Santos Chillemi was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on September 13, 1950. At the conservatory, he studied piano, electronic music, harmony, and composition, and soon began touring South America with various Latin American groups. His music incorporates influences from Bartok, Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, the country, and Argentine tango. Notably, his compositions exude a very distinctive style. Santos Chillemi has been living in Paris since 1981.