Ecuador (i/ˈɛkwədɔr/ E-kwə-dawr), officially the Republic of Ecuador (Spanish: República del Ecuador [reˈpuβlika ðel ekwaˈðor], which literally translates to the "Republic of the Equator") is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, (along with Chile), that do not have a border with Brazil. The country also includes the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific, about 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) west of the mainland.
The main spoken language in Ecuador is Spanish. Ecuador straddles the equator, from which it takes its name, and has an area of 275,830 km2 (106,500 sq mi). Its capital city is Quito, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the 1970s for having the best preserved and least altered historic center in Latin America. The country's largest city is Guayaquil. The historic center of Cuenca, the third largest city in the country, was also declared a World Heritage Site in 1999, for being an outstanding example of a planned inland Spanish style colonial city in the Americas. Ecuador is also home—despite its size—to a great variety of species, many of them endemic, like those of the Galápagos islands. This species diversity makes Ecuador one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world. The new constitution of 2008 is the first in the world to recognize legally enforceable Rights of Nature, or ecosystem rights.
Alberto Aguilera Valadez (Spanish pronunciation: [alˈβeɾto aɣiˈleɾa βalaˈðes]) (born January 7, 1950), better known by his stage name Juan Gabriel (pronounced: [ˈxwaŋ ɡaˈβɾjel]), is a Mexican singer, songwriter, recording artist, and performer.
Born on 7 January 1950, on Cinco de Mayo street (now known as Juan Gabriel Street) in the small town of Parácuaro, Michoacán, to father Gabriel Aguilera Rodríguez and mother Victoria Valadez Rojas, he is the youngest of 10 siblings: Rosa who died shortly after birth, Virginia, José Guadalupe, Gabriel, Pablo, Miguel (died) and three brothers named Rafael who all three have also died.
Around the age of three months, Alberto's father, Gabriel, being an agricultural field worker, intended to clear a piece of land by setting fire to the field. Due to windy conditions, sadly he lost control of the fire which began to spread to neighboring properties and homes. Deeply disturbed and worried over the consequences he brought onto his family, Gabriel knew not what to do and threw himself into a river. Badly injured from the fall, Gabriel was hospitalized and committed to La Castañeda psychiatric ward in México City. What happened to Gabriel after the psychiatric ward is unknown. One tale is that he died while in La Castañeda for their alleged patient mistreatment, while others say that Gabriel escaped from the mental ward to unknown whereabouts. Either way, Alberto and his family never heard from their father again. These accounts would later be Alberto's inspiration for the song titled "De Sol a Sol (A Mis Padres)" - English translation, "From Sun Up to Sun Down (To My Parents)".
Gustavo Cerati (Born Gustavo Adrián Cerati Clark on August 11, 1959), is a singer-songwriter, composer, and rock producer. He is primarily known as the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist of Soda Stereo (1982–1997), considered by many to be one of the most important and influential bands of Latin Rock. His work inside and outside of Soda Stereo makes him one of the most recognizable figures in Ibero-American rock. His solo career began in the early 1990s when on hiatus from Soda Stereo Cerati recorded his first solo album Amor Amarillo (Yellow Love).
Cerati has experimented with various musical genres, including electronic music (Plan V) and symphonic music. Throughout his career Cerati has been nominated for various Grammy, MTV, and Gardel awards. In 2007, Cerati reunited with Soda Stereo for a reunion tour Me Veras Volver Tour. On the 15th of May 2010 Cerati suffered a cerebral stroke after a show in Venezuela. Since then he remains in a coma under respiratory aide.
Cerati was born on the 11th of August 1959 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was the oldest son of the engineer and accountant Juan José Cerati, and Lilian Clark. From an early age Cerati showed an interest in music. His first incursion into music was a broomstick band that he formed in elementary school. Besides music, Cerati enjoyed drawing. He would spend long hours drawing superheroes such as “Superbrain" (similar to Superman, minus the predilection to kryptonite). He was an able athlete who practiced swimming and athletics. He won second place in a competition for the Billiken magazine after running 100 meters in an intercollegiate competition. One of Cerati’s main activities during his youth was directing the choir for the College, where he was suspended for burping during mass (he was later pardoned after winning a singing competition). As a teenager he worked as a medical assistant at the Boehringer laboratory in Argentina in 1981. A few years later he served in the Argentinian military.