Marciano Cantero, lead vocalist and bass player of prolific Argentine rock band Los Enanitos Verdes, passed away on Thursday (Sept. 8), just two weeks after his 62nd birthday on Aug. 25.
Cantero (real name Horacio Eduardo Cantero Hernández) was in intensive care after undergoing surgery due to a kidney infection on Sept. 5, according to El Tiempo, which also revealed that the singer had one of his kidneys and part of his spleen removed at the Cuyo Clinic in his hometown Mendoza, Argentina.
The news of his passing was confirmed on the official Enanitos Verdes Instagram account, which simply shared a black ribbon as a public display of grief. A couple of hours earlier, the account posted a photo of Cantero with a caption that reads: “Today and always with you, Marciano,” alongside praying hand emojis.
Cantero, alongside Felipe Staiti (guitar) and Daniel Piccolo (drums), formed Los Enanitos Verdes in 1979, and became one of the biggest Latin rock bands of the ‘80s and ‘90s thanks to timeless hits such as “Lamento Boliviano,” “Luz De Dia,” and “La Muralla Verde.”
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The trio obtained two best Latin rock/alternative performance Grammy nominations for “Nectar” and “Traccion Acustica.” In 2019, reggaeton artists J Balvin and Bad Bunny reeled in Cantero for their urban-alternative track “Un Peso,” part of their collaborative album Oasis.
On July 6, 2022, Los Enanitos Verdes kicked off their 17-city U.S. tour, produced by Frias Entertainment and Live Nation, in celebration of their more than 40-year career. The tour officially wrapped on Aug. 13 at Orlando’s House of Blues.
The lineup featured Cantero, Staiti, and Jota Morelli on the drums.