Ile | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ile in 2017 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Ileana Mercedes Cabra Joglar |
| Also known as | PG-13 |
| Born | (1989-04-28)April 28, 1989 (age 35) Hato Rey,San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 2004–present |
| Labels | Sony Latin |
| Member of | Calle 13 |
| Website | ilevitable |
Ileana Mercedes Cabra Joglar[1] (Spanish:[ileˈanameɾˈseðesˈkaβɾaxoˈɣlaɾ]; born April 28, 1989), known professionally asIle (stylized asiLe), is aPuerto Rican singer and songwriter. She began her musical career during her teenage years as a backing vocalist forCalle 13 under the stage namePG-13, a group she took part in for 10 years alongside her brothers René Pérez Joglar (Residente) and Eduardo Cabra Martínez (Visitante).
Her debut solo album,Ilevitable was released in June 2016. It won aGrammy in the categoryBest Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album in 2017. For it, Ile was also nominated for theLatin Grammy Awards as "Best New Artist".
Ile has performed in Puerto Rico, the United States, and Europe.
Ileana Mercedes Cabra Joglar is the daughter of Flor Joglar de Gracia, an actress who formed part of the theatre troupe Teatro del Sesenta. Her father, José Cabra González is a creative advertiser and musician. From a very young age, Cabra showed great interest in music. She began to sing even while still learning how to speak, phonetically imitating the voices of famous singers or movie soundtracks that appealed to her. During this time, she would often sing at private parties and family gatherings.
While attending Josefita Monserrate de Sellés elementary school, she joined the School Choir and the Handbell Choir headed by Evangeline Oliver. For eight years, she studied piano at El Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico.[2] Cabra inherited her voice from her mother and her grandmother, Flor Amelia de Gracia, teacher, and composer, who is also featured on the back cover of Calle 13'sself-titled debut album.[3] At age 16, as a second year high school student, her brotherResidente picked her up one day after class and asked her to sing "La Aguacatona", a song he had written for a demo he was working on with her brotherVisitante. She began to take private singing lessons with renowned Puerto Rican soprano Hilda Ramos and then additional vocal studies with Cuban singer Gema Corredera, a member of the group Gema y Pavel.
From that point on, she began to collaborate as a vocalist for her brothers' new musical project. "La Aguacatona" caught the attention ofWhite Lion Records. After recording a second song, "La Tribu", she was immediately nicknamed PG-13 by her cousin Ian Marcel Cardozo Joglar, since she was under-aged at the time, she joined the group andPG-13 is normally used to classify movies that require parental guidance for children under 13.
During 2005, she was active in the late-night circuit of shows and presentations in various venues throughout the island, which would help give form and structure to what was to become Calle 13. At only 16 years of age, she found herself singing on stage in front of thousands at theColiseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot, as part of Calle 13's first concert. She chose to interpret "Puro Teatro", a song previously recorded byLa Lupe, which is one of her favorite artists.
On May 2, 2009, Calle 13 performed once again at theColiseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot for the release of their third albumLos de Atrás Vienen Conmigo. "In The Heights" playwrightLin-Manuel Miranda was invited to make an appearance afterResidente had seen his acceptance speech forBest Original Score at the62nd Tony Awards.[4][5][6] Backstage, Flor Joglar de Gracia, mother of Ile andResidente, revealed to Miranda their connection toGilberto Concepción de Gracia, founder of thePuerto Rican Independence Party.[7][8] Miranda andResidente have since confirmed their family relation through social media.[9][non-primary source needed][10][non-primary source needed][11][12][non-primary source needed][13][non-primary source needed][14]
PG-13 continued traveling with Calle 13 during her junior year of high school. At that time, she had the opportunity to visit other countries and share the stage with some of her most admired artists, such asGustavo Santaolalla,Kevin Johansen, andSusana Baca.
When she was 18, PG-13 sang at the8th Annual Latin Grammy Awards presentation held at theMandalay Bay in Las Vegas, as part of Calle 13's interpretation of "Pa'l Norte" which opened with PG-13 performing a soloa cappella.[15]
In November 2011, Calle 13 opened the Gala at the 12th edition of the Latin Grammy Awards with the theme "Latinoamérica" performed with a symphony orchestra arrangement by Alex Berti and conducted by Musical Director Gustavo Dudamel. According to Latino Fox News, PG-13's high notes left everyone in silence.[16]
By the end of 2012, she participated in the traditionalBanco Popular TV Christmas Special which has been produced and transmitted each year since 1993. On this occasion, for the special "Hecho con Sabor a Puerto Rico" Cabra had an impressive performance singing "La Pared"[17] which was described by the Diario of NY as "superb" 4 La Pared is one of the first successful songs written by Puerto Rican composerRoberto Angleró.
