Carlos Augusto Fernández, known artistically as Chili Fernández, is an Argentine cumbia romántica singer born on May 26, 1984, in Benavídez, Buenos Aires. He began performing at an early age, first with his family’s group Aloa, then as a solo keyboardist and vocalist in local festivals, later joining the group Gitanos and playing as keyboardist in Blue and drummer-vocalist in Red during his adolescence. In the early 2000s, he gained national attention as the lead singer of Mensajeros del Amor, with whom he released the albums Mensajeros del Amor and El Adelanto between 2000 and 2003. Launching his solo career in 2003, Chili Fernández released his debut album Amor, Familia y Respeto in 2004, which featured the popular single “Loco por volverte a ver.” He followed it with 180 Grados in 2005, marking his first solo concert at Teatro Gran Rex, and released further albums including Libre and Dirección Diferente in 2006 and 2007. Through the 2010s, he remained active with Parte Diez, Por Siempre y Para Siempre (2012), Tu Príncipe Azul (2013), and Momentos (2015), along with live recordings such as Parte Diez (En Vivo) and Acústico en FM Pasión in 2017. He continued releasing music in the 2020s with tracks like “Invierno (Cumbia)” (2020), the live project Live Concert Streaming (2021), the EP Momentos II (2022), and in 2024 the album Chili Fernández: Sin Miedo Session #45 (Lado S), which includes singles such as “Prometí,” “Que Ganas,” and a live version of “Duele” recorded at Estadio Luna Park to mark his 40th birthday celebration.
