Jorge Drexler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jorge Drexler
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Drexler at the 39th Goya Awards in 2025
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Jorge Abner Drexler Prada
21 September 1964 Montevideo, Uruguay
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| Years active | 1996-present |
| Partner(s) | Leonor Watling |
Jorge Abner Drexler Prada (born September 21, 1964) is a talented musician and actor from Uruguay. He is famous for winning an Oscar in 2005 for his song "Al Otro Lado del Río". This song was featured in the movie The Motorcycle Diaries. Jorge Drexler was the first person from Uruguay to win an Oscar. His song was also the first Spanish-language song to receive this award.
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Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Jorge Drexler was born in Montevideo, the capital city of Uruguay. His father was a German Jew who moved to Bolivia with his family in 1939. They left Berlin to escape the Nazi persecution. His mother is Christian with Spanish, French, and Portuguese roots. Jorge was raised Jewish, but he does not follow any specific religion now.
Like many in his family, Jorge studied medicine. He became an otorhinolaryngologist, which is a doctor who specializes in ears, noses, and throats. He started playing the piano when he was five years old. Later, he took classes for guitar and music composition. Even though he loved music, he followed his parents' path and became a doctor. He went to medical school in Montevideo. During his studies, he took a break to hitchhike through Brazil. He also recorded two music albums, but these were only released in Uruguay.
Music Career and Oscar Win
In 1995, a famous Spanish songwriter named Joaquín Sabina invited Jorge to Madrid, Spain. There, Jorge met other important Spanish singers. He moved to Spain and recorded his album Vaivén in 1996 with Spanish musicians. This album included some of his older songs and new ones. After that, he released four more albums: Llueve (1997), Frontera (1999), Sea (2001), and Eco (2004). In 2001, he helped write two songs for Spanish singer Rosario Flores.
Jorge Drexler's song "Al Otro Lado del Río" was used in the popular movie The Motorcycle Diaries. Even though Jorge sang the song on the movie's soundtrack, he was not allowed to perform it at the 2005 Academy Awards. News reports said he "was not popular enough." Instead, Spanish actor Antonio Banderas and Mexican-American musician Carlos Santana sang it. When Jorge won the Oscar, he recited two lines from his song on stage. This made him the first Uruguayan to win an Academy Award.
After his Oscar win, he released 12 Segundos de Oscuridad (2006). This album had ten original songs and two cover songs. One cover was "High and Dry" by the British band Radiohead. Even though he lives mostly in Spain, his albums are partly recorded in Uruguay with local musicians. He also worked with Colombian singer Shakira in 2009. He helped with the Spanish versions of her songs "She Wolf", "Did it Again", and "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)".
In 2010, Jorge recorded Amar la Trama in just four days in Madrid. He wanted the album to feel playful and less sad. He recorded it in a TV studio with a small audience. He chose this method to avoid the "cold" feeling of a regular recording studio.
His 2014 album, Bailar en la Cueva, showed a new side of his music. It focused more on rhythm and dance, which was different from his earlier, more thoughtful albums. In 2017, he released Salvavidas de Hielo. For this album, he explored how much he could do with just a guitar and the human voice. Every sound on the album, even percussion, came from these two sources.
His album Tinta y Tiempo came out in 2022. This was a challenging album to make because of the pandemic. It was hard for him to write songs without being able to share them with others. As the world reopened, he reconnected with people and finished the album. A main idea in this album is seeing life, love, and the world with fresh eyes. This message is strong in his song "Cinturón Blanco".
Jorge Drexler's music mixes different styles. These include Uruguayan traditional music (candombe, murga, milonga, tango), bossa nova, pop, jazz, and electronic music. This creates unique songs with original sounds. The words in his songs are also very important. Besides love, he often writes about identity, different cultures, and religions.
Personal Life and Family
Jorge Drexler was previously married to singer-songwriter Ana Laan. He is now with Spanish actress and singer Leonor Watling. They have two children together. Leonor Watling is also part of the band Marlango. His cousin, Alejandra Melfo, is a scientist.
Awards and Recognitions
Besides his Academy Award for Best Original Song, Jorge Drexler has been nominated for many other awards. He has been nominated five times at the Grammy Awards. He has also received thirteen Latin Grammy Awards. These include awards for Best Singer-Songwriter Album, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. For his work on Spanish songs for Shakira, he received five ASCAP Latin Awards.
In 2010, Jorge Drexler also won a Goya Award for his song "Que El Soneto Nos Tome Por Sorpresa." This song was written for the Spanish movie Lope. In the same year, he was honored as a Commander of the Order of Isabella the Catholic for his musical contributions. Overall, Jorge Drexler has won 13 awards from 46 nominations. In November 2018, he won Record of the Year and Song of the Year for "Telefonía" at the Latin Grammys. He also won Best Singer-Songwriter Album for Salvavidas de Hielo that year.
Discography
- La Luz Que Sabe Robar (Ayui, 1992)
- Radar (Ayui, 1994)
- Vaivén (Virgin, 1996)
- Llueve (Virgin, 1997)
- Frontera (Virgin, 1999)
- Sea (Virgin, 2001)
- Eco (Warner, 2004)
- 12 Segundos de Oscuridad (Warner, 2006)
- La Edad del Cielo (Warner, 2007)
- Cara B (Warner, 2008)
- Amar la Trama (Warner, 2010)
- Bailar en la Cueva (Warner, 2014)
- Salvavidas de Hielo (Warner, 2017)
- 30 Años (Warner, 2021)
- Tinta y tiempo (Warner, 2022)
See also
In Spanish: Jorge Drexler para niños
