Overview
Original Members: Javier Avellaneda (Leading Voice), Fernando Batoni (Bass), Pedro Romero (Guitar), Ernesto Rodríguez (Drums).
Final Members: Carlos Segura (Vocals, Coros, Percussion), Cesar Domínguez (Drums), Jaime Verdaguer (Fender Rhodes), Fernando Batoni (Guitar), Jesús Piñango (Tambourine), Hilda Carmona, Álvaro Segura (Coros), Korg Synthesizer (Keyboards, Guitar), Manuel Barrios (Saxophone), Diego Marquez (Mixing), Mauricio Arcas (Percussion), Juan Bautista López (Coros, Vocals, Guitar).
Zapato 3 was founded in early 1984 by a group of students from Santiago de León de Caracas High School, Originally formed by Javier Avellaneda as leading voice and guitars, Fernando Batoni in bass, Pedro Romero in guitars, and Ernesto Rodríguez in the drums. These students got together to form what would be the first generation of the band, later on the years, Ingrid Dreissing entered the band to take over the vocal leading role, Consecutively, Ernesto Rodríguez left the band opening the doors for José Félix Avellaneda to take over the drums responsibility. Some rumors suggested that Rodríguez had left the band due to a conflictive relation with Dreissing, regardless, Dreissing left the band not too long after, opening a gap of vocals inconsistency in the group.
Finally, Javier Avellaneda decided to take over the role of leading voice of the band. As this is considered somewhat a lengthy beginning in the band it is also obvious the different musical approaches and influences in the group itself. It was a good opportunitty to define the genre the would develop themselves into. During the changes of vocal members, it was obvious the punk influence they were under, Eventually, new changes brought Diego Marquez in the drums -who would later on be substituted by Mauricio Cepeda- at this point they were a more social-oriented- lyrics band. The last significant change in the members of the band before reaching somewhat some members stability was the addition to the group in 1988 of Jorge Ramirez in the guitars later on substituted by Álvaro Segura. Pass this point the group had advertised themselves as a three men band, formed by Fernando Batoni (bass), Javier Avellaneda (voice) and Álvaro Segura (guitars). They decided to function without a steady drummer by using an electronic drum kit. Changes were not over: by late 1988, Javier Avellaneda left the band to have Carlos Segura take over the vocal role and announced the re-incorporation of Diego Márquez in the drums. After this change, it was obvious the band had already lost some of the underground following that had developed in the local scene. Nevertheless this was by far the most stable point of the group in terms of band members.
By 1989, Zapato 3 was on its way of becoming a national musical success. Its style had gone from punk to social-oriented to a much cleaner rock with some sexual lyrics. By then their first album "Amor, Furia y Languidez" (1990) was finally edited which would include tunes that would become some of the most characteristics of the band.
The band became a national recognized group by opening the stage for more rounded groups in several concerts across the country, one of the most remembered was the opening to Soda Stereo in their 1990 Caracas concert.
Their second album "Bésame y Suicídate" (1991) consolidated Zapato 3, giving them some international projection. By 1994 their new release "Separación" brought new changes with Diego Marquez leaving the band, being substituted by Rafael Cadavieco and also the incorporation of Jaime Verdague in keyboards. Not only they changed band members but also style, becoming more of techno group. This consistency kept on until the release of their 1995 album "Cápsula Para Volar" but for the following album "Ecos Punzantes del Ayer" (1999) Rafael Cadavieco left the band to give a chance to César Domínguez in the drums. By 1995 the band had already gone all over Venezuela, have had over five concerts in Mexico and by 1997 had played in cities like Miami with bands like Soda Stereo, La Unión and other Venezuelan bands, such as, Desorden Público, Sentimiento Muerto, La Misma Gente, Seguridad Nacional, Aditus, Radio Clip, and Feedback. In 1999 the group's biography was edited, written by Eugenio Miranda by the title: "Zapato 3: Una Fantastica Historia de Amor y Aventura", some of their CDs can be found in websites such as Ebay, Amazon.com, CD Now, Universe.com, among others. The band's rupture came after their 1999 release of "Ecos Punzantes del Ayer"
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