Gustavo Montesano

Gustavo Montesano is an Argentine musician who has delved into all manner of genres during his career. In his youth he received classical piano training, but the allure of rock music also drew him in. Soon, he formed a band that shortly won a record deal. This group, the progressive rock outfit Crucis, was soon to embark on a whirlwind voyage. From 1974 to 1976, the group's brief but illustrious existence catapulted Montesano and his comrades into stardom. They garnered much praise with their two LPs, and even managed to record and tour in the United States. As the bassist, songwriter and singer, Montesano's role in the band was pivotal. However, at one point, the man took on "certain diva-like attitudes" that frustrated the rest of the band. Crucis soon split. But Montesano kept on making music. In 1977, he released Homenaje, which many consider to be a third Crucis album. It maintained a progressive symphonic outlook, featured all the members of Crucis and also had guest spots by many of Argentina's key musical figures of the day. Although bashed by some critics, the album's display of virtuosity and sheer progressive rock force made it a serious contender for the Crucis legacy. The next few years are characterized by a prolonged stay in the US. He then cooperated with the group Merlin. In addition, he released an album under the name Montesano in 1982. Also in that year, he was in Madrid with a group called Olé Olé. This group had a synth-pop/new wave sound that was similar to Mecano. Over the years, line-up changes would occur (at one point, Gustavo's brother joined the band), but Montesano remained one of the core members. The group lasted throughout the 80s and released their last album in 1992. Rumours insist that 2007 will see a resurrection of the group, with Montesano being a key figure in the line-up. His long stint in Spain allowed Montesano to branch out into other areas. In the mid-80s, he undertook production work. Key artists like Heroes del silencio were soon being produced by Montesano. In addition, the Iberian experience allowed Montesano to absorb flamenco and gypsy music. Combining his early admiration of classical with these new sounds, 2000's Fantasia Flamenca was a very different kind of musical experience. Montesano continues to explores new paths in music. 2003's Soul and Soil was a new age project filled with instrumentals. In many ways, this is not too removed from his earlier work; Crucis worked primarily with instrumentals, and "Homenaje" featured many ambient instrumentals.