21 Japonesas was a Spanish pop rock group formed in 1987 in Donostia. The band originally consisted of Txetxo Bengoetxea, Luis Camino, and Alfredo Beristain. Their debut studio album, Donde ríen los locos, was released in 1987 and introduced a fusion of pop and rock with pseudo-African rhythms. This style continued in the 1989 follow-up, Hombre de la selva, before shifting toward a more conventional sound with the 1990 release El paso del tiempo. Following the death of Beristain in 1991, the ensemble released its most successful work, El mercado del placer, in 1992. The record featured the classic tracks “Lágrimas de cristal” and “Mi vida es mía”, alongside “Vuelve a llamar”, a tribute to Beristain. Camino left the group after this release, and Bengoetxea led the band through its final studio efforts, Fuego dulce and the 1997 electronic-influenced versioning project Cerca del aire. The group disbanded in 1997, and Bengoetxea subsequently launched a solo career.
