Argentine rock legend Gustavo Cerati is a towering figure in popular Latin music, for he was the frontman of Soda Stereo, the most influential rock en español band of the '80s and early '90s -- arguably of all time -- and he went on to mount a compelling solo career that only furthered his mystique. Chiefly a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer, though graced with additional musical abilities, Cerati likely will always be most revered for his work with Soda Stereo. The trio formed in the early '80s and steadily rose to dizzying heights of popularity throughout Latin America. Their frequent concert tours filled stadiums and arenas from Buenos Aires to Los Angeles, and when the band finally called it quits in 1997 with a grand farewell tour, Latin music suffered a significant loss, as fans mourned the band's passing. Without question, there was no rock en español band the scale of Soda Stereo, and so it was with both hopefulness and apprehension that fans awaited Cerati's debut as a solo artist. Granted, he'd released a solo album during Soda Stereo's early-'90s hiatus, Amor Amarillo (1994), but it was no preparation for what he himself considered his official solo debut, Bocanada (1999). An intensely ambitious album incorporating guitar rock, electronica, and orchestral arrangements, Bocanada was a prodigious undertaking, one that earned Cerati both acclaim and scorn -- acclaim from those who saw it as a masterstroke, and scorn from those who disdained his increasingly evident artistic pretensions, furthermore holding his whimsical nature responsible for the dissolution of Soda Stereo. Nevertheless, Cerati refused to curb his ambitions, releasing a trio of albums in 2002 that explored various stylistic avenues: + Bien, an ambient film soundtrack; 11 Episodios Sinfónicos, an orchestral concert performance; and Siempre Es Hoy, an electronic rock album. However, just when it seemed as though Cerati's experimentation had alienated an ever-growing segment of his audience, he returned to his roots in 2006 with Ahí Vamos, a surging guitar rock album that was showered with praise from all corners and promptly ushered him back into the Latin music mainstream.