In 2010, Kevin Johansen invited Cabra as a guest performer during his presentation at the Buenos Aires National Theatre where together they sang "Logo," a song included in Johansen's repertoire and recording; The Nada Liniers: Live in Buenos Aires.[18]
In 2012, boxing championMiguel Cotto chose Cabra to sing thePuerto Rican National Anthem during the introduction ceremony prior to his fight againstFloyd Mayweather Jr. Her interpretation was widely acclaimed, including by the legendaryBob Dylan, who in 2015 mentioned her in hisMusiCares Person of the Year speech: "I was in a boxing match a few years ago watching Floyd Mayweather fight a boxer from Puerto Rico and someone sang the Puerto Rican national anthem. And it was beautiful, it was heartfelt, it was moving".[19]
In 2014, she collaborated with Gustavo Cordera on the theme "Estoy Real" for the "Cordera Vivo" production, which was recorded at La Trastienda Club in Buenos Aires, Argentina. One year later, in 2015, she was invited by Jorge Drexler to sing on stage the song "Olas y Arena" by Puerto Rican composer Sylvia Rexach during Drexler's concert in Puerto Rico as part of the Uruguayan singer's tour.
In 2017, she guests sang on "Hijos del Canãveral", the closing track of her brother'sdebut solo album.[20]
In March 2022, she was featured on a single byAdrian Quesada called “Mentiras con Cariño."[21][22][23]
In August 2015, Cabra announced that she was changing her stage name to Ile and was working on her first solo album. The recording took place during that entire year under the production of Ile and Ismael Cancel.[24]
In May 2016,Ilevitable was released to the praise of critics and peers. According toNPR "the album established her immediately as a first-class interpreter of the classic sounds that flow through Latin America."[25]Jon Pareles ofThe New York Times described it as "a knowingly retro survey of Latin music's past, full of romance and a longing that can turn despondent. She sings richly orchestrated boleros, delicate ballads and percussive boogaloo and mambo, without a hint of either irony or naïveté."[26]
Some of Puerto Rico's most prominent musicians collaborated on the album: Piro Rodríguez, Charlie Sepulveda, Bayrex Jiménez,Eduardo Cabra, Fofé Abreu fromCirco, Louis García and the lateCheo Feliciano in one of his last recordings ever.
The first single released was "Caníbal" and it was accompanied by a dramatic video directed by Argentinian Juan Manuel Costa. The video was described as an "animated Frida Kahlo painting"[27] and was positively reviewed.[28] Her second single and video, "Te Quiero Con Bugalú," was released on July 7.
Also in July 2016, Ile embarked on her first tour with her new band, performing the songs fromiLevitable. On July 7, she performed at theHighline Ballroom as part of theLatin Alternative Music Conference Official Showcase.[29] July 8 she performed her first solo show outside of Puerto Rico—live atSOB's, also in New York.[30] Later that month she participated in the Nuevofest inPhiladelphia and in the Millennium Park Summer Series in Chicago.[31] August 4 Ile performed at theLincoln CenterOut of Doors series, presented and recorded byNPR.[32]
In September 2016,The Recording Academy nominated Ile for her firstLatin Grammy asBest New Artist.
In February 2017,Ilevitable won aGrammy Award forBest Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album.
On May 20, 2019, Ile released her sophomore album,Almadura, a title that literally translates to "strong soul" and is a play on words of the Spanish word for "armor" ("armadura").[33] The album contains modern and electronic takes on Puerto Rican and other Caribbean musical styles and folklore, referencing traditional musical genres like bomba and featuring artists like jazz and salsa pianistEddie Palmieri.[2][33]
Almadura not only reflects on Puerto Rico's cultural roots but on its present and future, as well, notably in the wake ofHurricane Maria.[2][33] The video for the lead single, "Odio," reenacts theCerro Maravilla murders as a message of empowerment and solidarity in response to the aftermath of the storm.[2][34]
In a year-end essay forSlate,Ann Powers citedAlmadura as proof thatthe format is not dead but rather undergoing a "metamorphosis", with artists such as iLe utilizing theconcept album through the culturally relevant autobiographical narratives.[35]
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Her third album,Nacarile, was released on October 21, 2022.[36]
Nacarile, a substantial 11-track project, is the outcome. It incorporates iLe's love of traditional Latin American music, Puerto Rican folk percussion, and even some of the hip-hop she and her brothers used to perform in the renowned group Calle 13 when she was younger. However, Nacarile also fuses new genres into iLe's most inventive, forward-thinking effort yet by fusing astral synths, irreverent art pop, and prismatic melodies.[37]
A song,Afilando los cuchillos, (English: "Sharpening the knives") with lyrics byBad Bunny,Residente, and iLe, was released during theTelegramgate protests.[38][33]
