Jorge Drexler is a globally recognized singer/songwriter from Uruguay. His sound is rooted in his country's traditional music (candombe, murga, milonga, tango) as well as samba, bossa nova, pop, jazz, ambient electronic experiments, and even EDM. Though his recording career began in the early 1990s, he didn't experience mainstream success until 2004 when "Al Otro Lado del Río" was used during the closing credits in Walter Salles hit film The Motorcycle Diaries and won the Oscar for "Best Original Song." 2006's deeply introspective 12 Segundos de Oscuridad reflected the end of a marriage. It was nominated for a Grammy, as was 2008's live Cara B, which contained more unreleased songs than hits. 2010's lighthearted Amar la Trama was recorded in front of a studio audience and received four Latin Grammy nominations. 2014's Top Ten Bailar en La Cueva marked an experimental turn toward dance music and EDM. 2017's Salvavidas de Hielo went in the opposite direction: each song explored a lone physical characteristic of an acoustic guitar -- from strings to wooden box to tuning pegs. After a five-year break from recording, Drexler returned with Tinta y Tiempo in 2022. Born on September 21, 1964, in Montevideo, Uruguay, Drexler was born into a Jewish family that fled persecution in Germany. He studied to become an otolaryngologist (ear, throat, and nose doctor) like his parents, but ultimately chose to pursue a passion for music. Drexler made his full-length album debut with La Luz Que Sabe Robar (1992), followed by Radar (1994). In hopes of furthering his career, he went to Spain in 1995 upon the invitation of legendary singer/songwriter Joaquín Sabina, who showed him around the Madrid music scene and helped him secure an international recording contract. Drexler was so impressed with Madrid that he chose to make his permanent residency there. He formed a band with Spanish musicians to cut new material as well as re-record songs from his first two albums. Released internationally as Vaivén (1996), it was the first of his four albums for Virgin España. The highlights of Vaivén, along with those of its three follow-ups -- Llueve (1998), Frontera (1999), and Sea (2001) -- were later compiled on La Edad del Cielo (2004). Switching labels to Dro Atlántic, Drexler's career reached new heights of success with the critically acclaimed Eco in 2004. The album's great international success was largely due to the Oscar-winning song "Al Otro Lado del Río," which was prominently featured during the closing credits of the Walter Salles film The Motorcycle Diaries. Drexler became the first Uruguayan to win an Academy Award. Eco was so successful it was re-released with bonus material as Eco² the following year. That artist revealed that 2006's anguished, introspective 12 Segundos de Oscuridad was made as a form of therapy to process the end of a marriage. The set was nominated for a Grammy. Two years later he issued the double length live offering Cara B. In true Drexler fashion, it offered a twist: It was made up of mostly unreleased material. It too received a Grammy nomination. In 2010, he released the lighthearted Amar la Trama. It went Top Five in Spain and was nominated for four Latin Grammys. Drexler spent most of 2011 and 2012 touring. In 2013 he completed composing songs for an album he decided to record in Colombia with co-producers Carlos Campón and Sebastián Merlín. The resulting 11 track set was titled Bailar en la Cueva and issued in March of 2014. Its songs featured guest appearances by Caetano Veloso, Ana Tijoux, Bomba Estéreo, and Eduardo Cabra of Calle 13. It peaked at number seven on the Latin Pop Albums chart and took home two Latin Grammys: Recording of the Year and Best Songwriter Album. It was also nominated for a Grammy award in the Best Latin, Urban, or Alternative Rock category as well. After a long period of international touring, Drexler got restless for the studio. He became obsessed with the guitar, not only the instrument, but also the materials of its physical construction as music-making devices. Working in studios in Mexico City and Madrid, Drexler dove deep into sonic exploration, using the guitar as the heartbeat of his emerging songs. He utilized loads of effects: samples, loops, beats, etc., but all were created by guitars or its various elements -- strings, wood, the metal resonator cone of a dobro, and both the tension hoop and the Mylar skin of a banjo. In April 2017, Drexler was among the first speakers in the first edition of TED en Español, part of the TED 2017 conference in Vancouver, Canada. His talk, focused on the interconnection of local cultural expressions, added to those offered in Latin American media and political culture by personalities such as the Mexican-American journalist Jorge Ramos and the Colombian activist Ingrid Betancourt. Drexler's album of guitar experiments titled Salvavidas de Hielo was released that September. Despite the experimental nature of the recording process, the record's songs bore his indelible, accessible singer/songwriter signature. It was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album. It also took home Latin Grammys including best Singer/Songwriter album, as well as Song of the Year and Record of the Year for the single "Telefonia." Drexler toured Latin America, Europe, and the U.S. in support until he was sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a songwriter, he shared a Latin Grammy for C. Tangana's and Andrés Calamaro's "Hong Kong," 2021's Song of the Year. He also assisted Brazilian singer/songwriter Marisa Monte by singing a duet on her hit single "Vento Sardo." 2022's Tinta y Tiempo marked Drexler's return to recording. Two charting pre-release singles -- "Tocarte," another collaboration with Tangana and video single "Cinturón Blanco" -- led to Carlos Campós-produced tracks that also included duets with Rubén Blades, Israeli singer Noga Erez, and fellow Uruguayan singer Martín Buscaglia. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi

Homosapiens Fest XV 2023

Jorge Drexler

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