Fito Paez

• Genre: Latin Rock

About

A prolific songwriter, arranger, pianist and filmmaker, Fito Paez joined the second wave of Argentinean rock in the 1970s. He put his first band, Staff, together in 1976 when he was just 13 years old. Staff didn't last, and it was followed by El Banquete in 1977, but Paez really hit the jackpot in 1984, when he released his first solo album, Del '63. That album gained him attention from music heavyweights and a substantial following that only grew with the release of 1985's Giros. By this time, Paez was widely acknowledged as one of Argentina's leading songwriters. His work took a dark turn after the assassination of his aunt and grandmother: both Ciudad De Los Pobres Corazones and Tercer Mundo explored difficult political themes. El Amor Despues del Amor, from 1992, was arguably his most successful work; in recent years Paez has interspersed other pursuits with his music-making.

- Sarah Bardeen