Carlos Varela

Infobox musical artist
Name = Carlos Varela


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Origin = Ciudad de La Habana
Genre = Nueva Trova
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Carlos Varela (born April 11, 1963) is a singer-songwriter of nueva trova from Havana, Cuba. In the 1980s he joined the Nueva Trova musical movement, a political music genre connected with Fidel Castro's revolution. Like many other Cuban musicians of his timeFact|date=May 2007, Varela was "silenced" in his first years as a trovadour. In the verses of one of his oldest songs "Memorias" [Memoirs] form his 1989 album "Jalisco Park" he mentions this situation saying "a veces me ponen en la radio, a veces no" [sometimes they air me on the radio, sometimes they don't] among other verses criticizing how few choices are left for the regular Cuban. From the same album comes the tune "Guillermo Tell" William Tell one of his most popular and controversial ones. It tells the story of the son of William Tell who wants to take control over his father and take his chance shooting at the apple instead of being always the one shot at tracing parallels of how young people were patronized and manipulated by the Regime. He, like many others, had to perform in Havana's parks and private patios until Silvio Rodriguez, one of the nueva trova founders, "discovered" him and helped the "nomo" [Gnome] (nickname coming from the way he dresses) taking him on a tour to Spain. His first CD "Jalisco Park" was published in Spain. Nowadays Varela's music is known for its open criticism of some of Castro's policies, although still considered Nueva Trova.

His song — "Una Palabra" [A Word] — was used in the film Powder Keg (2001) one of the famous series of the BMW car, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu starring Clive Owen and again in the film "Man on Fire" in 2004 starring Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning. He has manage to integrate his music in several Cuban films as well, such as Las profecias de Amanda and Video de familia among others.

Discography

External links

* [http://www.carlosvarela.com/ Carlos Varela Official site]