Kumari Shreya
Created by John Paul Kolodziej, Netflix’s ‘El Amor Después Del Amor,’ AKA ‘Love After Music,’ is an Argentinian show focused on singer Rodolfo Páez Ávalos, who is better known by the name Fito Páez. The series runs parallel storylines focusing on Fito’s younger years as well as his formative years as a musician. The emotional and professional turmoil faced by the artists during some of the most turbulent times in Argentina compels the viewers to watch the series from the start to the end. However, many cannot help but wonder just how much of the on-screen events are based on actual real-life happenings.
Love After Music: Rooted in Fito Paez’s True Story
Yes, ‘Love After Music’ is based on a true story. Most of the facts and dates in the series are indeed taken straight from Fito’s life during his formative years, though an argument can be made that some of the events in the show seem to be dramatic recreations of what might have happened. However, one of the biggest reasons behind the authenticity of the show is the involvement of Fito Paez as an Executive Producer. The singer took up the project during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the series was confirmed by Netflix in February 2021.
There are several key moments in the show that are either matters of public record or have been shared by Fito himself before the show came to be. For example, the incident where the musician was asked to leave his music teacher’s lessons due to his myopia is something that Fito himself shared in an interview in the past. Additionally, the complexities of his relationship with his first girlfriend, Fabiana Cantilo, seem accurate to real life.
Both Fito and Fabiana have been vocal about how much they leaned on each other while they were together but have also admitted that they often brought out the worst in each other. Similar to the show, Fito stated that he thought Fabiana was the most beautiful woman in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was his muse. They two indeed met when Fito was called to be a part of Charly García’s band and soon got together.
One of the most pivotal incidents during Fito’s early life was the murders of his grandmother, Delma Zulema Ramírez de Páez, and great-aunt, Josefa Páez, on November 7, 1986. the violent tragedy impacted shook the musician who was at the time in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. As seen in the show, Fito has admitted to trashing his hotel room in rage and grief, stating that he barely remembers the day after he received the news.
Until the case in question was solved, there were many who suspected that the deaths might be related to Fito’s apparent drug abuse, especially since two bags of marijuana were found in the house. The grief, combined with the fact that many thought the musician was responsible for the incident, led to a very dark time in his life. When it was revealed that the killings were done by a frustrated bass player Walter De Giusti, who was a former schoolmate of Fito and had joined law enforcement after the murders, the artist could not help but be gripped by conflicting emotions, leading the creation of “City of Poor Hearts.”
In the show, we also get to know the details of Margarita Ávalos, Fito’s mother. The last in question was herself, a concert pianist who passed on her musical skills to her son. Unfortunately, she passed away when Fito was only eight months old. The show states that the reason behind her unfortunate demise was a hydatidiform mole turning cancerous. This is in contrast to the widely believed idea that Margarita passed away due to liver cancer, though Fito’s own involvement in the show leads us to be more inclined to believe the former as truth.
There are many personal details in ‘Love After Music’ that are not as easily verifiable as one might think. However, Fito’s own involvement in the show gives it a sense of legitimacy that the events we get to see on the screen are at least true to what the musician and his loved ones recall. This, combined with the show following the established facts, is one of the biggest reasons why it is easy to grasp that the series is as legitimate as one might expect.
Read More: Where is Netflix’s Love After Music Filmed?
