A native of Buenos Aires who moved to Brazil as a teenager, Torcuato Mariano grew up listening to the music of his own country as well as Americans such as Santana and Stevie Wonder. Playing guitar, Mariano toured with Sergio Mendes, Ivan Lins and Gal Costa but became a solo artist in the early '90s. Mariano signed with the new age label Windham Hill and in 1994 released Paradise Station, an album that combined his heritage with rock and blues influences. One year later, he released Last Look.