:
Previously:
• The time a fake Beatles group tricked South America
• Fun clip of Beatles' 'Help!'
