Espíritu -

Espíritu was an Argentine symphonic-rock band, active for three seperate periods between the early 1970s and mid-2000s. Formed in 1973, their first iteration produced two albums, Crisálida (1974) and Libre y Natural (1976). Two further albums appeared in the early 1980s. Twenty years later, frontman Osvaldo Favrot resurrected the nameplate for additional live and studio recordings.

Members: Osvaldo Favrot (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Fernando Bergé (vocals, 1973-76, 1981-83), Carlos Goler (drums, 1973-76), Claudio Martínez (bass, 1973-76), David Lebón (keyboards, 1973), Gustavo Fedel (keyboards, 1974-75), Ciro Fogliatta (keyboards, 1975-76), Rodolfo Messina (drums, 1981-83), Claudio Cicerchia (bass, 1981-83), Ángel Mahler (keyboards, 1981-83)

Background

Espíritu (Spirit) emerged in 1973 from the Buenos Aires rock circuit, founded by guitarist Osvaldo Favrot and vocalist Fernando Bergé, who had worked together since 1969 in the short-lived outfit Onda Corta. By 1972, they solidified a new lineup with bassist Claudio Martínez and drummer Carlos Goler, and adopted the name Espíritu.

They spent the next two years performing steadily across Argentina, earning a growing reputation on the live circuit. In 1973, they issued their debut single “Soy la Noche” on Talent, followed by the promo “Virtudes del Olvido” in 1974. During preparations for their first album, the band briefly recruited David Lebón on keyboards, who soon gave way to Gustavo Fedel. With this five-piece lineup in place, Espíritu entered the studio to record their first album.

Crisálida

Espíritu released their debut album, Crisálida, in June 1975 on Talent.

The album presents a tightly arranged sequence of symphonic compositions marked by counterpoint between guitarist Osvaldo Favrot’s layered electric and acoustic phrasings and the fluid keyboard transitions of Gustavo Fedel on Hammond organ, ARP string ensemble, Minimoog, and piano. Francisco Bergé delivers vocal passages with sharp dynamic contrast, while Claudio Martínez and Carlos Goler underpin the material with a firm, steady-moving rhythm section that anchors the album’s shifting structures and pacing. Favrot wrote all eight tracks with Bergé, Fedel, Martínez, and Goler.

Crisálida (Chrysalis) unfolds through extended contrasts between quiet acoustic passages and sudden electric surges, with synthesizer textures often initiating each structural rise. “La Casa de la Mente” begins in suspended keyboard tones before a sharp guitar entry accelerates the pace, later receding into calm acoustic phrasing and measured vocals as the arrangement cycles between tension and release. Shorter “Prolijas Virtudes del Olvido” sustains gentle piano and acoustic figures under layered harmonies, while “Sueños Blancos, Ideas Negras” pivots from subdued atmosphere into heavier mid‑section drive marked by dense bass weight and forceful guitar phrasing. “Sabios de Vida” alternates submerged ambience, emphatic riffing, and softened acoustic interludes, closing the first half in widened dynamic range.

The instrumental “Eterna Evidencia” concentrates on restless synthesizer motion and rapid solo contours, after which “Tiempo de Ideas” restores vocal prominence over organ‑led momentum and shifting tempo accents. Penultimate “Hay un Mundo Cerrado Dentro Tuyo” reduces the texture to lighter acoustic and keyboard interplay, preparing the long finale “Hay un Mundo Luminoso,” which divides between moderately driving ensemble passages and a calmer concluding section where repeated vocal lines and sustained organ tones resolve the album’s cumulative intensity.

