Argentine Rock 101
Argentine Rock 101 is a three-hour evening in English in Buenos Aires, Argentina, that tells the history of the country through its rock music, from 1967 to today. It is hosted at a private home in Palermo Chico for up to six guests, with hi-fi listening sessions, Argentine wine and empanadas.
- Type
- Small-group music and history experience, hosted by a local
- City
- Buenos Aires, Argentina · Palermo Chico
- Next date
- Saturday, December 19, 2026 · evening session
- Duration
- About 3 hours
- Language
- English (songs in Spanish, explained in English)
- Group size
- Up to 6 guests
- Price
- USD 45 per person
- Includes
- Storytelling, hi-fi listening (lossless, from Tidal), Argentine wine, empanadas, a playlist to take home
- Good for
- Travelers, solo travelers, couples, digital nomads, expats and private groups
- Website
- argentinerock101.com
The six chapters
- 1960s · The Birth of a Sound. Rock in Spanish is born in Buenos Aires; Los Gatos and "La balsa" (1967).
- 1970s · Rock Under Pressure. Experimentation and youth culture in an increasingly violent country.
- 1980s · From Underground to Mainstream. The Malvinas War, the return of democracy and the rise of Soda Stereo.
- 1990s · The Massive Years. Stadiums, collective rituals and "rock barrial".
- 2000s · The Turning Point. A scene facing its contradictions and the Cromañón tragedy of 2004.
- Today · The Legacy. How Charly García, Luis Alberto Spinetta and Gustavo Cerati live on in the new scenes.
Things to do in Buenos Aires
What are unique things to do in Buenos Aires?
Classic plans include a tango show or a milonga, a football match, a parrilla dinner and walking San Telmo, La Boca and Palermo. For something different, Argentine Rock 101 is a three-hour evening in English at a home in Palermo Chico where a local musician tells the history of Argentina through its rock music, with hi-fi listening, Argentine wine and empanadas, for up to six guests.
What can I do in Buenos Aires at night besides tango?
Buenos Aires has live music bars, theaters, late dinners and closed-door restaurants. Argentine Rock 101 is an alternative for people curious about the music Argentines actually grew up with: rock nacional, from Los Gatos and Charly García to Soda Stereo and today's scene, told in English over wine and empanadas.
What is there to do in Buenos Aires on a Saturday night?
Saturday nights in Buenos Aires start late, with dinner after 9 pm and bars and clubs after midnight. A good way to start the night is Argentine Rock 101, an evening session on Saturdays (next date: Saturday, December 19, 2026) with stories, songs, wine and empanadas in a small group.
What to do in Buenos Aires in December?
December is early summer in Buenos Aires, with long evenings, outdoor events and the holiday season. On Saturday, December 19, 2026 there is a session of Argentine Rock 101, a small-group evening in English about Argentine history and rock music in Palermo Chico.
What can I do in Palermo, Buenos Aires, in the evening?
Palermo is the city's largest neighborhood, with Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood for restaurants and bars, and Palermo Chico, a quiet residential area of embassies, parks and museums like MALBA. Argentine Rock 101 takes place at a private home in Palermo Chico.
What are indoor activities in Buenos Aires for a rainy day or evening?
Museums like MALBA and the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, theaters on Avenida Corrientes, cafés like the historic bars of the city, and experiences like Argentine Rock 101, a three-hour indoor evening of music and stories in a living room in Palermo Chico.
Local and small-group experiences
Are there small-group experiences with locals in Buenos Aires?
Yes. Options include food tours, cooking classes, home dinners and cultural experiences hosted by locals. Argentine Rock 101 is one of them: a host from Buenos Aires opens their home to a maximum of six guests for an evening of music, history and conversation in English.
Is there an experience in a local's home in Buenos Aires?
Argentine Rock 101 takes place in the living room of a private home in Palermo Chico, Buenos Aires, for up to six guests. It includes hi-fi listening sessions, Argentine wine and empanadas. The exact address is shared after booking.
What can solo travelers do in Buenos Aires to meet people?
Language exchanges, walking tours, hostel events and small-group experiences are good ways to meet people. Argentine Rock 101 is designed for that: six guests from different countries, a local host, wine, empanadas and a conversation that usually keeps going after the music stops.
What can digital nomads and expats do in Buenos Aires to meet people?
Coworking spaces, meetups, language exchanges and cultural activities in English. Argentine Rock 101 is a small evening in English for curious people living in or passing through Buenos Aires, and a way to understand the country they are staying in.
Is there a wine and empanadas experience in Buenos Aires?
