Rata Blanca

Beginnings during his brief time in V8 The guitarist Walter Giardino replaced Osvaldo Civile in V8 for a short time, and left the band when his songs were rejected. His friend Roberto Cosseddu, bassist of Kamikaze, helped him to record a demo tape with those songs. The drummer Gustavo Rowek, who had also left V8 a short time before, declined his projects with Civile and joined Giardino. The session musicians Rodolfo Cava (singer) and Yulie Ruth (bass player) completed the line-up that recorded the demo. The songs were "Chico callejero", "Rompe el hechizo", "Gente del sur" and "La bruja blanca". Seeking stable members, the band took Saúl Blanch as singer, who was working in the hard-rock band Plus. They met the bass player Guillermo Sánchez with the help of Giardino's friend Sergio Berdichevsky, member of WC at that point. Rata Blanca played their first concert on 15 August 1987 in the Luz y Fuerza theater. Saúl Blanch left the band, and he was replaced by Carlos Périgo, who composed the song "Días Duros". Périgo left the band soon after that. Rodolfo Cava returned for a brief time, and Shito Molina got ill and could not sing anymore. As the band was about to record their first album and needed a singer immediately, Saúl Blanch returned to the band and helped record it. The album Rata Blanca was released in 1988, with nine songs. but this album was released years later. Once on BMG they made an EP called El Libro Oculto. This work was more aggressive, both in instrumental style and lyrical style, as a result of the criticism from heavy metal fans towards the band. Changes in lineup and reunion Barilari did not like the new style found on El Libro Oculto and left the band after a concert in Obras. Rata Blanca played with famous member of Deep Purple Glenn Hughes as a guest at the Gran Rex Theater, in 2003. They played the band's hits as well as Deep Purple's classic songs. In order to gain a more international profile, Giardino approached former Rainbow singer Doogie White to record an English version of the Forgotten Kingdom album in 2009. 2010–present Early in 2010, longtime Rata Blanca keyboardist Hugo Bistolfi left the band and was replaced by Danilo Moschen, a former member of Barilari's soloist band. In 2013, original members Gustavo Rowek, Sergio Berdichevsky and Saul Blanch reunited with Rata Blanca for some shows. In 2015 Rata Blanca released their tenth studio album, Tormenta Eléctrica. In May 2017, bass player Guillermo Sánchez died due to sepsis. A few days before, singer Adrián Barilari announced that Guillermo was in poor health. == Personnel ==

Current lineup • Walter Giardino – lead guitar (1986–1998, 2000–present) • Adrián Barilari – vocals (1989–1993, 2000–present) • Danilo Moschen – keyboards (2010–present) • Alan Fritzler - drums (2024-present) • Juan Pablo Massanisso - bass (2024-present) Past members • Saúl Blanch – vocals (1987–1989) • Mario Ian – vocals (1993–1996) • Gabriel Marian – vocals (1996–1998) • Sergio Berdichevsky – rhythm guitar (1986–1998) • Guillermo Sánchez – bass (1986–1998, 2000–2017; died 2017) • Gustavo Rowek – drums (1986–1998) • Hugo Bistolfi – keyboards (1989–1993, 2000–2010) • Javier Retamozo – keyboards (1993–1998) • Fernando Scarcella – drums (2000–2023) • Pablo Motyczak – bass (2017–2023) Live members • Shito Molina – vocals (1988; died 2003) • Carlos Perigo – vocals (1988) • Rodolfo Cava – vocals (1986) • Alejandro Zon – drums (2005, 2022) • Mariano Elias Martin – drums (2018) Timeline == Discography ==

Studio albums • Rata Blanca (1988) • Magos, Espadas y Rosas (1990) • Guerrero del Arco Iris (1991) • Entre el Cielo y el Infierno (1994) • Rata Blanca VII (1997) • El Camino del Fuego (2002) • La Llave de la Puerta Secreta (2005) • El Reino Olvidado (2008) • Tormenta Eléctrica (2015) Live and compilation albums • En Vivo en Buenos Aires (1996) • Grandes Canciones (compilation, 2000) • Oro: Grandes Éxitos (compilation, 2002) • Poder Vivo (2003) • En Vivo (2003) • Magos Espadas y Rosas: XX Aniversario en Vivo (2011) Singles and EPs • El Sueño de la Gitana (1988) • La Leyenda del Hada y el Mago (1990) • Días Duros (1990) • Mujer Amante (1990) • Abrazando el Rock & Roll (1991) • Guerrero del Arco Iris (1991) • Nada Es Fácil Sin tu Amor (1991) • El Libro Oculto (EP, 1993) • Basura (1994) • Mujer Amante - versión acústica (2000) • Rata Blanca (EP, 2001) • Teatro Gran Rex XIV - XII - MMI (2001) • Highway on Fire (EP, 2002) • Volviendo a Casa (2002) • El Reino Olvidado (2008) • La Leyenda del Hada y el Mago / Mujer Amante (live, 2011) == Cover versions ==

Spain's Mägo de Oz recorded a version of "Mujer amante". == References ==