Norberto Gómez is born on 2 March in Buenos Aires into a family of Spanish immigrants. His father is a cabinetmaker and his uncle a musician an instrument maker. In 1986, he characterised them thus:

Without realising, my father ended up driving buses fro Transportes de Buenos Aires. But in fact he was a carpenter, he had a knack for it, and whenever he had the time he went down to the cellar and did wonderful work. He did it without knowing a thing about aesthetics: he liked to polish and give everything a good finish. His elder brother was a more knowledgeable, freer kind of guy. He managed to study music and later became an instrument maker. He could play anything: from the age of fourteen he had played in his hometown’s band, in Spain, in a mountain village. They played at parties, on the street; and he played the organ in church, and the piano. When he arrived in Buenos Aires, he started studying and composing and making instruments. He was one of those guys who can copy anything they see. I’m the same. I never have any ideas. I see something and I do it, I’m very receptive. I think this is something quite basic, quite closed on itself, something characteristic of a stubborn Spaniard’s personality.

From his father and uncle Gómez gets his love of craftwork and the pride he takes sin knowing a trade well. He enjoys drawing from an early age.