THE BAND
Members
Band history
El Final del Silencio (2003)
La Voz de los Bosques (2007)
About the name
Concerts
Prizes and recognition
Discography

BAND HISTORY

Viuda Negra was born on February 2nd, 1996 in a small Bar in Quito called “La Nota”, place were they performed their first concert after a few weeks of rehearsal: rock from the 80’s familiar to the 5 musicians that came from some bands of low trajectory.

With an important acceptation for their excellent “cover performance” and not much of creativity and mind make up to compose their own songs, after 2 years the first line up of the “Viudas” (that is how they have been called by their fans and friends since the beginning), disappeared.   Santiago Silva (vocals) and Johnny Gordon (drums) the 2 survivors from the first lineup, tried many other lineups, performed many concerts and recorded some promo songs which would be part of their first CD.

The new millennium would bring a new era for Viuda Negra: between 2000 and 2002 they were finalists of the first two Rock Concerts organized in Ecuador that searched to promote this rock movement that grew powerfully day by day.  That is how “El Rockazo” and “Fioramusica” were an important show-up for the band.  “Fioramusica” produced 25000 copies of a CD that compiled the finalists’ songs including “Pretendo” from Viuda Negra, making them be known massively inside the country and wherever that Fiora CD had been brought, not for an international distribution but for the migration phenomenon that started to grow in the country by that time.

The recognition of the band became important with every concert they performed, and in a short period of time they were asked to play in scenarios from almost all over the country and became the main Band of the biggest national Rock Festivals.

In November, 2002 they were invited to open a worldwide famous band “ANGRA” during their “Rebirth” tour, overcoming all the expectations of the concert producers, because of their performance and a remarkable public acceptation.

On December 10th, 2004 after a survey that asked which band would be able to represent the country in a concert that had been surely the most important metal concert performed in Ecuador “Nightwish”, Viuda Negra won and was convoked, confirming their excellent professional skills and quality, playing in front of almost 10,000 people who were delighted by a local band like it was never seen before.

In 2005 they produced their first Video Clip under the direction of Luis Lizarzaburu, with an extraordinary acceptation from the local and foreign media and this has let them be nominated to the Prize “Mis bandas Nacionales” (My National Bands) in its first edition.

In 2006 Viuda Negra concentrated on the composition and production of their second CD “La Voz de los Bosques” (The voice of the Forests).  They contacted the productor Thiago Bianchi who has a previous experience with bands such as Angra, Shaaman, Karma and Vox.  That is how between August and November the Viudas traveled to Sao Paulo – Brazil for the recording, production, mix and masterization of their new CD, seeking a definitive internationalization of their music.

On January, 2007 they were also asked to be part of the “International Tribute to Kraken” a Columbian band with around 20 years of trajectory where Viuda Negra participated along with 28 rock bands from 10 Latin-American countries and Spain.

 

EL FINAL DEL SILENCIO (2003)

Starting 2003 they signed their first Discography Production contract with “Ecuador’s Cultural Corporation (CCEQ), and in October 31st finally came out to light their first CD “El Final del Silencio” (The End of Silence).

“El Final del Silencio” would determine a new period for Viuda Negra and even for the Ecuadorian Metal Music.  The first CD stock was run out in less than 3 months and the consumers’ pressure filled up the market with pirate copies.

“El Final del Silencio” was promoted by a National tour in Ecuador’s main cities and many printed and virtual articles and publications from the media highlighted and admired this Ecuadorian piece of art.  Quickly their website registered an important increase of visits and subscriptions for the band news from all over the world.

 

LA VOZ DE LOS BOSQUES (2007)

“La Voz de los Bosques” (The Voice of the Forests) with a strong and dark sound but at the same time melodic seeks to move all the nocturnal sensations from the Amazon jungle to a mainly urban phenomenon which is the metal music, highlighting the exotic, gothic, magical and fantastic characteristics of the Rain Forest.

According to part of their philosophy and the message given by their songs Viuda Negra decided to be part of a Campaign for Protecting the Ecuadorian Native Forests.  The Viudas will promote in all the band diffusion spaces, the protected areas importance with the goal to sensibilize the public to contribute with a voluntier donnations that will be use in a trust fund to support the basic management in national parks and other reserves in Ecuador, some of them are the places of most biodiversity in the world  Additionally the band will contribute with a percentage of the total profit from the CD to support the same goal.

 

ABOUT THE NAME

Viuda Negra is a strong name surrounded by a wave of mystery, tragedy and darkness, but at the same time expresses elegance, sophistication and sensuality, characteristics that the band shows through its message, music and image. It is in nature where they find the inspiration to represent elements such as the balance between life and death, harmony and chaos, night and day, perseverance, passion and giving.

