Amaro -- with an extensive list of credits, first as a drummer for Fobia, Neón, and Rostros Ocultos and later as a hit producer, sound engineer, arranger, and jack-of-all-trades for the likes of Natalia Lafourcade, Maná, Ricardo Arjona, Timbiriche, and Las Víctimas del Doctor Cerebro, among many others -- first met Barracuda in 2004, when he was assigned to produce her first solo album. The collaboration continued with 2006's Mi Otra Vida, and the duo was also asked to write material for other artists, which strengthened Barracuda and Amaro's creative partnership.

Eventually Barracuda ran into disagreements with her record label and abandoned her solo career, and for a while it seemed that she had retired from the music business. In 2009, however, she came back with a new joint project with Amaro, Jotdog, a slick dance-pop duo that represented a significant stylistic shift from her rock-oriented beginnings. Their eponymous first album was released in September 2009 to instant success on the strength of the catchy single "Hasta Contar a Mil," whose video quickly became a favorite on MTV Latin America. Jotdog were also nominated in the 2010 Latin Grammys' Best New Artist category. While Jotdog nominally remained a duo, Amaro and Barracuda were often joined by other noted Mexican musicians for their live performances, chief among them Moenia's Alejandro "Midi" Ortega. ~ Mariano Prunes