Pedro Suárez-Vértiz

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Suárez-Vértiz and the second or maternal family name is Alva.

Pedro Suárez-Vértiz Alva (13 February 1969 – 28 December 2023) was a Peruvian singer-songwriter and guitarist.^[1] He founded the popular rock band Arena Hash with his brother Patricio, Arturo Pomar, and Christian Meier in 1987. A few years later, the band disbanded, and Suárez-Vértiz began his solo career. As the music critic Francisco Melgar recalls: "He became the most successful composer of rock songs for almost twenty-five years". Pedro Suárez-Vertiz, considered a legend of Peruvian rock, is recognized by Billboard as an "icon of Peruvian rock" and his song Los globos del cielo as "a timeless masterpiece of rock in Spanish".

Pedro Suárez-Vértiz
Mural of Pedro Suárez-Vértiz in Barranco
Born	Pedro Martín José María Suárez-Vértiz Alva (1969-02-13)13 February 1969 Lima, Peru
Died	28 December 2023(2023-12-28) (aged 54) Lima, Peru
Other names	Pedrito
Education	University of Lima
Occupation(s)	Musician, singer
Years active	1983–2011
Labels	Sony Music (1993–2003) Solver Label (2004–2006) Warner Spain (2007–2009)
Spouse	Cynthia Martínez
Children	3
Musical career
Genres	Pop Rock, Electronic rock, Ska rock, Alternative rock, Folk rock, Latin rock, Experimental rock

Suárez-Vértiz was well known for his multitudinous concerts, his vocal rhythm, his extensive guitar collection, his abstinence from alcohol and tobacco, philanthropy, and personality. In 2020, Billboard magazine named his hit song "Los Globos Del Cielo" as number 14 on the list of The 25 Timeless Masterpieces of Rock in Spanish.^[2] His albums Póntelo en la lengua and Ponerme a Volar are among the best-selling albums in Perú.

Suárez-Vértiz was the winner of Orgullosamente Latino 2004 (Proudly Latin 2004) and was also awarded Best Latin Soloist of the Year in Mexico that same year. He worked as a columnist in the newspaper El Comercio and published his book: Yo, Pedro. After being diagnosed with progressive bulbar palsy in 2011, a disease that finally made him move away from the stage, as it had caused speech difficulties (dysarthria), he died on December 28, 2023, at the age of 54 due to cardiac arrest.

Early life

Pedro Suárez-Vértiz was born in the Hospital Naval del Callao in Lima's Callao district because his mother and maternal grandfather belonged to the Marina de Guerra del Perú for many years. His younger brother, Patricio Suárez-Vértiz, is also a musician. They spent their childhood and adolescence in San Isidro, in front of the Olivar park, his favorite park.^[3]

Suárez-Vértiz was passionate about music since he was a small child. At age one, Pedro settled the ornaments of his house down like a xylophone and smacked them with a wand to get melodies out of them. Seeing his interest in music, his father bought him an old Celesta Dulcitone, Pedro's first musical instrument. Just a few years later, his parents would buy him a piano. Suárez-Vértiz knew he wanted to be a singer when he saw the movie A Hard Day's Night for the first time, in which the famous English band The Beatles appeared.

At the age of nine at the Colegio María Reina Marianistas, in 1978, he composed a story about reflections on birth for Mother's Day. Already in high school, his writings began to be set to music when he formed a first band with his brother and friends called Paranoia.

Suárez-Vértiz learned to play the piano and the guitar before he began school. At 18, he attended the University of Lima, graduating with a degree in communications. In 1985 he formed his first band, "Paranoia", together with his brother Patricio Suárez-Vértiz and school friends Edward Málaga-Trillo, Arturo Pomar, Eduardo Quevedo, and Alex Kornhuber. In 1987, he formed the band Arena Hash with his brother Patricio, Arturo Pomar, and Christian Meier. A few years later the band broke up and Suárez-Vértiz began a solo career.

