according to: Sumo
Before dying in December 1987, the Italian-born singer of Argentina’s underground legendary band Sumo recorded one last genius album, After Chabón that included this reggae hit. The non-explanatory lyrics in English, paired with a vague title in Spanish don’t give us much of a clue for what exactly was supposed to happen in 1989 that he was so eagerly expecting. Did he actually predict the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Soviet Block? Could he foresee the start of Menem’s era in Argentinian politics?
Thing is, 1989 was a remarkably significant year in many ways, some even claim it was a world-wide paradigm shift with the beginning of the globalization era. This was reflected in the music that came out that year, but also, as you’ll see, in the many songs that evoke it as a historical landmark.
To this day “No Tan Distintos” (most popularly known as “1989”) remains one of the biggest reggae anthems in Argentina. It has been covered by pretty much every aspiring dreadlocked-porteño… and this guy.
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