Gustavo Cerati: Godfather of Latin Rock dies
Rock en Español legend Gustavo Cerati died at age 55 Thursday, dealing a blow to the musical world that had been monitoring his precarious health…
Gustavo Cerati died at the age of 55 on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2014, according to the singer’s family. Cerati had been in a coma since May 15, 2010 when he suffered a stroke following a performance in Caracas, Venezuela. (AP Photo/Jeff Christensen, File)
Rock en Español legend Gustavo Cerati died at age 55 Thursday, dealing a blow to the musical world that had been monitoring his precarious health in recent years.
The Argentine rock star died four years after a stroke put him in a coma, following a May 2010 performance in Venezuela.
Cerati performs at the “Vive Latino” music festival at the Foro Sol, in Mexico City. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo, File)
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The death was reported in a statement by his family Thursday on his official Facebook page.
The Argentine rock band Soda Stereo, for which Cerati was the lead singer, was one of the most influential in Latin America in the 1980s and 1990s, paving the way for what became the Rock en Español movement for many other bands to come.
As a devoted fan myself?who discovered her love for Spanish Rock because of Soda Stereo and who learned to cope with personal problems thanks to Cerati’s lyrics?it’s definitely a sad day.
On behalf of your loyal fans, thank you –or as you once said after singing “Musica Ligera,” “Gracias Totales!”– for leaving behind an immense and incredible legacy.
A legacy that from this day on lives in the CD and DVD collections of many around the world.
As family, friends, colleagues and fans grieve, it’s only fair to cope with one of your best lyric to date:
“Poder decir adios es crecer” (Being able to say goodbye, is being able to grow).
Rest in peace, Gustavo, my eternal idol.
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The Associated Press Contributed to this story.
