Arco Iris

Argentinian progressive rock group founded in 1968 in the Greater Buenos Aires.
The band was founded by guitarist [a=Gustavo Santaolalla], with [a=Ara Tokatlian] on flute and wind instruments, [a=Alberto Cascino] on drums, and [a=Guillermo Bordarampé] on bass.

They released a couple of singles in the late 60s, and then met and befriended [a=Danais Wynnycka], who taught them about communitarian life.
The group would then release their first LP: [b]Arco Iris[/b] (1970) followed by [b]Tiempo de Resurrección[/b] (1972).
After that, Cascino quit because he didn't agree with the new lifestyle of the band, being replaced by [a=Horacio Gianello].
After releasing their third album, 1972's [b]Sudamérica o el Regreso a la Aurora[/b] (a double rock opera) and [b]Inti-Raymi[/b], Arco Iris produced their most progressive output: [b]Agitor Lucens V[/b] (1975), though Santoalalla and Gianello left the group after this release and founded [a3541246].

The band scored the hit single [i]Manaña Campestre[/i] in 1971, and kept releasing albums -often mixing prog rock with South American folk- until 1977, when Ara and Dana left Argentina soon after releasing [b]Los Elementales[/b] to live in California, USA.
Together with [a=Hartt Stearns] and several artists, the group kept touring and releasing folk and new age oriented cassettes and LPs. Danais passed away in 2003, putting the group in a short hiatus, but they have since reunited and released another album.