Jorge Drexler
Jorge Drexler has been acclaimed for his evocative lyrics and sophisticated music that is
rooted in regional rhythmic styles of his native Uruguay. A major pop star in Latin
America, he achieved worldwide recognition after winning an Academy Award for "Al otro lado
del río" from The Motorcycle Diaries. This song was the first in Spanish to win an
Oscar in the Best Original Song category. To date, Drexler's music has been recorded by
artists as diverse as Mercedes Sosa, Shakira, Omara Portuondo, Ana Belén, Víctor Manuelle,
Neneh Cherry, Pablo Milanés, Ketama, Miguel Ríos, Ana Torroja, Sole Jiménez, David Broza,
Jovanotti, María Rita, Zélia Duncan, Paulinho Moska, Jaime Roos, Adriana Varela, and the
Bajofondo Tango Club.
Drexler began writing songs in 1989, and in 1992 released his first album, La luz que
sabe robar. That same year, he graduated with a medical degree from the University of
the Oriental Republic in Uruguay. The release of his second album, Radar (1994),
marked the end of his first musical phase in Uruguay. He then crossed the Atlantic and
settled in Spain, where he recorded his third album Vaiven (1996). He now has 10
original albums to his credit, and has maintained an intense concert schedule, performing
in 16 countries.
His 2008 album, Cara B, was recorded live during a tour of seven cities in
Catalonia. Film director Manuel Huerga joined the project, shooting a feature-length
documentary about the tour titled Un instante preciso; the film received the
prestigious Popular Jury Prize at the 12th Malaga Film Festival, and was an official
selection at the London and Havana film festivals.
Drexler's songs have been featured in numerous other films, including No sos vos, soy
yo; Retrato de mujer con hombre al fondo; Las razones de mis amigos;
Antigua vida mía; Botín de guerra; Cándida; and El nido
vacío. He also wrote the soundtrack and two new songs for James Ivory's The City
of Your Final Destination, and composed a song for the Spanish-Brazilian co-production
Lope, directed by Andrucha Waddington.
In recent years, Drexler won Spanish Music Awards for 12 segundos de oscuridad
(Best Album) and Cara B (Best Pop Album). His last three albums were nominated in
the Grammy Awards' Best Latin Pop Album category. He received eight Latin Grammy
nominations; his album Amar la trama alone received four, including Album of the
Year.
This program is part of Drexler's first US tour in three years. Visit jorgedrexler.com for
more information.
World Music Institute (WMI) is the premier presenter of world music and
dance in the US. Since its founding in 1985, WMI has built the most comprehensive concert
series of music and dance in the nation, presenting more than 1,400 ensembles and soloists
from over 100 countries and regions. In addition to its concert series in New York, WMI
organizes national tours, and maintains an extensive catalog of recordings, videos, and
books of traditional music. Visit worldmusicinstitute.org for more information.
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