Eduardo Mateo

His early musical career saw him join samba groups like O Bando de Orfeo and later Los Malditos. He was also an active participant in the Conciertos Beat, a movement that played an important role in the acceptance of rock and new youth expressions in Uruguay. A milestone in his career was the co-founding of El Kinto in 1967, a pioneering group in the fusion of candombe with rock and other contemporary styles, an experience considered essential for the development of Uruguayan popular music. After the dissolution of El Kinto, Mateo began a solo career, creating artistically valuable albums such as Mateo solo bien se lame, Mateo y Trasante, and Cuerpo y alma. During this stage, he collaborated with artists like Rubén Rada, Horacio Buscaglia, and Estela Magnone.

During the 1980s, Mateo continued exploring new ideas through stage and discographic projects, including the shows known under the concept of "La Máquina del Tiempo", which blended music with philosophical reflections and science fiction elements. Despite his economic situation not always being stable and many of his initiatives not achieving widespread diffusion, his recognition and prestige among musicians, critics, and fans grew steadily. Eduardo Mateo passed away in Montevideo on May 16, 1990. His death, which occurred while he was immersed in new projects and a period of great creative enthusiasm, marked the beginning of a continuous reappraisal of his figure, turning him into a central reference in Uruguayan culture. His legacy remains palpable in much of today’s Uruguayan music production. In 1994, a biography of his life and work, Razones Locas/El paso de Eduardo Mateo por la música uruguaya, was published, written by Guilherme de Alencar Pinto. Eduardo Mateo was born at the Pereira Rossell hospital in Montevideo in 1940, and his middle name was a tribute his mother, Silvia, wanted to pay to the musician Eduardo Fabini, whom she admired.