Carlos Victoriano Varela Cerezo is a Cuban singer-songwriter born in Havana, Cuba, on April 11, 1963.
He belongs to the musical movement known as Nueva Trova, whose lyrics are influenced by political and social changes. His songs are a true reflection of the criticisms that have been directed at the regime throughout the years of the Cuban Revolution, which has led to some issues for him.
He studied theater at the Superior Institute of Art. He founded his first group in 1988.
He has toured various parts of the world with nationally and internationally renowned artists. This has led him to share the stage with: Silvio Rodríguez, Gerardo Alfonso, Pablo Milanés, Alberto Tosca, Xiomara Laugart (1986, Spain), Amaury Pérez (1988, Mexico), Joaquín Sabina (1995, Spain), Jackson Browne (2004, England and various European countries), Pablo Milanés, Víctor Manuel, Ana Belén, and Luis Eduardo Aute (2012, Quito), among many other places and personalities.
In 1992, when Cubans were experiencing the harshest years of the Special Period, his album Monedas al Aire was released and was very well received for addressing themes such as the fall of the Socialist Bloc, the reevaluation of Marxist ideology and religion, Cuba's isolation from the rest of the world suffocated by the need for political and social changes, and the issue of violence. In this way, he defined his dissenting stance against the regime, gifting Cubans with iconic lyrics like "Retrato de Familia," a song that tackles the sensitive topic of separation due to emigration, which saw a significant increase in 1990s Cuba because of the political and economic situation.
Some of their themes have served as the soundtrack for short films and feature films: "Una palabra" was the piece chosen in 2005 by director Alejandro González Iñárritu for his BMW short film The Hire – Powder Keg. The following year, director Tony Scott selected the same song for the final scene of the movie Man on Fire, starring Denzel Washington, Christopher Walken, Marc Anthony, and Dakota Fanning. This is their most internationally covered piece.
He participated in the 2009 macro-concert organized by Juanes, “Peace Without Borders,” which took place at the Plaza de la Revolución in Havana, featuring artists such as Miguel Bosé, who had already made a version of his song "Walls," Olga Tañón, Juanes, among others.
In 2013, to celebrate his 30 years of artistic career, he held a concert that included American Jackson Browne, Brazilian Ivan Lins, Nicaraguan Luis Enrique, Puerto Rican Eduardo Cabra, and Cubans X Alfonso, Juan Formell, Alexander Abreu, Samuel Formell, Issac Delgado, Diana Fuentes, among others.
His album Como los Peces (1995) earned him the ONDAS award in Spain as Latin Artist of the Year.
He has continued to perform concerts in various places around the world, always committed to the situation of Cubans and delivering harsh criticisms of the regime through his songs.
In November 2019, in light of the 500th anniversary of the founding of Havana, the song "Habáname," which was featured in the celebration gala, was censored in its most significant verses without his permission.
"If a song were enough
to give back everything
that time took from you"
….
"And the years keep passing
and we look on with sorrow,
as every wall of illusion
crumbles away"
Discs:
Jalisco Park (1989)
Carlos Varela Live (1991)
Coins in the Air (1991)
Like the Fish (1995)
Clouds (2000)
Seven (2003)
The Sons of William Tell Vol. 1 (2005)
It's Not the End (2009)
All His Greatest Hits (2009)
The Silent Scream (2019)
