Author: Black Moon

Before the meeting with Astor Piazzolla

Tomás Gubitsch, also called ' Tomi', can be in spite of him, knew a short career in the Argentinian rock'n'roll. Nevertheless it leaves an important trace by its participations in three works headlights of the music of the Seventies: "El Jardín of los Presentes" of Invisible, "De Todas Maneras" of Rodolfo Mederos and Generación Cero and Olympia 77 (the album more ' rock' of Piazzolla, with its Electronic Byte).

Tomás lives since many years in France, where it developed an important artistic career

Tell me how were held your studies of music.

At the beginning, kid, I passed the hours to play of the music, which was to break the ears of my family.
When I had 14/15 years, I knew a strange character, a frustrated priest, who played of the harmonium, which gave me courses of theory
and of musical theory. It put to me in liaison with another odd character who gave courses of harmony.
At the same time, I knew Edelmiro Molinari, with which I had to take only one ten courses, but which were determining for me. It learned to me with ' penser' the guitar, to anticipate and face the problems of the instrument.

I read a sentence of Glenn Gould where he says that he could teach all the technique of the piano in two hours. There is something of truth in its assertion. Bach said that well to play is very easy, it is simply necessary to put the fingers at the good place and the good moment.
Of course, after it is necessary to work a little... or much, according to capacities' of each one.

I had 15 or 16 years when starts my great friendship with Rodolfo Mederos with which I learned, in a less academic way, to have a certain professional effectiveness.

I think nevertheless that my true formation in the composition and the orchestration, I acquired it in Europe.
Much later, I supplemented my studies of direction of orchestra. In fact, one never stops learning.....


When did you start to work as an interpreter?

I carried out my first recording, unforgettable, at 15 years. I have to escape from the school to arrive in time at the studio of recording. The following day, I had sanctions.
This recording, I did it with an obscure musician, of which I prefer to conceal the name, and who needed a guitarist Santana style. In spite of my trac, I made a good impression with
producers, who then proposed a new contract to me, not very serious but which justified me.

Which music did you listen at the time? You preferred the rock'n'roll, the jazz or the tango?

My great passion when I was kid, it was Beatles : Revolver, Sgt. Pepper' S, etc (which I always have). Then I listened to much rock'n'roll and of the blues, it was the time of B.B. King, Cream,
Hendrix, Ten Years After then of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Jethro Tull. Then will come Emerson, Lake & Palmer, King Krimson, Yes, Genesis, etc.

At the house, one listened to especially classical music and I discovered by my own means Stravinsky, Bartok and Varese. The jazz, except a short period of ' jazz-rock', that today I hate never truly toché myself, can be for a question of sensitivity.

It was thanks to Rodolfo Mederos that I started to interest me in the tango. Of him! who wanted to then give up it!
I remember that it made me discover Salgán, Pugliese and Piazzolla, to show me what it did not want to do any more. I answered him that this music interested me, because it has same energy as the rock'n'roll.

As I was rather politically committed speaking, and that I continue to be it, I believed logical to work with a source of national inspiration.


At that time there, you commençes a musical relation with Mederos...

What was funny, it is that at the beginning with Rodolfo, there was a misunderstanding: one had spoken to him about a singer. I tried of him to say, at the time of our first meeting, which I composed and played of the guitar, but, as singer..... With the end, I seized his old guitar and one played together during a moment.
A friendship paterno-subsidiary company had just been born; I saw it working, to explain me his methods, then we wrote a little with four hands and we ended up assembling the group with which we made a disc.

This work, of this meeting enters a 33 year old bandoneonist and a kid of 16, all these nights to make and remake the world and with
to drink ' maté' was born the disc "De Todas Maneras".


The disc "De Todas Maneras", which is for me one of the best Argentinian albums of the period, contains one of your compositions, and also there is a place of honor for the guitar. Did you also take part in other compositions?

When we knew each other with Rodolfo, he was already a musician in his plenitude. As for me, nobody knew me. Even if, with
moment to record, I had been made small ' a gloire' with Invisible, it was clear that it was the Rodolfo time.
I still had time in front of me. Therefore, it would have seemed to to me culotté of my share to think that it was a disc with us two. My topic was a kind of homage intimate to our history and the separation which was going to follow.

Claudio Ragazzi enters the group to replace you, and will play in a topic of the disc. What did it occur? You left before
recordings?

Exactly. I do not remember if my voyage were advanced or if the recording were delayed. I had a great guilt feeling to have ' abandonné' Rodolfo, and in more the ' trahir' with Piazzolla... Claudio, I knew it from the school. I always apprecié his personality, his talent... and his false modesty.


The disc leaves after you would have separé yourself of Invisible...

Yes, I already remember to have received it being in Paris. This disc which seemed to me paleolithic, because of my personal evolution. My relationship to this manner of making music and this time, was an emotional relation, of thanks with Rodolfo, which was with me a large friend and a large lord.


How did the contact with Spinetta and your entry in Invisible occur ?

Gustavo Spinetta often came to the house, it was friendly with my elder brother, Dyuri. I believe that it was Gustavo which spoke about me in Luis, which was for me a mythical figure. As of the first Almendra album, it was for me, and by far, the greatest talent of the national rock'n'roll. Therefore, when it contacted me to go where Invisible repeated in trio, so that I improvise with them, I cannot explain you the ' bordel' in my head. And it occurred something. Because, a few days later, in the kitchen, where the great decisions were made, they proposed to me to form part of the group.

This meant absolute priority for the group. Even if that can seem incredible, I said to them that I was going to think of it. Not only because I was ' pédant', but because I thought that it
world was going to belong to me. I finished by their statement yes, but if Piazzolla appellait to me to make an international round, I left. One marré oneself and Luis said to me: "and if Lennon calls me me, I leave too! "

With Invisible, you begin in Luna Park in 1976. The group played in trio a good part of the show. Then Spinetta presents to you and
announce that you will be henceforth a Four-bit byte. What did you smell at this time there? Also young person and to start in front of a public come to see a headlight group of the Argentinian rock'n'roll. Was that for you like an examination?

Before there was only one small concert close to Rosario, in four-bit byte. I had asked it... because I had never played in public, and I was distressed.

When Luis announces to me (I had asked him to say ' Tomas' and not ' Tomi', but good...), I believed to hear some whistles. Then there, I said myself: ' here, my guy, you cheeks your vie'. A thought that I continue to have each time I play, whether it is in front of 15.000 people or 3.
Can be then I badly played, but like there never was recording, I could not hear me. But I can ensure you that I played with all my tripe.


Invisible incorporates during this time, beyond the participation of Mederos, a component tango, which it had not had before. Was this something which comes from you or of another member of the group?

I believe précisement that it was one of the contributions which one awaited from me. But it should be recognized that one finds already this reference in first Almendra. Not only because Rodolfo played of the bandonion in an arrangement of Alchourrón but because of the accents "tanguero-porteños", like the melody of "A estos hombres sad", kind of "Eleanor Rigby" national.


It was said that in the group all had right to the word and the vote.

It is what Luis Alberto wanted. But I always thought that it is difficult to apply it.


For which reasons you did separate also quickly?

What I want to say here is trés personal. It is my analysis 25 years later. Can be that I am mistaken, but I believe that it is because of this ' democratie' which did not go. Can be also that my arrival precipitated the things.
I do not want to miss saying that my passage at Invisible something of luminous and was coloured in Argentina full with
fear and of horrors.



with the pleasant authorization of Humberto Luna (Black Moon)

Interview carried out into 2002/3