No matter your age, sex, religion, or even the language you speak: we have all enjoyed the music of The Beatles at some point in our lives. Even if not listening to the English rock band directly, it is highly likely that one of your favourite bands or musicians was inspired by them. The music of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr is carried by fans since 1960. And passed down to new generations, notably through the passionate performances of Paraguayan tribute band Madera Noruega.
The songs of The Beatles changed the way music was made: they pushed the limits of the medium. And that is exactly what inspires Guido Romano, lead singer from The Beatles tribute band Madera Noruega, still today. Madera Noruega (Spanish for “Norwegian Wood”, a Beatles song from 1965) is one of the longest-running Beatles tribute bands in Paraguay. Guido, the current singer and rhythm guitarist, happily answers questions about this project that has been honouring the band.
“The greatest of all time”
“The Beatles are the greatest and most influential rock and pop band of all time, hands down,” Guido begins. His love for The Beatles started thanks to his mother. “She was a big fan. That is how my unconditional love for the Fab Four started.”
“In 1976, Madera Noruega had its first lineup for a one-time show, featuring Gustavo Rojas Vía, Rafael Fleitas, the late Fulgencio ‘Tapi’ Moreno, and Carlos Carvallo. Then, in 1994, the band began performing again and became a permanent project.”
Nowadays, the band is made up of Fleitas, Carvallo, Miguel Kunert, Darío Morán, and Guido Romano, the latest addition, replacing Rojas Vía. The second birth of the band, in 1994, happened at the same time as the release of the Anthology albums, a multimedia collection of rare and never-before-heard recordings of The Beatles.
“During that time, the Paraguayan “Beatlemania” saw a significant resurgence.”
“Impossible to choose one favourite”
The desire to keep sharing these songs inspires the Paraguayan band. “The Beatles’ unique composition styles…,” Guido says, lost for words. “It is impossible to choose just one favourite album. Our favourites are the White Album, Abbey Road, Revolver, and Rubber Soul“.
Playing The Beatles is not always an easy task; when asked about the hardest songs to play, Guido says: “There are many! Songs like Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band that are certainly complicated, the melodies, the harmonies, and the rhythms. For example, the transition from the first song of the album to ‘With A Little Help From My Friends”.
Madera Noruega up to the challenge
During the time of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967, The Beatles stopped playing live and started releasing albums that were virtually impossible to play live. As they were experimenting with the latest advances in recording technology, pushing music and the industry to levels never seen before.
But certainly, even with its difficulty, playing these songs is gratifying like nothing else”, Guido states. “The emotion of playing a song that went around the world 10,000 times and sharing it with the audience, is unique. This is because you can play the song of any other band, and the audience has its way of reacting; but the songs of The Beatles connect with everyone.”
International recognition
Madera Noruega got to play as an invited band to the famous The Cavern in Argentina. This Buenos Aires’ pub is inspired by the original The Cavern Club from Liverpool, where The Beatles were regulars during their early days. Guido describes the band’s performance at the Latin American Beatles Weeks of 2003, 2004, and 2006 as some of the most memorable moments of the band.
Madera Noruega can be seen performing in venues like JazzCube and Rockero in Asunción. For upcoming gigs follow Madera Noruega on Instagram.
