Soda Stereo

This Argentinean rock band was among the first to incorporate New Wave, Ska, Industrial, and Noise Pop into a Latin sound. Emerging from the dark period of dictatorship in their homeland, Soda Stereo toured extensively throughout all of Latin America in the 1980s. This continually evolving trio (bassist, drummer and guitarist/singer) absorbed many sounds from the popular underground movements of the day, but never imitated other groups in a formulaic manner; they maintained their dark and brooding side, while still occasionally showcasing a certain silliness. Working with David Bowie's guitarist Carlos Alomar on their fifth album Doble Vida, they introduced a horn-laden, Soul-influenced sound that ultimately reached an American audience. In the '90s, Soda Stereo performed to a crowd of 250,000 in the streets of Buenos Aires, but by 1997 they had decided to disband. The group reunited to play sold-out shows in 2007; in 2010, Cerati suffered a stroke that left him in a coma.