Thunder in the South: Rubén Patagonia

  Rubén Patagonia's voice has been described as thunder that slits the earth.   His singing, combined with current musical instruments and his imposing presence, makes it possible that, on stage, Rubén   turn meat the past stories of the native Patagonian peoples.  

Ruben en   descendant of tehuelches   . His birth name is   Ruben Chauque   . As he flourished as a musician, people began to call him by his pseudonym, Rubén Patagonia, emphasizing his belonging to the region. At present, Rubén expresses himself seriously about his stage name: “I understood over time that   it was a great responsibility and a real honor to receive this offering from our people, something that I would never have imagined, but it happened, and that was born from a popular construction.”  

  He was born in Comodoro Rivadavia (Chubut) on July 2, 1956.   From a very young time the music accompanied   his childhood in Cañadón Perdido   , the rural area near the city of Comodoro where he grew up.   He attended high school in Sarmiento Chubut, in the Senguer River Valley.   And that's when he began to be part of music groups of various styles, including   national rock and folklore, but also “music to dance”   . In the late 1970s Rubén met different references in Patagonian music where   found the sounds to start talking about your identity   .   He assumed folklore as a legacy,   as the opportunity to join the cultural movement capable of singing and telling about regional landscapes, about the aonikenk, selknam and mapuche grandparents and grandmothers.

A multifaceted artist

Since then,   Rubén has worked for the rights of indigenous peoples, claiming their origins.   His musical repertoire includes original ancestral styles and rhythms (kaani, loncomeo) and also songs by Patagonian authors such as Epuyén González or Milton Aguilar. He currently has edited 9 records and various activities along with music references such as León Gieco, Almafuerte, Los Gardeles, Bersuit Vergarabat, La Renga or Lito Vitale. The singer has been able to link the ancestral with   national rock   ,   which considers it part of its history and identity.   In this way, Rubén Patagonia has been able to open spaces for popular music and Patagonian identity to be commune and visible.

  It should be noted that Patagonia has also participated as an actor in national and international films and series.   Among many other appearances, in 2000 she performed in   the movie The way   by filmmaker Javier Olivera. Years later, in 2011, he worked in   the miniseries The Chosen   , along with Pablo Echarri, Lito Cruz and Paola Krum, among other renowned actors.

But, while Rubén stands out for his musical and acting career, it is no less important to talk about his work as   social activist   . The artist usually gives talks and lectures about native cultures. And insists that   is it necessary to tell the story of our peoples   and that the original communities constitute real   guardians of memory   in those stories. In that regard,   the singer also plays with his music, taking care of the original legacy and vindicating it   .

In the context of the coronavirus and the harsh historical and economic reality, Rubén Patagonia invites from his social networks to solidarity with different native communities, not only Patagonian, but also from other Argentine regions.   Because Patagonia's struggle transcends the limits that suggest its name.