Jorge Drexler won for best song and gave the best speech (and the Oscars aren't even over). He sang and said thank you.
Even though he wrote and sang "Al otro lado del rio" in the "The Motorcycle Diaries," the producers of the Oscars didn't allow him to sing it; instead having Carlos Santana and Antonio Banderas perform his song.
So Drexler sang anyway when he won the Oscar. If only more speeches were as good as his performance. Hopefully, the producers will let the people who wrote and performed the songs do them in the future instead of stars. I doubt anyone tuned in because Banderas sang it instead of Drexler.
Drexler was profiled on the World on public radio. Josh Kun wrote about him last year.
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Article comments
1 - claudio
Vamos Drexler....
Its time for the etnocentric americans to reach out to the world. This is a genius musician and poet, his work deserves waayy much more credit than letting it fall in the "latino stereotype" that Banderas very disgustingly performs. Long hair, "sexy voice", tapping his lap as it was flamengo, finishing the song with his "OLE"... this is not all that southamericans represent, please open your eyes and your ears to the genius of Jorge Drexler.
2 - Eric Olsen
Drexler sang much better than Banderas anyway - I have no idea how they arrived at the Banderas-Santana combo, but an effort should be made to have the performers from the films do the songs on Oscar night. The performance is part of why the song was nominated in the first place.
3 - Mark Saleski
the song would have been soooo much better if they just had banderas and an acoustic guitar (which they did have offstage).
Santana was pointless (and i love the guy).
4 - Eric Olsen
the only song I really like was the Crows anyway: it seems like they pick most of the nominees out of a hat each year, and we still complain that the Grammys are musically out of touch?
5 - Toby Jean
Anybody else think that absolutely horrible Santana-Banderas performance was intentional? Why else was Banderas grinning when the camera swept to him after Drexler sang?
6 - Temple Stark
Steve,
Launched this on the world - or at least the part of the world that scours Advance.net for the (family-friendly) cream of the BC Web log.
Here's the link. Sorry here.
- Thanks. Temple
7 - Gabriela Cuello
I was so sad that they didn't allow Drexler to sing the song. At least it wasn't sang by Enrique Iglesias as it was originally planned... That would have been completely awful. Banderas' version wasn't very good either...
Well, on another side, I'm Uruguayan too and everyone here was completely thrilled about the award and the "speech" as well. Besides, yesterday we had our new President taking charge of the country, and he mentioned Drexler's achievement in his first speech. So that's how relevant the whole thing was to us!
Aguante Jorge!
8 - Rosemarie Mezza
Drexler may be famous in the Spanish speaking world, but I had never heard of him and I travel extensively.
I stopped everything I was doing between nominations, just to view and hear the Oscar-treat-performance of the musical master Carlos Santana, and the ever charming and charismatic Antonio Banderas.
I would have continued with my paper work had Drexler been the one to sing the song. Firstly because I did not know him until the Academy awarded his song and until those two perfectly known and adored stars Carlos Santana, and Antonio Banderas, gave their very own beautiful rendition of Drexler's song.
Regardless as to what South Americans think they represent, Drexler is a composer and performer of Spanish speaking music and one cannot get more Spanish than Antonio Banderas,that is why he ended the song with "Ole;" which expresses passion, pride, and respect for what a Spaniard performs or views being performed.
Santana gave Drexler and his song the "Midas touch", because whatever musical piece Santana touches, it becomes a golden hit throughout the world, not just the Spanish speaking world.
In my opinion, Drexler, displayed a huge ego and selfishness in wanting to force himself on the millions of viewers who had no interest in him as of yet.
Drexler's pushiness and lack of respect for the Academy's prerrogative discourages recognition of future foreign talent, who will not adhere to the Academy's requisites and decisions, but instead will undermine and disrespect it by pushing their way into a platform they have not yet earned.
Its like butting in on line, you know what I mean? Everyone has to pay their dues and gracefully accept the rules of each venue they are invited to, no one should ever rush in and force their performance, no matter how talented they are!
Drexler:
Instead of singing when you were told not to, you should have praised and thanked Santana and Banderas for giving such a special rendition of your song! You would have come out smelling like a rose and a true winner.
The way you stole the attention, was out of bounds and only made you look like a bad sport which made you look like a pompous looser!
9 - Javier Mendiondo
Dear Rosemarie Mezza:
I don´t agree at all with your point of view. How can an artist make himself well known? Performing his art. And I swear you, you would have stop anything else and pay attention to Jorge Drexler, if he would have the permission to perform his song in the Ceremony, because he knows how to hold the attention of the crowd. I´m sorry you couldn´t have this opportunity, because of the organizers' decision. I had seen him singing a few times. Watch him today (03/04/2005) in the Jay Leno "Tonight show" program, and then tell me your opinion. Good bye!
10 - Alfredo
Estimada Rosa MarÃa Mezza
Nadie es más "Spanish" que yo, y jamás digo "olé". Y nadie es más "Spaniard" que mi amigo Iván, que tampoco dice "olé". Estereotipos de lado, no veo por qué un artista tendrÃa que adaptarse a la llamada "academia" norteamericana; es al contrario, la "academia" si realmente lo fuera, ni siquiera habrÃa considerado la posibilidad de contratar a una persona famosa para que reemplace a un candidato a uno de sus premios. Pues es una de dos: o el candidato es malo y, por tanto, el premio de la academia no tiene valor, o el criterio de la academia es comercial, y por tanto tampoco dan valor al artista.
Banderas es un buen actor profesional, pero difÃcilmente un artista, y ya ha malogrado otra obra de arte en el pasado (acuérdese de El mariachi). Santana está viviendo de sus rentas pues hace mucho que dejó de ser el artista que navegaba entre Escila y Caribdis. Le queda el oficio y un buen corazón.
11 - Alejandro
I laughed a little bit with Santana "Midas touch" comment. I felt there was no room for his electric guitar. Santana is a master, and he should've known better than to force a naturally subtle acoustic song. Grab a nylon string for crying out loud. And Drexler was pretty gracious, considering Gael Bernal, the guy who played el Che boycotted the awards. He didn't need to thank anybody for taking his song away. By the way, Spanish is much more than "Ole!"
12 - Jonathan Pardys
Does anyone know when he's touring the states?