 

CONCERTS

  • Rock por la vida, Cuenca, April 19th., 2008
  • Kraken´s concert opening (Colombia), Quito, February 9th, 2008
  • Quito Fest 2007, Quito, December 1st, 2007
  • Suramerican Metal Fest, Pereira (Colombia), September 16th., 2007
  • Opio Studio, Medellín (Colombia), September 14th., 2007
  • Harmony Fest 2007, Ibarra, September 8th., 2007
  • Launch "La Voz de los Bosques", Ex Beer House, Quito, September 7th., 2007
  • Pre-launch “La Voz de los Bosques”, San Francisco University, Quito, March 22th., 2007
  • El Sauce High School, Quito, June 3th., 2006
  • Cultura Metal Fest, Abel Jimenez Parra Coliseum, Guayaquil, May 20th., 2006
  • San Antonio de Ibarra, February 18th., 2006
  • Stadium, Lago Agrio, February 12th., 2006
  • Radio Morena Theater, Guayaquil, November 19th., 2005
  • Teatro Nacional de la Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana, Campeonato Nacional de Fisicoculturismo y Fitness, Quito, October 5th., 2005
  • Centro de Exposiciones Quito, Feria Internacional del Estudiante, Quito, September 11th. and 18th., 2005
  • Centro Cultural El Prohibido, Cuenca, July 30th., 2005
  • El Sauce High school, Quito, June 25th., 2005
  • Horcas´ concert opening (Argentina), Quito, May 28th., 2005
  • Cultura Metal Fest, Guayaquil, May 14th., 2005
  • Nightwish´s concert opening (Finlandia), Quito, December 10th., 2004
  • San Antonio Rock, Ibarra, November 13th., 2004
  • Semana del Rock, Quito, August 15th., 2004
  • Launch "El Final Del Silencio", Quito, March 7th., 2004
  • Launch "El Final Del Silencio", Guayaquil, January 24th., 2004
  • Launch "El Final Del Silencio", Pasaje, January 18th., 2004
  • Launch"El Final Del Silencio", Cuenca, January 17th., 2004
  • Launch"El Final Del Silencio", Quito, October 31th., 2003
  • Larva Festival, Ambato, February 2003
  • Rock al Sur del Cielo, Quito, December 2002
  • Concert for them, Guayaquil, December 2002
  • Concert, Loja, December 2002
  • Angra´s concert opening (Brasil), Rebirth Tour, Quito, November 2002
  • El Rugido del Jubones Festival, Pasaje, November 2002
  • Expo Tattoo, Quito, October 2002
  • Colorado Metal Fest, Santo Domingo de los Colorados, August 2002
  • Music Party, Ambato, June 2002
  • Rock al Sur del Cielo, Quito, June 2002
  • Fioramusica Festival, Quito, May 2002
  • Tower Records, Quito, May 2002
  • Fioramusica Festival, Cuenca, March 2002
  • Rock al Sur del Cielo, Quito, December 2001
  • Rockazo Festival, Quito, 2001
  • Escuela Politecnica del Ejercito, Quito, 2001
  • Escuela Politecnica Nacional, Quito, 1998
  • Catolica University, Quito, 1997 - 1998 - 2002
  • San Francisco University, Quito, 1996 - 1998 - 1999
  • Modelo Juvenil 1996 - Keops - Revelation band, Quito, 1996
  • La Nota Bar, Quito, February 2th., 1996

 

PRIZES AND RECOGNITION

  • Best Heavy Metal National Band 2003 – Larva National Festival, Radioactive Chain (Ecuador)
  • Best Ecuadorian Band 2006 – El Comercio National Journal (Ecuador)
  • Best National Band and Best Rock CD 2003 – Gazeta del Rock (Cuenca, Ecuador)
  • Best National Band and Best CD 2003 – Sur Metal Magazine (Cuenca, Ecuador)
  • The Most demanded Band 2003 – The Rock Galery (Ambato, Ecuador)
  • Best Heavy Metal National Band 2002 – Larva National Festival, Radioactive Chain (Ecuador)
  • Best National Band 2002 – Rock Culture Program (Ibarra, Ecuador)
  • Finalists of the “Fioramusica” contest, May 2002 (Quito, Ecuador)
  • Finalists of the “Rockazo” contest, June 2001 (Quito, Ecuador)
  • Revelation Band, May 1996 (Quito, Ecuador)

 

DISCOGRAPHY

  • “La Voz de los Bosques”  (The Voice of the Forests), 2007
  • International Tribute to Kraken, 2007
  • “El Final del Silencio” (The End of Silence), 2003
  • “Bajo tu Bandera” (Under your Flag), Liga Deportiva Universitaria’s CD, Championship 2003, track # 12
  • “Pretendo” (I Pretend) (Fioramusica 2002), track #14