Abuela Coca, a Uruguayan rock group founded in Montevideo in 1991, emerged from a fusion of rock, reggae, rap, ska, salsa, jazz, and candombe, a blend the band calls “tuco.” The initial lineup, featuring Alfredo “Chole” Gianotti on vocals and guitar, Fernando Rodríguez on percussion, Javier Bonga on saxophone, and Omar Santiago on bass, performed their first live show in mid‑1991, later adding Eduardo Risso and Eduardo “Chancha” Elissalde. Their debut studio album, Abuela Coca, was released in 1996, followed by Después Te Explico in 1998, which achieved gold status in Uruguay and earned the 1999 Iris Award from El País. Subsequent releases-El Ritmo del Barrio (2001), El Cuarto de la Abuela (2006), Vos (2010), 20 Años (2012), and 25 Años (2018)-were accompanied by extensive tours across Argentina, Brazil, Europe, and Cuba, and collaborations with artists such as Rubén Rada and BNegão. The band announced its disbandment in November 2018, concluding with farewell concerts at the Museo del Carnaval.
