KEVIN JOHANSEN 

One of the rare eccentric, eclectic recordings artists who managed to court major acclaim, both critical and popular, Kevin Johansen and his band, the Nada, charmed audiences throughout Latin America, in Argentina especially, and racked up three Grammy nominations for only their second album, Sur o No Sur. A multicultural artist to say the least, Johansen was born in Alaska of all places but grew up in Argentina, the son of an Argentine mother and an American father. He moved to New York City in 1990 and lived there for nearly a decade. While in the Big Apple, he played at CBGB's on a regular basis and also played at the Knitting Factory and the Mercury Lounge, getting lots of performance experience in the process and forming the Nada. Just before he returned to Argentina in 2000, settling in Buenos Aires, he recorded his debut album, The Nada.