A1. “La Casa de la Mente” [The House of the Mind] (6:55)
A2. “Prolijas Virtudes del Olvido” [Careful Virtues of Forgetting] (2:54)
A3. “Sueños Blancos, Ideas Negras” [White Dreams, Black Ideas] (6:04)
A4. “Sabios de Vida” [Wise Ones of Life] (6:03)

B1. “Eterna Evidencia” [Eternal Evidence] (3:05)
B2. “Tiempo de Ideas” [Time of Ideas] (3:29)
B3. “Hay un Mundo Cerrado Dentro Tuyo” [There’s a Closed World Inside You] (4:19)
B4. “Hay un Mundo Luminoso” [There’s a Luminous World] (8:03)

Espíritu recorded Crisálida in Buenos Aires under the auspices of Microfón Argentina S.A., which handled production, manufacturing, and distribution. Keyboardist Gustavo Fedel played all parts uncredited on analog synths and keyboards. Juan O. Gatti, later known for his work in graphic design, conceived the album’s uncredited artwork. The LP appeared on the Microfón-distributed Talent label and was published by Edifon S.R.L.

Between albums, Fedel cleared for keyboardist Ciro Fogliatta, a onetime member of 1960s Argentine beatsters Los Gatos.

Libre y Natural

Espíritu released their second album, Libre y Natural, in 1976 on Talent.

The album refines the band’s symphonic style with a tighter, layered approach that balances textural variation and ensemble precision. Osvaldo Favrot interweaves six- and twelve-string passages across electric and acoustic layers, alternating lead motifs with Ciro Fogliatta’s dynamic keyboard figures on piano, organ, and synthesizer. Claudio Martínez and Carlos Goler anchor the shifting sections with dual bass and percussion interplay that underscores the album’s rhythmic cohesion. Favrot wrote all eight tracks.

Libre y Natural moves through sharply segmented contrasts, opening with a brief instrumental prelude that layers fast organ surges over a tight bass-and-drum unit. The title track begins with hushed pacing and gradually expands into heightened ensemble swells, marked by upward vocal inflections and angular instrumental counterpoint. “Deselectriza Tu Mente” breaks into rapid movement early on, pushed by frenetic guitar runs and dense low-end support, then shifts between throttled bursts and slower, dirge-like refrains; its middle section pivots into a subdued instrumental passage marked by clean phrasing and drawn-out keyboard overlays.

“No Cambies el Mundo, Ya” carries tension through its clipped first minute before dissolving into a separate section with a looser tempo and more expressive phrasing. Track 5 returns to a more pastoral acoustic framework with light keyboard decoration and subdued rhythmic push. “Tiempo de Resurrección” opens with bright thematic figures that fade into heavier accents, leading into the album’s final build. Throughout, guitarist Osvaldo Favrot and keyboardist Ciro Fogliatta alternate sharp chord bursts and melodic overlays while the rhythm section underpins the shifts in dynamic weight and pacing with sustained precision. The vocal presence, though varied in character, integrates into the larger structural architecture with recurring motifs and occasional contrapuntal layering.

A1. “Obertura del Desierto Luminoso” [Overture of the Luminous Desert] (1:43)
A2. “Libre y Natural” [Free and Natural] (4:10)
A3. “Los Ecos del Silencio Interior” [The Echoes of Inner Silence] (2:58)
A4. “Imágenes Tenues y Transparentes” [Faint and Transparent Images] (6:26)

B1. “Imágenes Tenues de la Voz Interior” [Faint Images of the Inner Voice] (4:35)
B2. “La Fábrica de Sueños” [The Dream Factory] (3:13)
B3. “Deselectriza Tu Mente” [De-Electrify Your Mind] (7:17)
B4. “Final del Sol Ardiente” [End of the Burning Sun] (1:48)

Espíritu recorded Libre y Natural on four channels at Estudios Phonalex between November 1975 and March 1976 with Jorge Álvarez producing. The band supervised the sessions and mixed the final tapes in collaboration with engineer Guillermo Viglietti. Microfón Argentina S.A. handled manufacturing, distribution, and copyright under its Talent imprint.

Espíritu

Espíritu released their self-titled third album in June 1982 on Tonodisc.

The album shifts toward a tighter, more compact sound shaped by concise instrumental layering and polished transitions. Guitarist Osvaldo Favrot and keyboardist Ángel Mahler trade structured motifs with limited solo expansion, while Fernando Bergé delivers more rhythmically anchored vocal lines. Claudio Cicerchia and Rodolfo Messina underpin the material with measured, reinforced interplay that anchors the arrangements through frequent dynamic shifts. Bergé wrote or co-wrote all tracks except “Elemental” and “Guardianes en Pie,” both composed by Mahler.

