Jorge Drexler | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Drexler at the39th Goya Awards in 2025 | |
| Born | Jorge Abner Drexler Prada (1964-09-21)21 September 1964 (age 61) Montevideo, Uruguay |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1996-present |
| Partner | Leonor Watling |
| Website | www |
Jorge Abner Drexler Prada (born 21 September 1964) is a Uruguayan musician and actor. Drexler is known for winning the 2005Academy Award forBest Original Song for "Al Otro Lado del Río" fromThe Motorcycle Diaries, becoming the first Uruguayan to win an Oscar and marking the first time aSpanish-language song received the award.
Drexler was born inMontevideo.[1] In 1939 his father, aGerman Jew fromBerlin, fled to Bolivia with his family at the age of four to escapeNazi persecution.[2][3] His mother is a Christian of mixed Spanish, French, andPortuguese descent.[2] Drexler was raised Jewish,[2] but does not follow any organized religion.[4]
Like many of his family, he studied medicine and became anotorhinolaryngologist—specializing in ear, nose, and throat.[5] Drexler began playingpiano at age five, before attending guitar and composition classes.[6] Although he had an interest in music, he became a doctor like both of his parents.[7] He attended medical school in Montevideo.[2] During his time in medical school, Drexler took a break tohitchhike throughBrazil.[2] He also studied music and recorded two albums, which were only released in Uruguay.
In 1995 he was invited toMadrid by well-known Spanish songwriterJoaquín Sabina, who introduced him to other important Spanish singers. Drexler went to Spain to record the albumVaivén in 1996 with Spanish musicians.Vaivén included some old songs from his previous releases mixed with new compositions. He moved to Spain and recorded another four albums:Llueve (1997),Frontera (1999),Sea (2001) andEco (2004). In 2001, Drexler co-wrote two songs for Spanish singerRosario Flores ("Agua y Sal" and "Rosa y Miel") for her albumMuchas Flores.[8]
Drexler's song "Al Otro Lado del Río" appeared in the internationally acclaimed filmThe Motorcycle Diaries. Though Drexler himself sang the song on the movie soundtrack, he was not allowed to perform the song at the2005 Academy Awards, since "he was not popular enough," according to Spanish newspaperEl País; Spanish actorAntonio Banderas and Mexican-American musicianCarlos Santana sang the track instead.[9] Upon winning, Drexler recited two verses of the song at the podium.[10][11] Drexler became the first Uruguayan to win an Academy Award.[10]
After that, he released12 Segundos de Oscuridad (2006); this album contained ten original songs and two covers: "High and Dry" from British bandRadiohead and "Disneylandia" from BrazilianTitãs. Although he lives most of the year in Spain, his albums were partially recorded in Uruguay with Uruguayan musicians.Juan Campodónico andCarlos Casacuberta, former members of rock bandEl Peyote Asesino, had produced Drexler's albums fromFrontera to12 Segundos De Oscuridad. In 2008, he released a double live album, recorded in different concerts in Spain:Cara B (2008), mainly filled with songs previously unreleased. During 2009, Drexler worked with Colombian performerShakira on the Spanish-language versions of her singles "She Wolf", "Did it Again" and "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).
Drexler recordedAmar la Trama (2010) on November 1–4, 2009 in Madrid, Spain in just four days, with musicians playing live on studio.[12] Drexler described the album as playful, without "the melancholy and anguish" of12 Segundos.[13]Amar la Trama was recorded in a television studio in front of a small audience who were selected in an online contest.[12] He chose this format to avoid the "coldness" of therecording studio.[14]
His albumBailar en la Cueva, released in 2014, marked a stylistic shift toward more rhythm-focused and dance-oriented music. Drexler has described the album as contrasting with his earlier works, which he characterized as more introspective and nostalgic. He has also stated that it differs significantly from his previous album, referring to it as the “opposite pole” ofAmar la Trama.[15]
In 2017, he releasedSalvavidas de Hielo, an album constructed entirely from sounds produced by guitars and the human voice, including percussion effects.Tinta y Tiempo was released in 2022.[16]
His music is a combination of Uruguayan traditional music (candombe,murga,milonga,tango),bossa nova,pop,jazz andelectronic music. The words also play an important role in his songs. Apart from love, reflections about identity, race and religions are a constant in his work.[17]
Drexler was previously married to singer-songwriterAna Laan. His girlfriend is Spanish actress/singerLeonor Watling, with whom he has two children. Watling is in the bandMarlango.[18] His cousin is the scientistAlejandra Melfo.[19]
Aside from hisAcademy Award for Best Original Song, Drexler has been nominated five times at theGrammy Awards, for the albumsEco (2004),12 Segundos de Oscuridad (2006),Cara B (2008),Bailar en la Cueva (2014), andSalvavidas de Hielo (2017); and received thirteenLatin Grammy Awards, twice forBest Singer-Songwriter Album andRecord of the Year and one forSong of the Year. For his work writing Spanish-language versions of singles by Colombian singer-songwriterShakira, he has received fiveASCAP Latin Awards.[20][21][22] Drexler also received aGoya Award in 2010 with the song "Que El Soneto Nos Tome Por Sorpresa", written for the Spanish filmLope; the same year he was named Commander of theOrder of Isabella the Catholic for his musical contributions.[23] Overall, Drexler has received 13 awards from 46 nominations.In November 2018, Drexler took home record of the year and the song of the year for "Telefonía" and the best singer-songwriter album forSalvavidas de Hielo at the Latin Grammys 2018.
Desde hace mucho tiempo he perdido mi fé en todas las religiones organizadas. No creo en Dios.Al menos no de la manera en que se lo describe habitualmente.