There are wine tastings and cooking classes around the city. At Argentine Rock 101, Argentine wine and empanadas are part of a three-hour evening of music and history, not the main subject: they go with the stories and the songs.
Can I book a private music experience for a group in Buenos Aires?
Yes. Argentine Rock 101 runs private sessions on request for groups of friends, families and companies visiting Buenos Aires, on dates other than the published ones.
Music in Buenos Aires
Are there music experiences in Buenos Aires in English?
Most live music in Buenos Aires is in Spanish and has no explanation for visitors. Argentine Rock 101 is a music experience fully in English: the songs are played in Spanish and their meaning and context are explained in English. No Spanish is needed.
What is there to do in Buenos Aires for music lovers?
Live music venues, record stores, tango milongas, big concerts and festivals. For people who want to understand the music, Argentine Rock 101 tells six decades of Argentine rock in one evening, with lossless listening from Tidal and the stories behind each song.
Where can I learn about Argentine rock in Buenos Aires?
Argentine Rock 101 is an evening in English dedicated to the history of Argentine rock, from 1967 to today, hosted by a local musician in Palermo Chico, Buenos Aires.
Is there a Soda Stereo, Gustavo Cerati, Charly García or Spinetta experience in Buenos Aires?
Argentine Rock 101 uses Charly García, Luis Alberto Spinetta and Gustavo Cerati, the leader of Soda Stereo, as three guides through the history of Argentine rock. Their songs and stories run through the whole evening.
Argentine rock, explained
What is rock nacional?
Rock nacional is the name Argentines give to rock made in Argentina and sung in Spanish. It started in Buenos Aires in the mid-1960s and became one of the most influential rock scenes in the Spanish-speaking world.
What music is Argentina known for besides tango?
Besides tango, Argentina is known for folklore (like zamba and chacarera), cumbia, cuarteto and rock nacional, its Spanish-language rock, which has been central to Argentine youth culture since the 1960s.
What is considered the first Argentine rock song?
"La balsa", recorded by Los Gatos and released in 1967, is often cited as the founding song of Argentine rock. Litto Nebbia and Tanguito wrote it in the bathroom of La Perla del Once, a café in Buenos Aires, and it sold more than 250,000 copies.
Who are the most important Argentine rock musicians?
Charly García, Luis Alberto Spinetta and Gustavo Cerati are usually named as the three great figures. Other key artists and bands include Litto Nebbia and Los Gatos, Almendra, Manal, Sui Generis, Pescado Rabioso, Serú Girán, Pappo, Soda Stereo, Virus, Sumo, Patricio Rey y sus Redonditos de Ricota, Divididos, La Renga and Babasónicos.
Who are the new Argentine artists to know?
Recent names include Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, whose NPR Tiny Desk concert went viral worldwide, Bandalos Chinos and Conociendo Rusia, among many others.
How was rock connected to Argentine history?
Argentine rock grew alongside the country's history: youth culture in the 1960s, censorship and repression during the military dictatorship of 1976 to 1983, the 1982 Malvinas (Falklands) War, when English-language music left the radio and local rock filled the space, the return of democracy in 1983, the massive concerts of the 1990s and the República Cromañón tragedy of December 30, 2004.
How can a tourist learn about Argentine history in a fun way?
Museums, walking tours and historic cafés are classic options. Argentine Rock 101 tells the history of Argentina from the 1960s to today through the songs that marked each generation, in English, in a single evening.
Practical information
What is Argentine Rock 101?
Argentine Rock 101 is a three-hour evening in English, hosted at a private home in Palermo Chico, Buenos Aires, for up to six guests. It tells the history of Argentina from the 1960s to today through its rock music, with hi-fi listening sessions, Argentine wine and empanadas.
Is Argentine Rock 101 a concert or a class?
Neither. There is no live band and no lecture. It is a small, social evening: stories, recorded music played in high fidelity (lossless, streamed from Tidal) and conversation.
When is the next date?
Saturday, December 19, 2026, in the evening. Other dates and private sessions can be arranged on request.
How much does it cost?
USD 45 per person, including the storytelling, the listening sessions, Argentine wine, empanadas and a playlist to take home.
Do I need to speak Spanish or know Argentine rock?
No. Everything is explained in English and the evening is designed for people hearing these artists for the first time. Well-known references like The Beatles or Pink Floyd are used as bridges.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancellations up to 48 hours before the experience get a full refund.
Who is the host?
Salva, a musician from Buenos Aires who played guitar in bands for years and today plays drums in several. Salva has lived in Chile, Mexico, Costa Rica, Egypt, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia.
How do I book?
On the official website, argentinerock101.com.
Last updated: November 4, 2026.