"Al otro lado del río" (transl. "On the Other Side of the River") is a song by Uruguayan singer Jorge Drexler from the soundtrack album for the film The Motorcycle Diaries (2004).[1][2] It was released as a single on 15 March 2005, by Dro East West.[3] Besides the film's soundtrack, the song was included in reissue editions of Drexler's seventh studio album Eco (2004) as a bonus track.[4] In June 2020, he performed the song at the launch show of the app 342 Amazônia at Circo Voador.[5]

"Al otro lado del río"
Single by Jorge Drexler
from the album The Motorcycle Diaries (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
LanguageSpanish
Released15 March 2005
StudioSmart Studios (Madison, Wisconsin)
Genre
Length3:13
LabelDro East West
Songwriter(s)Jorge Drexler
Producer(s)
Music video
"Al otro lado del río" on YouTube

Academy Award

edit

"Al otro lado del río" received the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 77th Academy Awards,[1][6][7] becoming the first Spanish language song, the second in a foreign language, to receive such an honor, and the first by a Uruguayan artist.[8]

The Oscars ceremony caused controversy because Drexler was not allowed to perform the song since "he was not popular enough," according to the Spanish newspaper El País.[9] Instead, Spanish actor Antonio Banderas and Mexican-American musician Carlos Santana sang the track, who were both introduced by actress Salma Hayek.[6] Upon winning, Drexler recited two verses of the song a cappella at the podium.[8][10] Despite the incident, Drexler said that he became friends with Banderas and wrote the poem "3 décimas para Antonio Banderas" for him in 2019.[11]

Awards and nominations

edit

Credits and personnel

edit

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Motorcycle Diaries (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).[12]

  • Jorge Drexler – vocals, songwriting, performance, guitar, programming, production
  • Leo Sidran – piano, percussion, programming, production
  • Ana Laan – background vocals
  • Jeff Eckels – bass
  • Carina Voly – cello
  • Ben Sidran – piano
  • Jon Vriesacker – violin
  • Mark Haines – recording, mixing at Smart Studios, Madison, WI
  • Hector Coulon – additional recording at UML Studios

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 137. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. ^ "Soundtrack of The Motorcycle Diaries". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Al Otro Lado del Rio – Single by Jorge Drexler". Apple Music. United States. 15 March 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  4. ^ Jorge Drexler (2005). Eco² (liner notes). Gasa. 2564-62224-2.
  5. ^ "Al Otro Lado del Rio – Jorge Drexler Ao Vivo no Circo Voador | Lançamento do App 342 Amazonia". YouTube. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "Music and Lyric by Jroge Drexler Academy Awards Acceptance Speech". Aaspeechesdb.oscars.org. Archived from the original on 16 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  7. ^ a b "The 77th Academy Awards (2005): Nominees and Winners". Archived from the original on June 10, 2014.
  8. ^ a b "Drexler gana primer Oscar uruguayo". BBC Mundo (in Spanish). 28 February 2005. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  9. ^ Hernández-Santos, Elsa (1 March 2005). "Justicia poética para Jorge Drexler". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  10. ^ "Drexler critica a la organización de los Oscar por prescindir de él para interpretar su canción candidata". El Mundo (in Spanish). Mundinteractivos. Retrieved April 16, 2015.
  11. ^ Piñón, Manu (26 November 2019). ""Te vi jugarte el pellejo por mí en aquel escenario": la dedicatoria de Jorge Drexler a Antonio Banderas en el PremioVF". Vanity Fair (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  12. ^ Gustavo Santaolalla (2004). The Motorcycle Diaries (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (liner notes). Universal Music Group. 00289 477 5237.
edit