Los Saicos were a garage rock band from Lima, Peru. Formed in 1964, the band is considered to be an important forebear to the punk rock movement, featuring many of the musical traits that would later become associated with the genre. They were also notable for being the first South American rock band to record exclusively their own material. The band consisted of singer and guitarist Erwin Flores, drummer Francisco Guevara, lead guitarist Roland Carpio, and bassist/vocalist César Castrillón. The group was originally named Los Sádicos but dropped the “d” to become Los Saicos. After playing local venues, the group started developing a following and attracted the attention of record label DisPerú after an appearance on popular TV show El Show del Diana in 1965. They released a single featuring the songs “Come On” and “Ana,” which was a big success in Peru. Later that year, Los Saicos released “Demolición,” one of the biggest radio hits of the year. In 1966, the group signed to the larger IEMPSA label, with whom they released the single “Besando a Otra/Intensamente.” However, the group’s popularity began to fade in the late 60s, and they decided to break up. With the years, the group became known as one of the most influential bands in Peruvian music history. The surviving members reunited in the 2000s and 2010s, and they were the subject of the documentary film Saicomania.
