Who is Walas, the new contestant on Masterchef Celebrity?

Guillermo Cidade , better known as Walas , became the newest contestant on Masterchef Celebrity (Telefe) after Pablo Lescano dropped out of the competition. His arrival on the culinary reality show quickly made him a trending topic on social media.

Walas is the historical leader of the band Massacre , the first skate-punk group in South America, and promised to bring the spirit of alternative rock to the most famous kitchens in the country.

Born in Buenos Aires in 1966, Walas grew up in the Almagro neighborhood (later moving to the Parque Centenario area) in a family of musicians: his father, José Vicente Cidade, was a Misiones guitarist, and his uncle was the renowned singer-songwriter Ramón Ayala.

In the 1980s, Walas founded the group Massacre Palestina, which he later renamed simply Massacre. The singer, author of classics such as "La octava maravilla" and "Plan B: anhelo de demanda" (Plan B: anhelo de demanda), reached his peak popularity when the band released the album El mamut ( 2007).

Massacre established themselves in the early 2000s as the first band of their genre to break into the mainstream, paving the way for artists like Babasónicos and becoming undisputed icons for new generations of alternative rock, such as El Mató a un Policía Motorizado, among others.

Massacre has also been chosen on several occasions to open shows in Argentina by international artists, including Foo Fighters, Iggy Pop, Pearl Jam, the Ramones, Kiss, Green Day, Guns N' Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Chris Cornell. They were also part of the "Gracias Totales - Soda Stereo" world tour, performing "Juegos de Seducción" in one of the tour's most acclaimed performances.

Recently, Walas has ventured into artistic adventures that have cemented his position as one of the most versatile artists. He recently ventured into acting, playing the King in the musical "The Little Prince," produced by Juan Carlos Baglietto, and also appeared as an actor in the film "Massacre in the Delta," currently touring international festivals.

But that's not all on the Massacre frontman's 2025 agenda. After joining Masterchef Celebrity as a contestant, the singer isn't neglecting his music career and is preparing to close out the year with a flourish: Massacre will perform on Saturday, November 29th at the Teatro de Flores (7800 Rivadavia Ave., Buenos Aires).

The band arrives at the legendary theater in the Buenos Aires neighborhood as part of their Viaje Astral 2025 tour, with which they present their most recent album, Nueve, released in November 2024, produced by Gustavo Santaolalla, winner of Best Rock Group Album and Best Production at the 2025 Gardel Awards, which includes collaborations with established artists such as Gustavo Santaolalla, Vicentico, Santiago Motorizado and Goyo Degano (Bándalos Chinos). In addition, they will play the greatest hits that marked their more than three decades of artistic career.

Following Pablo Lescano's resignation from Masterchef Celebrity (Telefe) this Monday, October 20, a new player joined the reality show.

Wanda Nara, at the beginning of the program, revealed that he was "a singer, composer, and actor with many years on stage and a very successful career in rock."

Finally, Nara introduced Walas, the longtime frontman of the rock band Massacre, who entered the studio with his signature long, reddish hair, a visored hat, leather gloves, and a black plush jacket.

“Cumbia is gone, and rock is coming into my persona, the persona of Walas, of alternative rock. The judges scare me; I have so much reverence for them. Martitegui seems so icy, so distant. I cook for friends, I cook at parties, and I barbecue. I want to learn from you, masters,” said the singer during his presentation.

For his first dish, Guillermo Cidade, the artist's real name, surprised the jury by making a quiche lorraine, a French-style tart consisting of a single savory pastry filled with raw ham, cheese, egg, milk, and pineapple slices.

The feedback was so good that Walas is already positioning himself as one of the contestants to watch in the cooking competition. “The dough is perfectly made. It didn't sag at the edges, it's not raw, and it's really good, very flavorful, very rich. For me, the filling was a little overcooked; perhaps with more, everything would have been perfect, but it's very good work,” said Damián Betular.

"Finally, something different, finally, someone who dares to use the oven properly and make dough. I think, guys, you've got a great competitor," added Germán Martitegui.