Kamakuro was born in 1998, when its director Fabian Tejada moved to Buenos Aires after a long experience in Patagonia. Kamaruko is the name of an ancient ceremony celebrated by the Mapuche every year. The point of this celebration is to strenghten the “newen”, “rakiduam”, “kimun”, “gulam”and “admogen” (strength, thought, being, knowledge, advice and essence of life). In 1998 Fabian Tejada gets together several of his students and forms a batucada and introduces it in a percussion festival.”Because it came out nice, I decided to form a larger group with new goals”, Fabian says. In 2000 the group recorded its debut album, Oro Natural. The ensemble went through some changes until a second album, Gente de la Tierra, was released in 2005 by Acqua Records. “Songs are simpler now” says Luciano Larocca, “there are no solos nor so much paraphernalia. It was hard work to slow down the drums, but we made it”. Karin says: “Our songs help us to remember things from when we were kids. We rediscover the amazement with sounds that imitate animals. We become children again, we surprised ourselves with what we hear”.
The members of the band are Karin Fortugno (vocals and ashico), Agustin Lumerman (congas, bongo, cajon, surdo, udu), Luciano Larocca (standing drums, cajon, kalimba, berimbau), Fabian Tejada (steel drum, djembe, congas, bongo, berimbau and general direction). Laura Obligado is the Artistic Director.