Carlos Victoriano Varela Cerezo is a Cuban singer-songwriter born in Havana, Cuba, on April 11, 1963.
It belongs to the musical movement known as Nueva Trova, whose lyrics are influenced by political and social changes. Its lyrics are a true reflection of the criticisms that have been directed at the regime throughout the years of the Cuban Revolution, which has resulted in some challenges.
He studied theater at the Higher Institute of Art, and 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 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 hardest years of the Special Period, their album Monedas al Aire was released and received very well for addressing topics such as the fall of the Socialist Bloc, rethinking Marxist ideology and religion, Cuba's isolation from the rest of the world, suffocated by the need for political and social change, and the issue of violence. In this way, they defined their dissenting stance towards the regime, gifting Cubans with iconic lyrics like "Retrato de Familia," a song that touches on the sensitive subject of separation due to emigration, which saw a significant rise in 1990s Cuba due to the political and economic situation.
Some of their themes have served as soundtracks for short and feature films: "Una palabra" was the piece that director Alejandro González Iñárritu chose in 2005 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.
Participated in 2009 in the 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 created 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, and 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 conveying harsh criticism of the regime in his songs.
In November 2019, following the 500th anniversary of the founding of Havana, his song "Habáname," which was featured at the celebration gala, was censored in its most important verses without his authorization.
"If a song was enough
to give you back everything
that time took from you"
….
"And the years go by
and we look on with pain,
as each wall of illusion
comes crashing down"
Discs:
Jalisco Park (1989)
Carlos Varela Live (1991)
Coins in the Air (1991)
Like the Fish (1995)
Clouds (2000)
Seven (2003)
The Children of Guillemo Tell Vol.1 (2005)
It's Not the End (2009)
All His Greatest Hits (2009)
The Silent Scream (2019)
