VOX DEI - CALIENTE - 1970

Vox Dei was formed in Quilmes (a big suburb beer factory city South of Buenos Aires). First called Mach 4, they used to sing in English until they heard Manal and Almendra.

Producers Pedro Pujó and Jorge Álvarez signed them for their label Mandioca not before suggesting to them that they change their name along the lines of ‘‘Vox Populi, Vox Dei’‘ (in Latin: ‘‘The word of the people is the Word of God’‘).

Their first single, titled 'Sin Ropa: Azúcar Amarga', b/w 'Quiero Ser', was straightforward rock & blues. The A-side was also included on the compilation LP, 'Mandioca Underground' (MLP 331).

After several gigs in Buenos Aires, they released their second single for Mandioca, ‘Presente‘, b/w a rock'n'roll number, ‘Dr. Jekill‘. ‘Presente‘, now a big classic, is a beautiful ballad with superb lyrics (about how ephemeral life is, thus the importance of ‘‘living the present time’‘).

'Caliente', their excellent first album, followed. This LP included rock & blues numbers such as ‘Reflejos‘, ‘Cuero‘, ‘Compulsión‘ and ‘Total qué’ along with some soul-rock,’No es por falta de suerte‘ and great ballads like the aforementioned ‘Presente‘ and ‘Canción para una mujer (que no está)‘, the latter also released as a single (wikipedia).