Carlos Victoriano Varela Cerezo (born 11 April 1963) is a Cuban singer-songwriter of
Nueva Trova
Nueva Trova (, "new trova") is a movement in Cuban music that emerged around 1967/68 after the Cuban Revolution of 1959, and the consequent political and social changes.
Nueva Trova has its roots in the traditional trova, but differs from it beca ...
, a political and poetic musical genre. Nueva Trova began as a reaction to the unjust conditions that led to the Cuban Revolution in 1959. Varela joined the Nueva Trova musical movement in the 1980s while in his 20s. He has earned the nickname ("cariño" in Spanish) of "Nomo" (
Gnome
A gnome is a mythological creature and diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature. Its characte ...
), due to the way he dresses.
Career
Silvio Rodríguez, one of the most well-known founders of Nueva Trova, discovered Varela and took him on tour in Spain. His first CD, "Jalisco Park", was published there in 1989.
Today Varela's music is known for its open criticism of the status quo in post-revolutionary Cuba, but is still considered part of the Nueva Trova movement and genre.
Singer-songwriter
Jackson Browne
Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States.
Emerging as a precocious teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he h ...
translated Carlos Varela's song "Walls and Doors" into English for Browne's 2014 ''
Standing In The Breach
''Standing in the Breach'' is the fourteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Jackson Browne. It was released on October 7, 2014, by Inside Recordings and was his first album of new material in six years.
Track listing
All tracks com ...
'' recording and tour.
Varela's song "Una palabra" ("One Word") was used in the soundtrack of the film ''
Powder Keg'' (2001) directed by
Alejandro González Iñárritu starring
Clive Owen
Clive Owen (born 3 October 1964) is an English actor. He first gained recognition in the United Kingdom for playing the lead role in the ITV series '' Chancer'' from 1990 to 1991. He received critical acclaim for his work in the film '' Close ...
, and again in the film ''
Man on Fire'' in 2004 starring
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has been described as an actor who reconfigured "the concept of classic movie stardom". Throughout his career spanning over four decades, Washington ha ...
and
Dakota Fanning. It was also used in Episode 3 of Netflix's series, The Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer.
He has integrated his music into the soundtracks of several Cuban films as well, such as ''Las profecías de Amanda'' ("The Prophesies of Amanda") and ''Video de familia'' ("Family Video"), among others.
Discography
References
External links
Carlos Varela Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Varela, Carlos
1963 births
Cuban musicians
Living people