There was a time when Lino Nava was seen everywhere. Red carpets, music festivals, movies, concerts, SACM meals and even cheering up José José in a video.
His position as a guitarist, composer and essential element of national rock put him everywhere, but it was his talent and incredible charisma that made him stay physically until May 7…and he will prevail for eternity and in memory collective thanks to what his strings did with La Lupita and other bands since the 90s.
Nava got along well with everyone. He came into the world on December 25, 1968 in Mexico City, so it was no coincidence that, in his own way and with the music he made with La Lupita, he captured part of the social reality of Mexico and became involved with lineups such as Phobia, Caifanes and Café Tacvba.
Your smile and your guitar hug us and give us comfort. All the light on your path, brother,” were the words that Saúl Hernández, Caifanes vocalist, dedicated to Lino through his X account after his death on Tuesday.
We will survive as a memory in others, for as long as they become a memory in turn… good way my dear Lino…” wrote Rubén Albarrán on his Facebook account.
Since 2019, Nava faced a cancerous brain tumor. For three years, the guitarist underwent five surgeries, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but this process did not make him lower his guard; on the contrary, he kept his good attitude and charisma intact.
Hello! Last night I was given incredible news, after two and a half years, five surgeries, months of chemo, radiation and more, I am cancer free! Yeahhhh! “Long live life!”, He shared on his X account in 2021. His dog accompanied him in that emotional postcard.
The process to get to that post was not easy at all. Lino saw his health diminished by the treatments and had to retire from the stage for a while, finding refuge and healing in music, his eternal ally in this and the other dimension.
After harsh treatment to combat cancer, the musician partially lost vision in both eyes. In one, about 80 percent, 40 in the other, he shared on several occasions.
Being a hard psychological blow, he took refuge in the composition of several songs for the album Tormenta, the last one he released under the name of the group La Lupita that since 1989 he shared with Héctor Quijada who, by the way, asked Excelsior for a few days to to be able to react after the death of his right hand, friend and confidant. And he respected his right.
Rock is absolutely invincible. Therefore, when I came out of cancer, the first thing I did was make this album with Héctor, being an opportunity to celebrate 30 years of love with the group,” she said at a press conference.
After the diagnosis, Lino could not waste any more time and to celebrate three decades he also launched a concert at the Teatro Metropólitan and Vive Latino to promote Tormenta.
“I think that music is completely therapeutic and healing, every time you wake up and play a song it changes your perspective on life, whatever the music is, it changes your energy, it transforms molecules and it’s wonderful, the most amazing medicine is called music and it’s Completely sure.
“30 years with Héctor, is nothing more than a celebration of love and rock, because rock has a kind of family curse or family blessing, I remember when my dad played me a Beatles album, at that moment he injected me with a wonderful poison that continues and will continue. At La Lupita we have the joy of receiving entire families at our concerts because music does not choose ages, it is not like at the airport, here the passport is your heart, the ear is family communication,” he said in the same meeting with the media.
It was with La Lupita that he came under the spotlight, but before Paquita disco, Contrabando y Traicion and El País de la Lujuria, Lino was already involved in the world of music. From kid.
In high school he wrote his first songs, but he took music more seriously when he studied the Spickatto technique for guitar with Héctor Castañón. Upon entering the Faculty of Political Sciences at UNAM, he joined Raxas, the heavy metal band with which he recorded Presencia, in 1988, and they became the opening act for Black Sabbath during a concert they gave in León, Guanajuato.
“Rest in peace to my friend and former bandmate, Lino Nava. great person and musician. I share a live version of a song that we played 35 years ago, when we were metal musicians. a hug, friend, good trip. and a thousand living memories,” wrote Fernando Benítez, a member of Raxas, in his X account.
After his time in Raxas, Nava also played with Kenny and Los Eléctricos. In 1991 he founded La Lupita and the rest is history, which is complemented by Recolector, a band he put together with Tony Almont (Toque Profundo), Frank Ferrer (Guns N’ Roses) and Rusty Anderson (Paul McCartney’s guitarist).
And like a good artist who could not sit still, his talent was not limited to the stage and extended to cinema, where he participated in the composition of soundtracks such as Six Days in the Dark, Kilometer 31, Rudo y Cursy, Mordidas and Los unusual catfish.
His wife announced that on May 3 he relapsed, was hospitalized and, finally, last Tuesday he died.
Lino left peacefully before 10:00 p.m. and, according to Chava Rock, several friends managed to see him and say goodbye to him.
HIS CAREER
Lino Nava made six studio albums with La Lupita.
He directed the video for Arre, the single in which La Lupita plays with the Mexican regional.
He has a repertoire of 94 songs in the Society of Authors and Composers of Mexico.
He was the producer of Amandititita’s first album.
In 2007, he produced the entrance sequence for the MTV Latin America Awards.
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