Bandana (pop band)

History

Bandana's first album, a self-titled release, came out in 2001 on Sony BMG Records. It was powered by the hit single "Guapas" and went four-times platinum in Argentina.

Even though many critics and other musicians initially dismissed them, the group became the country's best-selling act from 2001 onward. By the time they split up in 2004, their three studio albums had sold an estimated 450,000 copies combined. Their run included several milestones for Argentine artists, especially during the 1998–2002 economic crisis: they sold 280,000 tickets across 86 shows at the Teatro Gran Rex, performed twice for a total of 90,000 people at the José Amalfitani Stadium, and released a film called Vivir intentando, which they starred in and which was seen by over a million people.

In 2016, Bandana announced a reunion concert at the Lola Membrives Theatre in Buenos Aires, this time without Ivonne Guzmán. Demand was so high that they added five more dates, and all tickets sold out in 90 minutes. They also put out a new album, La Vuelta, featuring fresh versions of their biggest hits.

On January 16, 2017, they released their first original song since 2003, "Bombón." The very next day, da Cunha left the group. In March 2017, the remaining three members—Lourdes, Valeria, and Lisa—went to the United States to film the music video for "Bombón," which featured Wisin. The video was produced and directed by Lourival Rodriguez, co-directed by Ruslan Shakirov, and shot at a mansion in Miami Beach, Florida.

After da Cunha's departure, the band kept releasing new music. They put out "No No No" and "Baila" in 2018, and their most recent single, "En la Punta de la Lengua," came out in February 2019.

Members

Bandana started as a five-member group. The original lineup included Ivonne Guzmán, Lourdes Cecilia Fernández, Valeria Gastaldi, Virginia Da Cunha, and María Elizabeth Vera, all active from 2001 to 2004. Four of the five were from Buenos Aires; Guzmán was originally from Colombia. When the band reunited for a tour in 2016, Guzmán chose not to return, and her spot was left unfilled.

Da Cunha rejoined for the comeback but announced her departure via Instagram on January 17, 2017, to pursue a solo career. The remaining members decided not to replace her, continuing as a trio. Gastaldi left in 2020, reducing the group to a duo: Fernández and Vera, who now perform as Lissa and Lourdes. They have since released a single called "Fuego."

Musical history

In 2001, the Argentine pop group Bandana released their debut album, also called Bandana. It became the highest-selling album in the country that year, quickly going platinum and eventually earning four platinum certifications. The record produced several hit singles, including Cómo Puede Ser, Guapas, and Maldita Noche. The band also embarked on a successful tour, selling out Buenos Aires’ largest theater, the Teatro Gran Rex, over forty times during the winter school holidays in July.

The following year, they recorded a Spanish-language version of Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling in Love, titled Muero De Amor Por Tí, for the Disney film Lilo & Stitch. Their second album, Noche, came out in 2002. Though it did not match the success of their debut, it was still the best-selling album in Argentina for that year.

In December 2002, they performed a joint concert with Mambrú at the José Amalfitani Stadium, selling over 40,000 tickets. In 2003, they released their third studio album, Vivir Intentando, which also served as the soundtrack for a film of the same name released that year. That same year, they won the Best New Artist—Southeast award at the MTV Video Music Awards Latin America. To expand their reach internationally, the group traveled to the United States, performing in New York and Miami, and appeared on the cover of Billboard Magazine.

This marked the first time an Argentine band had achieved that honor. After a long hiatus, Bandana reunited in 2016 for a series of shows and a national tour. In interviews, they explained that a reunion had always been discussed but was delayed due to pregnancies and other professional obligations among the members.

To celebrate their return, they released a new album, La Vuelta, which featured updated versions of their biggest hits; the album’s track list also served as the tour’s set list. On January 16, 2017, the group released their first original song since 2003, titled Bombón, featuring Puerto Rican rapper Wisin. The day after its release, member da Cunha announced she had left the band, explaining she had not participated in the recording. The song was used as the main theme for Telefé’s reality show Despedida de Soltero.

Vivir Intentando (Go For It - Cinco Amigas)

In 2003, the band released their debut film, Vivir Intentando, which was shot in Buenos Aires and premiered in Argentina on June 14. Critical reception was divided.

One reviewer praised its competent technical work, emotional precision, and the atmosphere it created in the theater. Others were harsher, calling the acting merely passable, noting the songs were notable only by their absence, and dismissing the script as straight out of the "teenager dreams of being a singer" playbook. Despite the mixed reviews, the movie earned over 10.5 million Argentine pesos, outperforming many international blockbusters at the box office.

Did You Know?

• The girls were selected from 5,000 contestants who attended the casting.
• Ivonne Guzmán wore braces and Lourdes was known as 'la peti' due to her height.
• From 2001 to 2003, an official Bandana store was located at Avenida Corrientes, right beside Teatro Gran Rex.