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 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 challenges for the artist.
He studied theatre at the Higher Institute of Art, and 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 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 well received for addressing topics such as the fall of the Socialist Bloc, the reevaluation of Marxist ideology or 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 iconic lyrics like "Retrato de Familia," a song that tackles the sensitive subject of separation due to emigration, which saw a significant rise in 90s Cuba due to the political and economic situation.
Some of their themes have served as soundtracks for short films and feature films: “Una palabra” was the track that in 2005 director Alejandro González Iñárritu chose for his BMW short film The Hire – Powder Keg. The following year, director Tony Scott would select the same song for the final scene of the film Man on Fire, starring Denzel Washington, Christopher Walken, Marc Anthony, and Dakota Fanning. This is their most covered song internationally.
He participated in the 2009 macro-concert organized by Juanes “Paz sin fronteras,” which took place at the Plaza de la Revolución in Havana, featuring artists like Miguel Bosé, who had already created a version of his song "Muros," Olga Tañón, Juanes, among others.
In 2013, to celebrate his 30 years in the music industry, he held a concert featuring 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 from Spain as Latin Revelation Artist.
He has continued to perform concerts in various locations around the world, always committed to the plight of Cubans and delivering sharp critiques of the regime through his songs.
In November 2019, as a result of the 500th anniversary of the founding of Havana, its theme "Habáname," which was presented at the celebration gala, was censored in its most important verses without his authorization.
"If a song were enough
to give you back everything
that time took from you"
….
"And the years go by
and we look on in pain,
as each wall of illusion
crumbles down"
Discs:
Jalisco Park (1989)
Carlos Varela Live (1991)
Coins in the Air (1991)
Like the Fish (1995)
Clouds (2000)
Seven (2003)
The Sons of Guillemo Tell Vol.1 (2005)
It's Not the End (2009)
All His Greatest Hits (2009)
The Silent Scream (2019)
