Argentine Artistry

Many years ago when he was a long-haired hippie living in his native Argentina, Guillermo Bordarampe was a famous rock star. From the late 1960s to the mid-’70s, the bass player was a member of Arco Iris, one of the first home-grown rock groups to achieve mass popularity in South America.

Combining the influence of British and American rock with Argentine folklore, the group released a number of best-selling albums and played sold-out shows in some of its country’s largest venues.

“Arco Iris was like the South American version of Pink Floyd,” Bordarampe, 49, said recently. “But we were far from being your average rock stars. We studied Eastern philosophy and practiced yoga.”

The group’s original lineup broke up in 1975. All its members now reside in Southern California. One, guitarist-songwriter Gustavo Santaolalla, has become a prestigious producer in the burgeoning field of rock en espanol.

Bordarampe left Arco Iris in 1982 after the group moved to Los Angeles.

“After my last gig with the band, I found myself in a parking lot at 2 in the morning, with $5 in my pocket and no place to go,” he recalled. “I called a guitar student of mine and asked her if she would let me spend the night at her place. I’m happy I called her because today that student is my wife and the mother of our 16-year-old daughter.”

True to his craft, the musician continues to write and record music through his own label, Pachamama Music (https://www.pachamamamusic.com). He works a day job as a court interpreter.

His latest release, “Ultimo Mate,” combines the rustic flavor of Andean music with the gutsy energy of rock, the meditative quality of new age and the melancholic mood of tango.

The record was named for mate, a popular Argentine drink that provides an excuse for family and friends to get together and philosophize about life.

Bordarampe sells his records through the Internet. He also uses the Pachamama label to produce and release the works of other artists, such as the Andean ensemble Inca and Chilean flute player Ulises Pineda.

“By the time I left Arco Iris, the group had become more of a jazz fusion outfit than anything else,” he said. “And I was still craving to explore the roots of South American music, like Peruvian and Afro-Latin folklore. My solo career has allowed me to do that.”