21 Japonesas

Spanish group from San Sebastian formed by Txentxo Bengoetxea (guitar, bass and vocals), Luis Camino (percussión) and Alfredo Beristain (guitar) who, in the late 80s, burst onto the Spanish music scene with "Donde Ríen los Locos" (NOLA, 1987), an original and surprising pop album with a rather notable African influence; something definitely unusual in Spanish scene.This album would be followed by "Hombre de la Selva" (NOLA, 1989). The band was perhaps at its best, and Chris Blackwell, head of Island Records (Cat Stevens, Bob Marley), took notice of them. However, the joy was short-lived: the separation of Alfredo Beristáin and his subsequent death in 1991, was possibly the biggest setback suffered by the band, which recorded in London their third album, "El Paso Del Tiempo" (Island, 1990). This album gave them a certain international projection, although it was never a mass group.

The sound of the group began to show symptoms of exhaustion and after the edition of a compilation, "Antología" (NOLA, 1991), came in 1992 "El Mercado del Placer" (WEA, 1992), much more conventional and after which Luis Camino left the formation, passing 21 Japanese trio to Txentxo's own personal project, who would sign "Fuego Dulce" (WEA, 1994).
Before the final goodbye, Txentxo would release a compilation - "Cerca del Aire (1988-2018)" (WEA, 2003) -, where he covered some of the most important songs in the group's career, and immediately afterwards began a solo career.