Visitante
Eduardo José Cabra Martínez (born September 10, 1979 in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico),[1] better known by his stage name "Visitante Calle 13" or simply "Visitante", is a Puerto Rican musician, multi-instrumentalist and musical composer of the Puerto Rican band Calle 13, which also includes his siblings Ileana Cabra (ILE) and René ("Residente"). They began their career making alternative reggaeton, but have moved away from the genre, taking an experimental and varied approach to music, with their lyrics being more geared to social and political concerns[2] which combines hip hop and urban with various Latin American musical styles.
Visitante | |
|---|---|
 Visitante performing at Fusion Festival in 2011. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Eduardo J. Cabra Martínez |
| Also known as | Visitante Calle 13 |
| Born | September 10, 1979 Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1995–present |
| Associated acts | Calle 13 |
Early life
Visitante, was born on September 10, 1979 in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico.[3] His father was also a musician.[4] Visitante met his step-brother Residente when they were both two years old, when Residente's mother married Visitante's father.[5] The family developed strong ties to the Puerto Rican arts community; his stepmother, Flor Joglar de Gracia, was an actress in Teatro del Sesenta, a local acting troupe, while his father was still a musician at the time.[6] His stepbrother Residente asserts that he and his family lived a relatively comfortable lifestyle growing up, placing them in a group of Puerto Ricans who are "too poor to be rich and too rich to be poor."[7] Although their parents later divorced, the stepbrothers remained close.[5] When he was at the seventh grade, he was once reprehended and taken to the principal room at school for refusing to sing the American national anthem - he would later become a supporter of the Puerto Rican independence, just like Residente.[8] Residente attendeded the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia, where he obtained a master's degree in art, while Visitante continued refining his skills as a musician, directing bands Kampo Viejo and Bayanga. When Residente returned to Puerto Rico the band Calle 13 was almost immediately put together.[9]
In late 2010 Visitante married Cuban singer Diana Fuentes.
Musical career
Visitante has been a musician most of his life, but it was not until 2004 that he began making music with his step-brother Residente, giving the band the name Calle 13.[5] The step-brothers hosted their music on a website, and began searching for a record label in order to release their music commercially.[5] After sending demo tapes to White Lion Records, the duo was offered a record deal.[5] The duo gained recognition for their controversial song "Querido FBI", which responded to the killing of Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, a key figure for the Puerto Rican independence movement.[6]
Cabra chose his stage name "Visitante" because that is how he had to identify himself to the guard every time he returned to his brother's house in Trujillo Alto.[4] Visitante's influences come from numerous musical genres. Artists that were influential on him included salsa master Rubén Blades, singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez and writer Tite Curet Alonso.
Visitante and his band Calle 13 have won 19 Latin Grammy Awards and 3 Grammys, the most by any group.[10]
Discography
- With Calle 13
- 2005: Calle 13
- 2007: Residente o Visitante
- 2008: Los de Atrás Vienen Conmigo
- 2010: Entren Los Que Quieran
- 2014: Multi Viral
Compositions
- 2006 – Loose (by Nelly Furtado)
- 2009 – Un viaje íntimo (by Mercedes Sosa)
- 2010 – Sale el Sol (by Shakira)
Filmography
- 2006 – My Block: Puerto Rico (documentary), as himself.
- 2009 – Mercedes Sosa, Cantora un viaje íntimo (documentary), as himself.
- 2009 – Calle 13: Sin Mapa (documentary), as himself.