Musical career

1985–1991: Arena Hash

Pedro Suárez Vértiz formed his first band with his brother Patricio, Arturo Pomar Jr. and Álex Kornhuber, which they called Paranoia at the Colegio María Reina Marianistas in the San Isidro District of Lima. A short time later, at the age of 16, the band developed into Arena Hash in 1985 and signed with the CBS record label three years later. The band consisted of Suárez Vértiz and his brother Patricio, Arturo Pomar Jr. and Christian Meier. The group released two albums: Arena Hash (1988), which featured songs such as ''Cuando La Cama Me Da Vuelta''s and ''Me Resfrié en Brasil'', and Ah Ah Ah (1991), which featured songs such as ''Y Es Que Sucede Así'', ''A Ese Infierno No Voy a Volver'', and ''El Rey del Ah Ah Ah''. The band was among the most popular in Peru during the 1980s and 1990s.

1992–2000: First studio albums

After Arena Hash disbanded, Suárez Vértiz persued a solo career. In 1993, he released his first solo album entitled (No existen) Técnicas para Olvidar, with songs such as "Cuéntame", "Globos de Gas" and "Me Elevé". Thanks to this album he obtained a contract with Sony Music.  In 1996, he released his second album entitled Póntelo en la Lengua with songs such as "Los Globos del Cielo", "Mi Auto Era Una Rana" and "Me Estoy Enamorando". The album exceeded 40 thousand copies sold was the highest selling album in Peru in 1996.

The song "Mi auto era una rana" was featured the soundtrack of the Peruvian film Don't Tell Anyone, while "I'm Falling in Love" was part of the Chilean soap opera A todo dar, made by Mega in 1998. In that same year, after the Super Feria de la Molina (July), a television channel made a special called Hecho en el Perú, in its second edition, this time with rock, for which Pedro formed a minigroup with Patricio Suárez-Vértiz, German González and Anna Carina.

In 1999, he released his third production entitled Degeneración Actual, which featured experimentations in styles such as hip hop, reggae, ska and electronica. From this album there are songs such as "Degeneración Actual", "Un Vino, Una Cerveza", "Alguien Que Bese Como Tú" and "El Secreto En Tu Mente". Other songs on the album such as "Placeres Y Dolor" and "Cuando El Sol Va a Salir" were known for their appearance in the Peruvian series Mil Oficios.

2001–2008: Play and Talk Show

In 2003, Suárez Vértiz released his first greatest hits album entitled Anecdotas, where he compiles the hits of his first three albums. For his next production, he ended his contract with Sony Music and released with his own label Solver Label the album Play (2004), where the songs "Bailar", "Lo Olvidé", and "Cuando Pienses En Volver" stand out. In 2005, his song "El Triunfo Tan Soñado" was the anthem of the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship held in Peru, which would later be included in his next album.

In 2006, he released her album Talk Show, with songs such as "No Llores Más, Morena" and "Como las Mariposas", which was included on the soundtrack of the film Talk Show. The following year, he released his second compilation album where he reviews the successes of the albums Play (2004) and Talk Show (2006). For this album Pedro signs with the record company Warner Music Spain. In 2007, he was diagnosed with dysarthria.

2009–2012: Amazonas and Ponerme a volar

In 2009, Pedro Suárez-Vértiz presented his sxith album Amazonas, under the production of Thom Russo.^[4] This was recorded between Los Angeles and London. As the first single he releases the song "Amazonas" which became a Latin song representative of Expo 2008. The song also identified the Recicla Mueve el Mundo campaign of the Madrid City Council in Spain on the occasion of World Environment Day. The second single, "Nadia", a song he performed as a duet with Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez, a song that in November entered the Billboard among the top 50 songs.^[5]

During 2010 he toured Peru, the United States and Spain. The same year, Suárez-Vértiz released Amazonas Uncut, a special edition of his previous album. In the following years, he performed in Madrid and in the Italian cities of Milan and Rome, and had a special participation in the video clip "Me Cansé" by Peruvian singer Anna Carina in 2012. In 2013, Suárez-Vértiz and Gian Marco recorded the compilation album El Encuentro that contains 16 songs, accompanied by a gastronomy book, which has been published by a bank agency for its clients.