Espíritu III pivots between tightened ensemble interplay and atmospheric detours, balancing intricate rhythmic shapes with phrasing that leans toward fluid, jazz-inflected articulation. “Lento Juego de Luces” opens with suspended motion and softened keyboard shimmer, eventually stretching into drawn-out chord progressions and shadowed harmonics. “Guardianes en Pie” holds to a tighter internal logic, driven by low-end staccato runs and angular accents that offset the smooth upper-register synth overlays.

“Un Viaje por los Recuerdos” carries the most structural kinship with earlier Espíritu, moving in successive builds that layer ascending vocal phrases with piano-driven undercurrents. Elsewhere, “Antes Tal Vez” threads its refrain around a softened rhythmic frame, while “Policolor” pivots sharply with clipped pacing and brighter keyboard voicings. The final two pieces scale back into acoustic reflection, letting sustained figures and open phrasing guide the descent.

A1. “Antes Tal Vez” [Perhaps Before] (5:00) – Bergé, Favrot
A2. “Policolor” [Multicolored] (3:40) – Bergé, Favrot
A3. “Nacer” [To Be Born] (2:35) – Bergé
A4. “Lento Juego de Luces” [Slow Play of Lights] (7:05) – Bergé, Favrot

B1. “Toma un Tiempo” [Take Some Time] (2:35) – Bergé, Favrot
B2. “Elemental” [Elemental] (3:35) – Mahler
B3. “Un Viaje por los Recuerdos” [A Journey Through Memories] (6:05) – Bergé, Favrot
B4. “Guardianes en Pie” [Guardians Standing] (4:35) – Mahler

Espíritu recorded the album at Francis Smith Producciones S.A.I.C. between January and March 1982 with Alejandro Franco as recording and mix engineer. The band arranged the material and co-produced the sessions with Francis Smith, assisted by Ricardo Lahera. Omar Reinoso handled assistant engineering. Eduardo Sánchez supplied the artwork, with design by Alberto Vidal and photography by José Luis Zángaro and Julio D’Andretta. Jorge Bonsanti played tenor saxophone on “Nacer.”

En Movimiento

Espíritu released their fourth album, En Movimiento, in 1983 on RCA Victor.

The album continues the band’s early-80s studio phase with a streamlined, keyboard-forward sound shaped by compact arrangements and minimal instrumental overlap. Guitarist Osvaldo Favrot and keyboardist Ángel Mahler trade concise motifs and textural accents, while Claudio Cicerchia and Rodolfo Messina sustain a steady rhythmic backbone that supports each track’s structural arc. Favrot wrote seven of the nine songs, with Mahler contributing the remaining two.

A1. “De Lado a Lado” [From Side to Side] (3:23) – Favrot
A2. “Ella de Visita” [She Visiting] (4:20) – Favrot
A3. “La Carta de Cada Día” [The Letter of Each Day] (4:25) – Favrot
A4. “Sólo Poder Vivir” [Only to Be Able to Live] (2:25) – Mahler
A5. “En Movimiento” [In Motion] (4:35) – Favrot

B1. “Un Hombre Más” [One More Man] (5:20) – Favrot
B2. “Setiembre Hoy” [September Today] (5:10) – Favrot
B3. “Yo Estoy Bien Así” [I’m Fine Like This] (3:10) – Mahler
B4. “Dejate Llevar por el Tiempo” [Let Yourself Be Carried by Time] (5:15) – Favrot

Espíritu recorded En Movimiento with Carlos Benzimbrá, Edgardo Rapetti, and Jorge Beren engineering the sessions under studio supervisor Lelia Varsi. Floro Oria Cantila and Ricardo Kleinman produced the album for RCA Victor. Ulises Federico handled the photography, and Finkel S.A.I.C. y A. printed the packaging.

Discography: