MetalyMetal

Kraken, a band of Colombia representative of the genre of rock and heavy metal. This band has been created in Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia in the mid-year of 1984, appearing as one of the most important bands in the country since that time, the glorious decade of the eighties. Respect has come to them not only through its public in Colombia, but for its musical quality, have also been heard in the United States and in Europe. The leader and vocalist of this grouping Elkin Ramirez, is outstanding in its field thanks to its advanced vocal technique that would catapult Kraken to fame.

In the year 1983 Elkin Ramirez was invited to sing in a band which was responsible for making covers of bands recognized by that time, the group was formed by Jorge Atehortua (bass), Jaime Tobon (rhythm guitar), Gonzalo Vasquez (drums) and Hugo Restrepo (guitar).

Elkin Ramírez had already been vocalist from other bands in the increasingly polished more your style. The first band of Elkin Ramirez would be known as Lemon Juice in the year of 1981, then Hertz in 1982, and then in 1983 and participate in Kripzy Ferrotrack, where he had the fortune to rub shoulders with the musicians Gustavo Corrales and Hernan Cruz.

Kraken has been a very prominent band that has managed to get ahead, or at least has much intention to leave the rock movement in Colombia in a very high position. Born in 1984, is scheduled to begin a series of albums that would be sung in Spanish, the importance of their work was sung in Spanish without doubt meant a lot to the followers of the colombian rock at that time. A concert at the Teatro Lux Manrique of the city of Medellin before more than 1000 participants, it would be the starting point of this band, a place that has already gone to the Antioquia?s capital. After this experience, the band decides to begin to compose songs of his own, and would be born the first songs where the fundamental gender would be the heavy metal and Hard Rock.
In 1985 leaves of Kraken Jaime Tobon, being replaced by Ricardo La Posada, a companion of Elkin Ramirez in Kripzy. Already then Kraken got much strength and credibility, having as its principal objective the composition, being born their first songs in Spanish titled: " Todo hombre es una historia (Every man is a story)", "Muere Libre (Die Free)" and "Nada Ha Cambiado Aun (Nothing has changed yet)". Topics that brought their printed signature, a high content of heavy metal and rock.
In the year 1986 Kraken was to be presented at the Plaza de Toros La Macarena of Medellin at the side of Santuario (Brazil), before an audience no less than the 6000 attendees, who sang all of his songs by ratifying its success. Since that time the piracy in Colombia was not unknown, because pirates recordings of their songs had already been marketed throughout Colombia, creating a highly affordable material to the public rock and metal of the country. This is going to be, and the many reasons that have been made since decades to Kraken one of the most important bands in the history of music in Colombia.

Kraken I: The starting point of Kraken in Colombia
1986 Would be the year when Kraken makes its reality to record its first album.

His first single was recorded at 45 revolutions, thanks to a document in which signed some 500 people committed to buy the album when it first left to the market, at the end were sold 10 editions of the first single, for which the subjects chosen were: "Muere Libre (Die Free)" and "Todo hombre es una historia (Every man is a story)".

Elkin Ramirez is the person responsible for that Kraken ran for the first time in the city of its birth: Medellin, reaching the contacts that would lead to the band to Pereira, the city known as The Pearl of the Otún, and where they would act in the minor coliseum of the city.

Starting the year 1987, Kraken recorded a second single, this time with the themes "Soy Real (I'm real)" and "Escudo y espada (Shield and sword)", achieving sell of 7500 copies. The phonographic seal representing Kraken was happy with the figures that showed this Colombian band, and in the middle of the same year was carried out the recording of their first album called Kraken in acetate, marketed in October 1987 and it would sell about 50,000 copies in a very short time throughout Colombia.

Kraken Line-Up between the years of 1987-1988

Elkin Ramirez ? vocals
Ricardo Posada - guitar
Hugo Restrepo - guitar
Jorge Atehortua ? bass
Gonzalo Vasquez ? drums

After this the first tour at the national level of Kraken, they would position in the category of "Titan of the national rock", presenting many opportunities in different cities of the country for the band, performing concerts throughout Colombia. Ricardo Posada withdrew of Kraken in this time in order to continue with their university studies, but thanks to that the first steps to see the pool from the beginning as a organization were discharged, this would not be the end of the band each time that a member decide to leave. Kraken was seen as a team since the beginning, that would be formed by a sales representative, image consultants, experts in marketing and advertising, sponsors, photographers, and a team of technical assistants willing to have their scenic Mount out excellent, thanks to all this Kraken prepares here the recording of their second full-length work.

