Gustavo Cerati

Nine years ago, Gustavo Cerati was preparing to leave the Argentine pop-rock band that put his name among the more influential singer-songwriters to come out of Latin America — ever. Curiously enough, though the market in the region hasn't quite found the proper substitute for the sense of controlled adventure and good taste the trio Soda Stereo was bringing to the table between the mid-Eighties and the mid-Nineties, Cerati is now channeling all the sounds he avoided when recording his solo albums in 1999 and 2002. It is difficult to predict if the new songs Cerati will be playing in Miami will open a door to the temptation of a massive tenth-anniversary reunion tour that could eventually spread across North America in 2007, as it happened when his band waved goodbye with a stadium-size farewell tour back in 1997. The thirteen new songs included on Ahí Vamo are so reminiscent of Soda Stereo's sound and structure — which is the Police meets the Beatles, with darkly romantic Spanish lyrics invariably well sung by Cerati's smooth and melancholic trademark voice — that they can also be interpreted as a warning sign for the many fans still waiting for a reunion. He has been playing these songs live — including "Adios," the one where he shares writing credits with his twelve-year-old son, Benito — and collecting rave reviews in South America and Mexico. Most likely he will get the same kind of reaction in Miami, with or without promising Soda Stereo's comeback.