Awards and nominations
Grammy Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Residente o Visitante | Best Latin Urban Album | Won |
| 2010 | Los de Atras Vienen Conmigo | Best Latin Urban Album | Won |
| 2015 | Multi Viral | Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album | Won |
Latin Grammy Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Calle 13 | Best New Artist | Won |
| Calle 13 | Best Urban Music Album | Won | |
| "Atrévete-te-te" | Best Short Form Music Video | Won | |
| 2007 | Residente o Visitante | Album of the Year | Nominated |
| Residiente o Visitante | Best Urban Music Album | Won | |
| "Pa'l Norte" (feat Orishas) | Best Urban Song | Won | |
| "Tango del Pecado" | Best Short Form Music Video | Nominated | |
| 2009 | Los de Atrás Vienen Conmigo | Album of the Year | Won |
| Los de Atrás Vienen Conmigo | Best Urban Music Album | Won | |
| "No Hay Nadie Como Tu" (featuring Café Tacuba) | Record of the Year | Won | |
| "No Hay Nadie Como Tu" (featuring Café Tacuba) | Best Alternative Song | Won | |
| "La Perla" (featuring Rubén Blades) | Best Short Form Music Video | Won | |
| 2011 | Entren Los Que Quieran | Album of the Year | Won |
| Entren Los Que Quieran | Best Urban Music Album | Won | |
| "Latinoamérica" (featuring Totó la Momposina, Susana Baca and Maria Rita) | Record of the Year | Won | |
| "Latinoamérica" | Song of the Year | Won | |
| Shakira's "Sale el Sol" (Composer) | Album of the Year | Nominated | |
| Best Pop Vocal Album | Won | ||
| "Calma Pueblo" | Best Alternative Song | Won | |
| "Baile de los Pobres" (featuring Rafa Arcaute) | Best Urban Song | Won | |
| "Vamo' a Portarnos Mal" | Best Tropical Song | Won | |
| Rafael Arcaute and Calle 13 | Producer of the Year | Won | |
| "Calma Pueblo" | Best Short Form Music Video | Won | |
| 2014 | Multi Viral | Best Urban Music Album | Won |
| "Respira el Momento" | Record of the Year | Nominated | |
| "Ojos Color Sol" (feat Silvio Rodríguez) | Song of the Year | Nominated | |
| "El Aguante" | Best Alternative Song | Won | |
| "Adentro" | Best Urban Song | Nominated | |
| "Cuando los Pies Besan el Piso" | Best Urban Contemporary Album | Nominated | |
| "Adentro" | Best Urban Performance | Nominated | |
| "Adentro" | Best Short Form Music Video | Nominated | |
| 2015 | "Ojos Color Sol" (feat Silvio Rodríguez) | Best Short Form Music Video | Won |
| "Así de Grandes Son las Ideas" | Best Short Form Music Video | Nominated | |
| 2017 | Visitante | Producer of the Year | Won[11] |
Billboard Latin Music Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Calle 13 | Best Reggaeton Album | Won |
| 2009 | "No Hay Nadie Como Tu" | Hot Latin Song of the Year Vocal Duet or Collaboration | Won |
Lo Nuestro Awards
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "Pa'l Norte" | Video of the Year | Won |
| 2009 | "Un Beso de Desayuno" | Video of the Year | Won |
| 2010 | "No Hay Nadie Como Tu" | Collaboration of the Year | Won |
Los Premios MTV Latinoamérica
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Calle 13 | Promising Artist | Won |
| 2007 | Calle 13 | Best Urban Artist | Won |
| 2009 | Calle 13 | Best Urban Artist | Won |
Instituto Cubano de la Música
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Calle 13 | Premio Internacional Cubadisco | Won |
Ateneo Puertorriqueño
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Calle 13 | Medalla Ramón Emeterio Betances | Won |
References
- imdb
- LT25 Radio San Nicolás (20 January 2012). "Manu Chao y René Pérez manifestaron su apoyo a Famatina". Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
- Calderón, Esther L. (November 12, 2011). "Por qué nos gusta René de 'Calle 13'". Divinity. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
- Divinity.es (12 November 2011). "Por qué nos gusta René de 'Calle 13'". Retrieved 12 March 2012.
- Birchmeier, Jason. "Calle 13 Biography". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-02-02.
- Rohter, Larry (2010-04-18). "Continuing Days of Independence for Calle 13". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-04-07.
- Morales, Ed (2009-08-02). "Calle 13, in search of the real Latin America". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2011-02-07.
- Acuña, Carlos (20 April 2014). "Me Llaman el Incongruente". Emeequis (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
- Rivera, Enrique. "Calle 13 Invites Fans To Embrace The Ugly". National Public Radio. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
- Informador (10 November 2011). "Calle 13 hace historia en los Grammy Latinos". Retrieved 20 February 2012.
- Ceccarini, Viola Manuela (20 November 2017). "The 18th Latin GRAMMY Awards in Las Vegas". Livein Style. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