The internationalization of Kraken: Kraken II - Kraken III

Kraken II was recorded in a public thinking lover of rock much more universal. The process of composition of this album was produced in a very short time, because Kraken had to respond for all their live presentations parallel to the recording of their second album. In this moment was born the proposal to incorporate a keyboardist for the current alignment and taking advantage of the abandonment of one of his guitarists leaders, ultimately this movement was productive according to their musical influences, and marking an important trend in the rock bands of the late 80's in Colombia.

Between 1989 and 1990 "Vestido de cristal (Glass dress)" would be the number one song in the main stations of young music of the country, in this album the keyboards played an essential role in spite of the criticism that occurred on time to include a keyboardist for the band.

Kraken III would be created in 1990, album that would bring about a much more mature sound of the band, "Hijos del Sur (Sons of the south)" and "Rostros Ocultos (Hidden faces)" were topics that were among the best songs of Kraken. Then what would bring about this album, an event held in the Plaza de Toros de La Macarena of Medellin called Concert of independence in 1991, commemorating the independence day in Colombia, served as a bridge between different thoughts mediator who joined together to claim their right to free expression.


Thanks to their legal representatives, Kraken for the first time would be leaving the country, a direct recruitment should lead them to Venezuela, where in the Poliedro of Caracas and with an attendance of 20,000 people demonstrate Kraken (once again) the reputation that preceded them.
Gonzalo Vasquez, drummer and founder of the band, along with Jaime Ochoa decide to withdraw from Kraken.

Kraken Line-Up between the years of 1989 - 1992

Elkin Ramirez ? vocals
Hugo Restrepo - guitar
Jorge Atehortua ? bass
Gonzalo Vásquez ? drums
Victor García ? keyboards (Sound engineer and musician invited to the Kraken II album)
Jaime Ochoa ? keyboards (His work can be seen in the Kraken III album)


Kraken IV Piel De Cobre (Copper skin): A Tribute to the most important cultures

Then that its current line-up would change, Kraken continues to move forward with its work running the year of 1993.

His fourth work is conceived in the mind of Elkin Ramírez, who along with Jorge Atehortua led this new production for the band. In the middle of recording of this album, Hugo Restrepo decides to leave the band being replaced by Federico Lopez, who would make her role as keyboardist, second guitar, and would work with the part of sound during the recording of the album. Kraken IV: Piel de cobre (Copper Skin) is a tribute to the most important cultures: Incas, Aztecs and Mayas. The process of its creation had begun two years ago with an extensive study of its history, in which he became acquainted with their dialect to be brought to life. For this study, it is sufficient to hear topics such as: "Piel de cobre (Skin of copper)", "Eres (You Are)", "O'culto" and "Mexica" to test the use of a related complex vocabulary.

At the same time that the album was recorded and produced, Elkin Ramirez planned the design that a scenic mount will bring with it. And for the launch of this album in the metropolitan theater of Medellin, the company of Ballet Folklorico de Antioquia would support its work.

In the course of the same year "Lenguaje de mi piel (Language of my skin)" became one of the most listened songs of the band, occupying the first places in different radio stations and national positions itself in the top 10 list of the World Chart international (Spanish-American), at the same time as Discos Dago was its selllo owner of its first two discs edited a new album entitled Kraken 1+2.
Kraken line-up between the years 1993-1994


Elkin Ramírez ? vocals
Jorge Atehortua - bass
Bayron Sanchez ? acoustic guitar
Federico Lopez ? guitar, keyboards
Felipe Montoya ? drums
Carlos García - drums


About Kraken V: El Simbolo de la Huella



At the end of the year 1993 a series of new musicians were associated with Kraken, among these are: Henry Borrero (lead guitarist), Felipe Montoya (drums), Byron Sánchez (acoustic guitar) and Santiago Restrepo (keyboards), all of whom worked with Elkin Ramirez and Jorge Atehortua during 1994 and 1995, collaborating with the recording of the fifth album of Kraken called: Kraken V: El simbolo de la Huella (The Symbol of the fingerprint), and which was released on the market by the end of 1995, put in scene under your second fitting scenic appointed La Premier, also carried out in the Metropolitan Theater in Medellin. at the time of the release of this album will be elected by the song "Silencioso Amor (Silent love)", a song that at the time did not have great reception in stations, but with that and after some time would become another anthem of Kraken.

Jorge Atehortua decides to leave the band in the year of 1995, following his path as a teacher.

In 1996 the leader of Kraken Elkin Ramirez initiates a call to comply with all the presentations in the outstanding tours of this band. At this time it is launched the video clip "Dejame (Let Me)", which contains footage of its second scenic mount carried out at the Kraken V: El Simbolo de la Huella (The Symbol of the footprint).
1995 Kraken Line-Up


Elkin Ramírez ? vocal
Henry Borrero - guitar
Jorge Atehortua - bass
Bayron Sanchez ? Electroacoustic guitar
Santiago Restrepo ? keyboards
Felipe Montoya ? drums
Hernan Cruz (guest musician in Kraken V:El Símbolo de la Huella)
Néstor Gómez (guest musician in Kraken V:El Símbolo de la Huella)


From 1994 until the year 1996, Kraken carried out as a band more than a hundred live performances, a process that was not easy due to the constant struggle represented for the band the appear with a blunt alignment every time. In 1997 in a process of hearings Elkin Ramirez achieved a line-up in Kraken that would last until the year of 2003. The result of this alignment was formed by Alejandro Gutierrez (battery) and Juan Esteban Echeverry (guitar), even when the bass, and keyboards were interpreted by guest musicians to play in their live performances, until mid 1997 when David Mejia (keyboard) and Luis Alberto Ramirez (bass) would be permanently to this Colombian band.

Elkin Ramirez would be the next step in the career of Kraken, securing that country's independence from the current record labels that they controlled the band and was therefore remained with the majority of their income. In the 1997?s Kraken is invited for the first time to play at the free festival most important of all Latin America, a href=https://metalymetal.com/post/historia-del-festival-rock-al-parque>Rock Festival al Parque (at the Park) of Bogotá, Colombia.

The Colombian capital was a key site for catapult the name of Kraken, and Elkin Ramirez knew this beforehand, being out in this way the launch in the Theater Jorge Eliécer Gaitán in Bogotá in 1998 what would be his independent label Athenea Productions.

So Transforming Bogota in the city as the new headquarters of the band. later to this would be the work of composition and recording of a disc with five previously unreleased tracks called "Una Leyenda del Rock (A Rock Legend)", disc that would be published in the 1999?s, the first five songs on this album were recorded in an independent study of the band in the city of Medellin closing the same with three previously unreleased tracks in digital format, which include "Fragil al Viento (Fragile to the Wind)", a theme which reached number one in the tops of music radio stations in Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador.

Thanks to the impact of this album Kraken is invited to Ecuador, received with a significant gesture on the part of their followers at the Quito?s airport. The concert for which travelled the band would be carried out in the Agora Theater before about 7000 attendees at the same. Kraken would not come back to Ecuador until 2001?s, in the month of December, noting that his followers by those time had increased to a great extent, this time the event would be in the coliseum of the south in Quito and would be filed before an auditorium with more than 10,000 people, taking into account the recording of a live album for the future of the band.

The Next Album of Kraken: Huella Y Camino


Due to a growing number of homemade recordings that began to appear after the concerts of Kraken by their fans, the direction of the group are restless and it is for this reason that Elkin Ramirez took the decision to record a version of Kraken live in a professional manner, these recordings then would be compiled in a disk of the band that was called Kraken live: Huella y Camino (Fingerprint and Path). This album picks up in the two presentations, the band performed at the Teatro Jorge Eliécer Gaitán in Bogota and a second presentation at the Aeroparque Juan Pablo II in Medellin, where account with songs such as "Lenguaje de mi Piel (Skin?s Language)", "Fragil al Viento (Fragile to the wind)", "Vestido de Cristal (Glass?s dress)", "Muere Libre (Die free)", "Escudo y Espada (Shield and sword)" and several more. Two previously unreleased tracks in study would be included in this album: "Revolucion" and "Corazon Felino (Heart Feline)". This disc was able to reach a little further from their previous work, appearing in a deluxe edition in which independent labels both inside and outside of Colombia is responsible for distributing this album in countries such as Chile, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, Ecuador, Bolivia and Argentina. Europe and North America, where it was marketed in the United States and Mexico.

In 2002 starts the tour called Huella y Camino in the Theater Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, within the cities to visit Kraken in this tour include: Tunja, Pasto, Manizales, Pereira and Cali, ending in Bogota for mid of the same year.

In the year 2004 Discos Fuentes tiller Kraken IV + V: Vive el Rock Nacional. In this year Kraken wins a gold disc thanks to its album Kraken in vivo: Huella y Camino and are invited to close the festival of Rock al Parque in its edition number ten. Achieving a assistance of 70,000 spectators in the metropolitan park Simon Bolivar in Bogota, Colombia, where be held its twenty years of his artistic career. In the year 2004 is also written tribute to the Titan, a tribute to Kraken by national bands.

Kraken Line-Up Until 2004?s


Elkin Ramírez ? vocals
David Mejía ? keyboards
Luis Guillermo Ramirez ? bass
Juan Esteban Echeverry - guitar
Alejandro Gutierrez ? drums


Philharmonic of Kraken

Desde el año 2004 se comienza a concebir la idea acerca de un disco filarmónico para Kraken, una de las bandas de rock más importantes en Colombia. Y en aquel momento se da vía libre a los arreglos orquestales que formarían este trabajo discográfico. Los ensayos que Kraken efectuó con la orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá se realizaron en el Auditorio Leon de Greiff de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia. La banda mantuvo este formato para presentarse en el festival de rock al parque 2004 con la orquesta nacional.

