The psychedelic and progressive musical movements of the 1960s and 70s gave birth to a boatload of great bands, and left behind a central canon of brilliant albums we hold in high esteem today. It also — let’s face it — engendered some really terrible, indulgent messes. Most interestingly, though, is how quickly these predominately American and British trends influenced musicians in areas of the world one might have found surprising at the time: Asia and the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand, and so on. By and large, these groups weeded out the drug-addled excess of American psych and prog and blended what was left with the music of their past. The results were often extraordinary.
But the heavy hand of psychedelia landed most firmly on South America. Brazil’s rock revolution is well documented; it spawned groups like Os Mutantes, who became a legitimate sensation the world over, and who continue to play and create to this day. Less known outside their native Chile were Los Jaivas. Originally dubbed High Bass (rumor has it the name came from a guitar amplifier whose only knobs were labeled “high” and “bass”), the group soon changed it to the soundalike “Jaivas,” which, loosely translated, means “little crabs.”
(Read an excellent, if clumsily translated, Jaivas bio here.)
“Foto De Primera Comunión,” the indisputable centerpiece of Jaivas’ 1971 debut El Volantin, is a sprawling, six-minute plus improvisation that finds the group clicking on all the right levels. The song opens with a short but arresting dulcimer-sounding intro that is quickly enveloped by a heady Latin rhythm. A distorted electric guitar wafts in and out of the mix, providing exhilarating, ephemeral glimpses at Jaivas’ hidden psychedelic spine. By song’s end, it’s easy to have become so enveloped in the groove that the tune’s gradual fadeout goes unnoticed. Echoing church bells announce the song’s finale. They are jarring at first; finally, strangely soothing.
Apparently, the songs on the obscure, 40-minute El Volantin (gitchyaself a bootleg, stat!) were culled from over 20 hours of recorded material, most of it improvised (!). That the album doesn’t feel too jammy or overcooked is a testament both to the band’s ability as self-editors and to their basic collaborative skills as musicians. “Foto de Primera Comunión” only lasts six minutes, but honestly, I would listen to it if it dragged on for days.
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