Chile

Chilean hip hop/urban threesome Tiro de Gracia was formed in the mid-'80s by friends Juan Sativo and Lengua Dura, later joined by singer Zaturno, keyboardist Patricio Loaiza, and multi-instrumentalist Camilo Cintolesi. The band made its debut with the release of two independent records, Arma Calibrada and Homosapiens. After successfully performing at a local TV show and releasing El Demo Final, Tiro de Gracia signed up to EMI. They recorded Ser Humano in 1997, with contributions from well-known Chilean acts such as Chancho en Piedra, los Tetas, Joe Vasconcellos, and Matahari's Ema Pinto. Soon, the group hit the charts with "El Juego Verdadero." The following album, called Decisión Final, was recorded in the U.S. and released in 1999. In June of 2000, Zaturno left the act to join a new project called Tapia Rabia Jackson. ~ Drago Bonacich