Since the year 2004 begins to conceive of the idea about a disc for Kraken philharmonic, one of the rock bands more important in Colombia. At the time, it gives free rein to the orchestral arrangements that would make this album. The tests that Kraken made with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Bogota were conducted in the Leon De Greiff Auditorium of the National University of Colombia. The band maintained this format to be submitted in a >festival Rock al Parque in 2004 with the national orchestra.

2 Years later it would be recorded the album Kraken Filarmonico, then of a mastering by Simon Gibson at Abbey Road Studios in London. A year later Kraken exits on tour through the United States where Rata Blanca band of Argentina would accompany them.

In 2008 was born the International Tribute to Kraken, which conflicted with the participation of very important artists as: Adrian Barilari (Argentina), and Paul Gillman (Venezuela).

Después de una sobredosis de presentaciones en vivo, Kraken vuelve al estudio (una vez más) para grabar el Humana Deshumanización en el año 2009.

Luego de este álbum en estudio, seguiría años más tarde el proceso de composición del primer sencillo que lanzarían luego de su último disco del 2009: ?La barca de los locos?.

After an overdose of live presentations, Kraken returns to the study (once again) to record the album Human dehumanization in the year 2009. After this album in study, would years later the process of composition of the first single they would launch after his latest album 2009: "La Barca de los Locos".



DVD: La Fortaleza Del Titán

La Fortaleza Del Titán nace con la conmemoración de 30 años de carrera artística de Kraken, recogiendo en footage la historia de esta banda que contiene tanta como su mismo contenido lirico deja ver entre líneas.

La Fortaleza del Titan was born with the commemoration of 30 years of artistic career of Kraken, collecting footage in the history of this band which contains so much as the same lyrical content leaves see between the lines.

Kraken Vi Sobre Esta Tierra(2016)
La Fortaleza Del Titan(2014)
Humana Deshumanizacion(2009)
Tributo Internacional Kraken(2008)
Kraken Filarmonico(2006)
Kraken Iv V Vive El Rock Nacional(2004)
Tributo Al Titan Rock Nacional(2004)
Huella Y Camino(2002)
Una Leyenda Del Rock(1999)
Kraken V El Simbolo De La Huella(1995)
Kraken I Ii(1994)
Kraken Iv Piel De Cobre(1993)
Kraken Iii(1990)
Kraken Ii(1989)
Kraken I(1987)

Roxana Restrepo (vocalista).
Luis Alberto Ramirez (bajo), Indio(guitarra), ex-Xendra(bajista), ex-Parallax(bajista).
Andres Leiva (guitarra).
Ruben Gelvez (teclados).
Julian Puerto (bateria).
Ricardo Wolf (guitarra)

Letra y video de Al Caer Las Murallas
Letra y video de Amnesia
Letra y video de Aves Negras
Letra y video de Blanca Ironia
Letra y video de Camino A La Montaña Negra
Letra y video de Corazon Felino
Letra y video de Cuervo De Sal
Letra y video de Dejame
Letra y video de Desde El Exilio
Letra y video de Despues Del Final
Letra y video de El Idioma Del Rock
Letra y video de El Tiempo No Miente Jamas
Letra y video de El Viejo Galeon
Letra y video de Encrucijada
Letra y video de Eres Profecia
Letra y video de Esclavos De Las Sombras
Letra y video de Escudo Y Espada
Letra y video de Explorador
Letra y video de Extraña Prediccion
Letra y video de Flores De Trebol
Letra y video de Fragil Al Viento
Letra y video de Fugitivo
Letra y video de Hazte A Un Lado
Letra y video de Hijos Del Sur
Letra y video de Hojarascas
Letra y video de Imperios De Soledad
Letra y video de La Barca De Los Locos
Letra y video de La Gran Legion
Letra y video de Lagrimas De Fuego
Letra y video de Lenguaje De Mi Piel
Letra y video de Los Misterios No Hablan
Letra y video de Muere Libre
Letra y video de Nada Ha Cambiado Aun
Letra y video de No Importa Que Mientas
Letra y video de No Me Hables De Amor
Letra y video de No Te Detengas
Letra y video de Noches Bohemias
Letra y video de Palabras Que Sangran
Letra y video de Razones Desnudas
Letra y video de Residuo Social
Letra y video de Resiste
Letra y video de Rompiendo El Hechizo
Letra y video de Rostros Ocultos
Letra y video de Seres De Barro Y Miedo
Letra y video de Siempre