Twelve Years After Gustavo Cerati’s Death, His Family and Fans Remember His Final Years

Gustavo Cerati’s final concert began as a memorable night in Caracas, blending Soda Stereo classics with songs from his latest album. After leaving the stage, however, the singer suffered a stroke that would leave him in a coma for four years.

Cerati performed on May 15, 2010, at the Simón Bolívar University campus during the Fuerza Natural tour, named after the album released in 2009. His companions realized something was wrong when he became ill in his dressing room after the show.

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The phone would not stop ringing, and the manager and assistant wrote to me in desperation, asking me to go there.

His then-partner, Chloé Bello, recalled the frantic hours that followed in a 2022 interview with Urbana Play. She had been planning to travel to London, but rushed to Caracas after receiving desperate calls from the manager and assistant. Bello said she arrived before Cerati’s family, reached him in time, and watched him gradually lose consciousness. The couple had planned to marry in Morocco two weeks later.

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I found what was left of him. Luckily, I got to see him. He saw me, we lay down together, and he slowly began fading away.

Cerati was first taken to the Centro Médico Docente La Trinidad in Caracas, where he received initial treatment. His family thanked people in the city for helping them cope with what they called an extremely difficult situation. He later moved to Buenos Aires and entered intensive care at the Fleni Institute on June 7, 2010. Doctors reported severe damage to the left cerebral hemisphere and brain stem, and said his condition was unfavorable.

After five months, he was transferred to the lower-complexity Clínica Alcla. Cerati died on Sept. 4, 2014, after suffering cardiac arrest. On the anniversary of his death, his music remained present through Soda Stereo, his fans and songs that became anthems, while relatives shared emotional tributes online.

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I still have the dress hanging at home.