Grupo Pegasso

Pegasso was formed in 1979 in Cerralvo, Nuevo Leon, Mexico by Federico “el Pollo” Estevan (guitar player and musical director of the band), after he left his previous band, Renacimiento 74. Mr. Estevan recluted the first band members: Juan Antonio Espinoza (1st Voice), Hector Olavarrieta (Keyboards), Felix Iniguez (Percussions), Jose Santos Rdz (Bass Electrico), and Jorge Puig (Drums), and recorded their first album, "Paloma". After the album, the band starts to perform live, and they move to Texas to start their first tour, which leads them to Dallas, Texas.

Pegasso's second album, Se Tambalea ("It Stumbles"), was released in 1982 in Mexico and the United States. This album received recognition due to its distinctive synthesizer and guitar riffs.

Pegasso's third album, El No Te Quiere ("He Doesn't Love You") was released in 1983. By this time, Garza and Camacho had left and were replaced by new members Marco Vinicio (drums) and Reynaldo Flores (synthesizers). Reynaldo Flores would go on to gain acclaim and fame as a keyboardist. In 1985, Emilio Reyna and the rest of the band, except Federico Estevan, decided to leave the band after being talked into signing with a new record label and management in Houston, Texas. Estevan was faced with the task of obtaining new band members to continue playing as Pegasso. During this time, Emilio Reyna was also using the name Pegasso and Estevan was forced to use the name "Pegasso del Pollo Estevan" since Emilio Reyna kept using the name “Pegasso” even after leaving the original band. Federico Estevan decided to take the band’s name to court and defend the name he created. The battle lasted for about 10 years and Estevan eventually won with the new members, Juan Antonio Espinoza (vocalist) being one of them. Emilio Reyna was forced to change his band’s name and decided to call it "El Pega Pega de Emilio Reyna".

Pegasso's arrangements featured organ melodies on the ionian mode scales, which were played using both hands in parallel and in the 10th interval motion between the left and right hand notes. The Hammond B200 organ melodies were played in combination with the piano melody in the montuno style, popular in salsa music. Fundamental blues scales, as well as augmented triad, augmented fifth and dominant seventh chords also feature prominently. Pegasso also performed the style's unique "repiqueteo" technique, that can be found in some Jazz and Salsa music improvisations.

In 1984, The fourth album Amor vendido (Sold love) was the first album cover with Reynaldo Flores and Marco Vinicio. Even though they helped during production of the third album El No Te Quiere, they did not make it onto the album cover.

In 1985, after releasing the album Como una estrella ("Like a star"), the band split, leaving Federico Estevan solo. Pegasso continued to use the original sound that started it all: the Hammond B200 and the Hammond B300, used to record every album that the band released. Also, they added to the "Pegasso" style pop music, such as their hits: "La Duda" (“The Doubt”), "El Talisman" (The Talisman), "De Vacaciones" (“On Vacation”), "Y tu como si nada" (“And You Like Nothing”) and "Siete Primaveras" (“Seven Springs”). Pegasso introduced the "Ensonique Mirage", "Miame Brass" sounds/HI-SLIDE effect and natural violins combined with electric pianos in the background and gave some of their songs a real orchestral feeling. They also interpreted classic light rock such as: "Esa vez llore" and "El ultimo beso". These two styles inspired other bands to follow Pegasso's footsteps, such bands being: Grupo Liberación, Toppaz, Los Temerarios, and many others. The original vocalist, Juan Antonio Espinoza, had returned once again for Grupo Pegasso in 1986 by choice of Federico Estevan. Juan Antonio's strong and melodic, high-pitch, vibrato voice and smooth dancing on stage while singing set a standard and gave the distinction from that of Emilio Reyna's simple, yet light-tone voice.

The musical structure in this band did not change much from its origins. One of the differences in style to that of Grupo Pegasso is the Hammond B200 and B300 (organ sounds, piano, violins), as opposed to the Technics SX-C600 used by El Pega Pega. For their electric-piano arrangements in their songs, Pegasso had originally used the Hammond piano and started using the Yamaha DX7 for piano in 1988, which became a very popular synthesizer with many bands throughout the world.

El Pega Pega de Emilio Reyna began using the Technics SX-C600 organ model (samples from the original Hammond organs) and gave it embellishment of the organ and piano arrangements in the songs and adding more to the upbeat.

ALBUMS DE ESTUDIO

• Los Dos Amantes (1981)
• Se Tambalea (1982)
• Él No Te Quiere (1983)
• Amor Vendido (1984)
• Como Una Estrella (1985)
• Andariego (1986)
• Amor Fingido (1987)
• Enamorado (1988)
• Adolecente Y Bonita (1989)
• A La Luna (1990)
• Pesadilla (1991)
• En Pleno Vuelo (1992)
• Dejando Huellas (1993)
• Cristalino Y Brillante (1994)
• Niña Preciosa (1995)
• Cosas Del Amor (1996)
• Sentir Y Fantasia (1997)
• Un Poco De Tiempo (1998)
• Como Duele (1999)
• Recordando Al Super Estrella (2000)
• Mi Angel (2001)
• Niña (2002)
• Enamorado Estoy (2003)
• Vol. XXIV (2004)
• No Llores...Mi Niña (2005)

In 1988, Roberto Benavidez (manager) and Miguel A. Quiroz left Pegasso. Benavidez had a fatal accident in the San Antonio area.

Also in 1988, Juan Antonio Espinoza betrayed Federico Estevan for the second time by accepting an offer from DMY Records to finish an album that Pegasso left pending, due to contract issues between Federico Estevan and DMY Records. Juan Espinoza formed another Pegasso and finished the album titled Muchas Razones for DMY Records. Federico Estevan was tipped off by a reliable source and took care of business as usual, in a legal matter, and fired Juan A. Espinoza on the spot, and his services were not requested ever again.

The two bands continued to have the fundamental style, yet each took it to a separate level giving each an identifiable style. The rhythm continued to be lively and danceable to the beat. The style has kept its syncopated beat on the electric bass guitar against the drum's hi-hat. The congas, cowbell (cencero), güiro and drums, especially the introduction of the Simmons SDS8 electrical drums, have been essential to this musical style.

Federico "El Pollo" Estevan has been touring in Mexico and the United States, celebrating the 30th anniversary of his Grupo Pegasso with an album release which contains newly released tracks with the hit "Con tu adios" (With Your Goodbye), "Dos Tequilas" (Two Tequilas) and The Beatles hit "Till There Was You" (Siempre Te Amare - "Always Loving You").

Emilio Reyna, with Pega Pega, also edited new musical productions: "No Llores Mi Niña" (Don’t Cry My Girl, 2007), "Me haces falta" (I Miss You, 2009), and "Cosas del Amor" (Things of Love, 2009) which is considered to be the best example of the new age of Cumbia Pegassera.

• "Official website" (in Spanish). Grupo Pegasso. Retrieved 23 July 2012.