Opio was a Peruvian psychedelic rock band from the 1970s, known for incorporating Latin and Peruvian folk rhythms into their style . Among their most famous songs are "Recordándote", "Piratas en el Titicaca", "Juntos" and "Una Bruja en el Cuzco".
This renowned Lima-based group was formed in 1972. It consisted of Luis Bonilla (drums and vocals), Augusto Bravo (lead guitar), Manuel Verástegui (rhythm guitar and vocals), and Beto Pineda (bass). Some of these musicians had previously been part of a Surquillo- based group called Nueva Generación .
The group's name came about when one of its members saw a Chinese man smoking opium in a shop, and proposed the idea to the other musicians who instantly accepted.
The group recorded several 45 rpm records for the Odeon label. They had some very good performances, but the one they remember most was in Trujillo where they played alongside the local group Las Águilas.
The favorite song at El Opio concerts was "Una bruja en el Cusco" (A Witch in Cusco), a composition by Augusto Bravo and Manuel Verastegui.
The style of this band ranged from psychedelia to Latin rock and fusion; in addition, El Opio is one of the creators of rock - huayno, as in "Piratas en el Titicaca", where in the introduction of the song there was a saxophone ensemble playing a typical Huancayo huayno.
The song "Una bruja en el Cusco" (A Witch in Cusco) appeared in March 1972 and was undoubtedly the group's most famous hit. Although there were songs that were never recorded, such as one that lasted an hour and was called "Hashis," which was pirated by an Ecuadorian group seven months after its premiere at a concert in northern Peru.
In the May 31, 1974 edition of the newspaper La Crónica, an article appeared about El Opio, announcing that the group would be taking a different direction. The band finally disbanded in 1975, clearly demonstrating its status as a prime example of Peruvian rock, which flourished alongside many other bands amidst the military and social upheaval that gripped Peru in the 1970s.
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