Founded in Quilpué, Chile in 1969 - Still active as of 2017
CONGRESO are a progressive folk band from Chile that formed in 1969, but whose origins date back even further. The group arose from a union of the González brothers Patricio, Sergio and Fernando (along with bassist Stolen Fernando) from the 60's psych band Los Sicodélicos; along with vocalist Francisco Sazo of the short-lived Chilean rock band Los Masters. While the result was a musical style that bore some features of the British psychedelic and progressive rock bands that inspired them, CONGRESO distinguished itself early on by employing native instrumentation in their music.
Unlike their fellow countrymen LOS JAIVAS who also employs some traditional Chilean instruments but in more modern arrangements, CONGRESO has fused elements of the traditional Chilean cueca dance rhythms and cultural themes along with native instruments to form a unique brand of South American progressive folk.
The band's early albums lean more heavily toward an acoustic, folk style with cultural themes to complement the more traditional arrangements. By the 1980's however, the group had adjusted to Sazo's temporary absence by adopting a more improvisational sound that still emphasized native rhythms but was at the same time more experimental. With the return of Sazo the band has gravitated back to a more folk-leaning mode by the 1990s. At the same time the band's years of experience have born fruit in a more polished and expansive sound on their later albums. CONGRESO continues to perform occasionally today, and issued a retrospective release in 2004.