In 2011, Pedro started showing obvious signs of bad diction. He revealed that he had been diagnosed with Progressive Bulbar Palsy.^[6] This caused him to stop being able to sing anymore. He also he admitted to suffering from chronic Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder which made him look extremely distracted and tangled in speech. This significantly affected his ability to sing.

2013–2023: El Encuento and Cuando Pienses En Volver

In 2014, he produced the event Cuando Pienses En Volver, a tribute to his music with the presence of many Peruvian and international artists, where he also produced an album after said festival but in which Pedro Suárez-Vértiz La Banda sang, and that is where they began to perform in concerts under that name allowed by Pedro as he was unable to sing.

On January 13, 2017, he released a new song, after eight years without releasing new productions, with the help of his eponymous band, called Siempre Aquí En Mi Piel. It is unpublished material written between 2009 and 2011.^[7] On July 20, 2018, the U.S. Senate recognized the career of Pedro Suárez-Vértiz in the framework of the 197th Anniversary of the Independence of Peru. U.S. Senate Representative Joe Crowley, the OAS, and the Capitol Hall of Honors presented the artist with a medal, a U.S. flag folded in a triangle, and a proclamation written on behalf of the U.S. Congress.^[8]

Pedro Suárez Vértiz was selected to compose the official song of the 2019 Pan American Games which was held in Lima. On September 24 and 29, 2019, the musical "Cuéntame" was performed at the Amphitheater of the Parque de la Exposición in Lima with the production of Los Productores.^[9]

On October 18, 2023, with the help of artificial intelligence, he released his latest and last song, entitled ''Amor, Yo Te Perdí La Fe''.^[10] The song, sponsored by the dairy company Yoleit, had been written before his loss of vocals.

Personal life

Pedro Suárez-Vértiz was married to Cynthia Martinez with whom he had 3 children.

In 2007, he was diagnosed with dysarthria, in which he had difficulties speaking and breathing, generally problems with coordination, intensity of voice, diction, etc., for which Pedro had to move away from the stage. Later his neurologist confirmed that he had bulbar palsy.

In 2011, Pedro started showing obvious signs of bad diction. He revealed that he had been diagnosed with Progressive Bulbar Palsy.^[6] This caused him to stop being able to sing anymore. He also he admitted to suffering from chronic Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder which made him look extremely distracted and tangled in speech. This significantly affected his ability to sing. Suárez-Vértiz declared that he regretted having proclaimed his defect, for he only drew attention to it.

In 2013, away from the stage, he published his first book: Yo, Pedro.

Death

Suárez-Vértiz died from a heart attack in Lima, on 28 December 2023, at the age of 54.^[11] He is survived by his wife and 3 children.^[12] Waldemar Cerrón, member of the Congress of the Republic of Peru, submitted a motion to recognize the accomplishments of Suárez-Vértiz, with Cerrón noting that his music "contributes to maintaining cultural identity among Peruvian citizens living abroad."^[13]

Awards and nominations

Pedro Suárez-Vértiz had been nominated and won numerous awards throughout his career. In 2004, he was winner of the Orgullosamente Latino award and was awarded Best Latin Soloist of the Year in Mexico. In a 2004 vote by TeleHit Música, he was selected as ''Latin Soloist of the Year".^[14] In September 2010, he was awarded the Save The Planet award at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Washington, in recognition of his musical and charitable work towards the environment. In 2024 he was nominated for the awards of the Peruvian Chamber of Music, held by the Apdayc and other guilds of the musical arts.

Discography

With Arena Hash

• Arena Hash (1988)
• Ah, Ah Ah... (1990)
• Del Archivo de... Arena Hash (1995)

Solo career

• (No existen) Técnicas para olvidar (1993)
• Póntelo en la lengua (1996)
• Degeneración actual (1999)
• Anécdotas (2003)
• Play (2004)
• Talk Show (2006)
• Pedro Suárez-Vértiz (2007)
• Amazonas (2009)
• Amazonas Uncut (2010)
• Ponerme a volar (2011)
• Pedro Suárez Vértiz para bebés (vol.1) (2020)