César "Banana" Pueyrredón

Ever since his debut in the late 1960s, Argentine singer-songwriter César "Banana" Pueyrredón (July 7, 1952) has been delivering a steady influx of iconic romantic ballads and silky-smooth adult contemporary pop. The grandson of famed politician Honorio Pueyrredón, he began playing piano at the age of 10 and continued his music studies at the prestigious Universidad Católica Argentina. In 1969, he rose to fame as the main songwriter and lead vocalist of the prog-rock act Banana, which was one of the first groups to sing rock music in Spanish. Some of their songs went on to become classics of the Argentine rock songbook, including "Conociéndote" (1972) and "Nadie Podrá Hacerme Olvidar" (1973). After releasing five albums with the group, César "Banana" Pueyrredón launched his solo career in 1984 with the LP Así de Simple. He would reach the peak of his popularity in the late 1980s through albums like Más Cerca de la Vida (1987), Ser Uno Mismo (1988), and Tarde o Temprano (1989), as well as a series of sold-out shows at Buenos Aires' Teatro Ópera. Even though his output waned over the years—he only released 3 albums between 1993 and 2010—César "Banana" Pueyrredón remains one of the most beloved and respected singer-songwriters in Argentine popular music.