Eduardo Gatti

Born in 1949, Chilean singer-songwriter Eduardo Gatti drew early influence from Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Violeta Parra. After beginning guitar lessons he assembled the group the Clouds, then formed Apparition, which recorded a cover of “When a Man Loves a Woman” issued by RCA as a single. Following an extended stay in Europe he returned to Chile and joined los Blops alongside Juan Contreras, Sergio Bezara, Julio Villalobos, and Juan Pablo Orrego; during this period the classic pop-folk ballad “Los Momentos” took shape. The band issued its debut album Blops in 1970, followed by Blops II and the 1973 release La Locomotora before disbanding, though Gatti and Orrego briefly reunited as a duo in 1978. Gatti launched his solo career in 1980 and delivered a self-titled album in 1982 that yielded the major hit “Quiero Paz.” The following year Gatti II appeared, placing the track “Navegante” on the soundtrack of El Último Grumete. In 1994 Paul McCartney invited Gatti to open his concert at Santiago’s Estadio Nacional, and the 1995 compilation De Momentos, Viajes y Navegantes collected his best-known recordings.