The Argentine bandoneonist Walter Rios was born on July 18 th 1942 in Santa Fe . He began his musical career at the age of five next to his father and continued his studies in Rosario City .

In 1960 he arrives to Buenos Aires and enters the National Music Conservatory becoming part of several typical orchestras. Five years later he creates the group Tango Trio , with important performers like Edmundo Rivero, Hugo del Carril, Roberto “Polaco” Goyeneche, Roberto Ruffino, Rubén Juárez and Néstor Fabián among others. In the 70's he tours Colombia with Hugo del Carril and debuts as Raul Lavie's arranger and director at the same time, travelling through the States, New York, Mexico and Brazil. In 1977 next to Carlos Cirigliano, Ríos creates the Quintet of Music of Buenos Aires City and records the album Transmutación . He tours presenting this new album doing many shows in Spain , Chile , Bolivia , Uruguay and Paraguay among other countries.

After creating the group Músicos de Buenos Aires , with who he worked for three years, he moves to Paris , where he offers recitals and records with French and Argentinean musicians, among them Horacio Molina and Jairo. He as well tours Germany and Switzerland .

In 1984 he stays in Israel performing for six months. Once back in Argentina he presents himself in diverse theatres and releases an album in duet with guitarist Ricardo Dominguez. In December of 1987 he tours Japan for the first time during 45 days, there he performs in large theatres for massive audiences in Tokyo and Nagoya cities among others. One year later Rios releases the album Walter Rios Sexteto for Victor Company in Japan . He is also invited by Mariano Mores to introduce his new album in a three month tour through that country. Since 1989 he's been invited by famous folklore singer Mercedes Sosa to perform with her in Europe, United States and Latin America. He particularity of this artist is his great ability to perform a wide diversity of music genres that go from Tango to Rock to Folklore and even Reggae, as it was demonstrated last year recording with Los Pericos (famous local reggae band).

Among the most important Tango artists he played with are Raúl Lavié, Chico Novarro, Eladia Blázquez, Adriana Varela, Horacio Molina , Tito Reyes, Enrique Cadícamo, José Angel Trelles, Antonio Agri and Susana Rinaldi; Folklore artists he recorded with are Mercedes Sosa, Domingo Cura, Kelo Palacios, Chango Nieto, Zamba Quipildor, Peteco Carabajal; as well as songwriters such as Julia Zenko, León Gieco, Litto Nebbia and Facundo Cabral; arrangers and directors: Oscar Cardozo Ocampo and Lalo Schiffrin, among others.

H e recorded the music for the following films “El verano del Potro”; “Amigo Mío”; Tango Feroz”; ”Convivencia”; “Una sombra ya pronto serás”; “El lado oscuro del corazón”; “Plata quemada”, etc.

In 1995 Rios travels to San Francisco , after being called to musically direct Forever Tango . He stays there from May to December. In 1996 with his band and guitar player Ricardo Gutierrez he releases Chamuyo de Fueye y Guitarra edited by the label Melopea. He also performs as a member of Septeto Argentino with singers Litto Nebbia and Adriana Varela. In April that year he travels to Seoul , Korea with his Quintet. In June he participates in a tribute to honor Master Astor Piazzola called Astor Tango at the Opera Theatre in Buenos Aires . During that show he meets Brazilian composer Raimundo Fagner who invites him to interpret Vuelvo al Sur and Un Vestido y Un Amor as a soloist. These songs will be later included in his new album. In October he starred the show “ Sueño de Tango ” during three months with excellent press reviews.

In 1997 he releases his second album with Melopea: Walter Rios Quintet / Live sessions . He is then invited to artistically direct the shows at famous tango house El Viejo Almacen in Buenos Aires . In the meantime he offers two performances with his Quintet at Alvear and San Martin theatres in Buenos Aires inviting singer Susana Rinaldi.

In August hired by Fuji TV he goes back to Japan to present a show with 40 artists, between them musicians and dancers. He gives almost seventy concerts and records a live album. Shortly after that he collaborates with musicians Jairo and Cardozo Ocampo recording the album Estampitas. In November he is exclusively invited by famous Mexican singer Luis Miguel to perform with him during his shows in Buenos Aires .

That same year he releases Luciernaga Curiosa his third album with the same label, inviting musicians Antonio Agri, Litto Nebbia y Roberto “Fats” Fernández to collaborate with him.

In 1998 he is the Musical Director of the most important folklore festival in Argentina Festival de Cosquin. In March he records an album with Lito Vitale and Gabriela Torres. In June he opens the Tango season at El Viejo Almacén as Guest Director and shoots an important TV commercial for Japan . In July he becomes the Musical Director of a Tango show at Avenida Theatre in Buenos Aires and records an album for El Viejo Almacen at the same time. He also collaborates with Lito Vitale in his new album.

During the month of September, he records with Mexican singer María Félix and Master Cardozo Ocampo. He shares the stage with Litto Nebbia and Susana Rinaldi in radio program Los Acusticos aired by National Radio. In October he is honored with an award for his international career in Santa Fe. He also records with Folklore band Los Gauchos de Orán.

He then travels to London with Mariano Mores to perform for Queen Elizabeth II of England at her Palace with the presence of political celebrities and high officers included the President of Argentina at the time, Carlos S. Menem. In November he retakes his cycle at El Viejo Almacen and records with Viviana Vigil as well as with Litto Nebbia, with whom he immortalizes tango Tarde de Julio signed by both authors.

In December he participates of The Tango Week at Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires , and later with his Quintet he performs at Alvear Theatre. He ends the year performing at “Festival de Tango de Pergamino” in Buenos Aires . 1999 finds him performing at the Conrad Hotel in Punta del Este ( Uruguay ). Then he makes a cycle of recitals in “Opera Prima” with guitarist and friend Ricardo “Negro” Dominguez.

He composes an album about life and death of Che Guevara with Jairo and Cardozo Ocampo. He offers shows at Café Tortoni (one of the most traditional and oldest Tango houses in Argentina ), and also at San Martín Theater. In July he goes to Finland to participate in the Tango Festival given by that country, playing with the Symphonic Orchestra and Susana Rinaldi.

Then he performs at the Jazz Festival in Stockholm , Sweden , sharing the stage with Chick Corea, Ray Charles, Tito Puente, among others.

In August he records an album with Mexican singer Marco Antonio Muniz, and works as well in duet recitals at Centro de Divulgacion Musical. He works jointly with Litto Nebbia, making a bandoneon solo/single of the tango Retrato de Adela , dedicated to his mother for the album Tangos de Fin de Siglo.

He performs in a gala to honor the memory of Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges at San Martín Theatre, with artists such as Federico Luppi, Patricio Contreras, Manuel Callau, Hugo Arana, Susana Rinaldi, Bernardo Baraj and direction of Leonor Manso (all Argentinian celebrities). He as well participates in several auditions for TV program Ese Amigo del Alma, with Lito Vitale.

n September he is invited to the US to give a concerts serie, and then returns to Buenos Aires, were he continues teaching bandoneon to his disciples.