Biography Rata Blanca
The band was
founded by Walter Giardino after he left V8 and Gustavo Rowek another former
member of V8. Rata Blanca played together for about two years before their
debut on August 15, 1987 in the theater "Luz y Fuerza" in Buenos
Aires. They later took part in the "Halley en Obras", along with
other bands: Alakrán ("Skorpion"), JAF and Kamikaze, in 1988. That
year they made their debut album with two hits: "Chico Callejero"
("Street Boy") and "El Sueño de la Gitana" ("Gypsy
Woman's Dream").
In 1989, Hugo
Bistolfi joined the band and then Saúl Blanch left, to be replaced by Adrián
Barilari. With that arrangement, the band made its second album Magos, Espadas
y Rosas ("Wizards, Swords, and Roses"), containing their classic song
"Mujer amante". It was followed by "Guerrero del Arco Iris"
("Rainbow Warrior"). The band ended their contract with Polygram
recording a live album, made at the Opera Theater with an orchestra,[1] but
this album was released years later. Once in BMG they made a short CD called
"El Libro Oculto" ("The Hidden Book").
Both Bistolfi
and Barilari decided to leave, being replaced by Mario Ian on vocals and Javier
Retamozo on keyboards. With this line-up they released Entre el Cielo y el
Infierno ("Between Heaven and Hell"). Later that year, they were
invited to play in "Festival Monsters of Rock" in São Paulo, Brazil,
along with Ozzy Osbourne, Therapy?, and Alice Cooper.[citation needed]
They released
yet another album with new singer Gabriel Marian and keyboard player Javier
Retamozo (Hugo Bistolfi left to form the band Alianza with singer Adrian
Barilari) called "Rata Blanca VII", the group disbanded in late 1997.
They regrouped in 2000 (with Barilari back on vocals and Bistolfi on keyboards)
to tour Latin America.
In recent
years, they have released three more albums, El Camino del Fuego ("The
Path of Fire") in 2002, La Llave de la Puerta Secreta ("The Key to
the Secret Door") in 2005, and El Reino Olvidado ("The Forgotten
Kingdom") in 2008. The lyrics to La Llave de la Puerta Secreta were
inspired by The Da Vinci Code.
Wanting to
gain a more international profile, Giardino approached former Rainbow singer
Doogie White to record an English version of the Forgotten Kingdom album in
2009.[2]
The band is
heavily influenced by British hard rock bands like Rainbow, Deep Purple,
Whitesnake, Iron Maiden, as well as by Yngwie Malmsteen.[citation needed]
Walter
Giardino has had successful collaborations with Spain's Mägo de Oz.
The band's
name literally means "White Rat" in English.
