Uruguay Is Asking:Why the Oscars Snubbed Jorge Drexler?

[XXPANTHAXX]

Antonio Banderas Got to Sing His Award-Winning Song;
National Pride Is at Stake

By KATY MCLAUGHLIN
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
March 2, 2005; Page A1

Yesterday, the tiny South American nation of Uruguay
inaugurated its first socialist president ever. Shops were
shuttered, and people flooded the streets of the capital by
the thousands to celebrate.

And what was the main headline in Uruguay's biggest
newspaper? The scandal at the Oscars.

On Sunday night, an Uruguayan singer won the Oscar for
best song. It's the first Academy Award ever won by an
Uruguayan, and the first for a Spanish-language song. The
song, from the soundtrack of "The Motorcycle Diaries," the
movie about Che Guevara, was written -- words and music --
by Jorge Drexler, a popular recording artist from
Montevideo, who sings it in the movie.

But Mr. Drexler wasn't invited to sing his song on the
Oscar broadcast. The show's producers, preferring to book
stars, tapped the actor Antonio Banderas to sing it and
Carlos Santana to accompany him on guitar. Mr. Banderas
was born in Spain, Mr. Santana in Mexico.

Standing along the inaugural parade route yesterday in
Montevideo, Leticia Talmon, 22 years old, was watching
motorcades roll past. But her mind was on Mr. Drexler.
"They think everyone who speaks Spanish is the same," she
said, while her four friends -- some wearing red, blue and
white flags sewn by their mothers for the occasion --
muttered about the unfairness of it all.

"I laughed when I saw Antonio Banderas's flamenco version,"
said Ms. Talmon, referring to his gestures, which evoked a
Spanish musical style. "That has nothing to do with the
culture here."

Mr. Drexler, meanwhile, is being widely praised in Uruguay
for an act of rebellion that was probably lost on many
Oscar viewers. When he accepted his award, he didn't thank
his mother, his producers or his agent. He sang a cappella,
a couple of stanzas from his song, "Al Otro Lado del RÃ*o"
("The Other Side of The River.")

That simple act has become an emblem of national pride. The
Uruguayan press has dubbed it "the next Maracanazo," a
reference to a legendary soccer match, played more than a
half-century ago, in which the underdog Uruguayan team
turned around a losing game and snatched the World Cup from
soccer giant Brazil, on Brazil's home field, Maracanã
stadium.

Newspapers praised his a cappella performance as an "act of
revenge" and a "bofetada sin mano," an expression that
translates literally "a slap without a hand." On
yesterday's inauguration day, El PaÃ*s, the country's
largest-circulation newspaper, put out a six-page special
section dedicated to Mr. Drexler. All the coverage is
justified, says Henry Segura, the paper's performing-arts
editor. It's "the most significant thing to happen in
Uruguay in many years," he says, adding: "It was a triumph
of dignity."

Uruguay is a country of about 3.3 million people, roughly
the size of Oklahoma. Its low-key culture pales next to
sultry Argentina's to the south. Its tiny economy is
constantly battered by the wild financial swings of
Argentina and Brazil, Uruguay's neighbor to the north.

Given Uruguay's relative lack of presence on the world
stage, the country celebrates even its smallest
contributions to pop culture. "We got excited when they
mentioned the word 'Uruguay' on 'The Simpsons,' " says
Daniel Drexler, Jorge's brother, "even though they
pronounced it 'you are gay' and made a joke out of it."

Yesterday in Uruguay, newspapers, the TV news, radio shows
and many Uruguayans were united in two things: Joy at Mr.
Drexler's triumph, and outrage at the slight. News shows on
Monday night led with a detailed analysis of the
controversy. Radio Futura, a call-in talk and music radio
station, took more than 100 calls on Monday about the
award, mostly from people expressing pride that Mr. Drexler
had burst into song on the Oscar show.

The Uruguayan public has been following Mr. Drexler's
struggle for the past two weeks, ever since he and the
producers of "The Motorcycle Diaries," learned that he
wasn't being invited to sing on the telecast. Mr. Drexler
himself called Gil Cates, the Oscar broadcast producer, and
pleaded with him to reconsider.

It isn't uncommon for the Oscar show to bypass the original
singers of nominated songs. This year Beyonce sang three of
the nominated songs, and she didn't sing in any of the
nominated films. Still, Mr. Drexler was unhappy not to be
included. He says that in the end he faced facts and gave
Mr. Banderas his blessing. Mr. Banderas, he says, acted
"like a gentleman."

Mr. Cates said he understands why Mr. Drexler and other
Uruguayans are upset. "I would be upset, too," he says.
He explained that he chose Mr. Banderas simply because he
was a bigger star, and the Oscar broadcast, in addition to
being an award show, is also a variety show -- and the
attraction to viewers is big-name stars. "This is show
business," said Mr. Cates.

Mr. Drexler says he is delighted that his saga has been
embraced by his countrymen. "It was like we were down nine
men to 11, and we won anyway," he said on Monday, using a
soccer metaphor to describe the comeback role he played on
Oscar night. "I wanted to sing that song, and I did, and
that made me happy."

--Vanessa Nichols in Montevideo, Uruguay, contributed to
this article.

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New Govt Of Uruguay Restores Diplomatic Ties With Cuba

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
March 1, 2005 5:13 p.m.

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP)--Uruguay's new president restored
full diplomatic ties with Cuba in one of his first acts
Tuesday, more than two years after a diplomatic row between
the two Latin American countries.

President Tabare Vazquez was joined by Cuban Foreign
Minister Felipe Perez Roque as he made the announcement
only hours after being sworn in as Uruguay's first leftist
president.

Jorge Battle, the outgoing president, broke diplomatic
relations with Cuba in 2002 after a war of words with Cuban
leader Fidel Castro following Uruguay's decision to condemn
Cuba 's human rights record in an annual U.N. vote in
Geneva. The two countries had since maintained consular
relations.
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The thrust of the media coverage I've seen so far is to
try to blunt the political significance of Uruguay's vote
to at last bring the Frente Amplio to power. After 170
years of rule by one or another rightist regime, the left
orientation of Tabare Vasquez was made immediately obvious
by his government's prompt recognition of Cuba. This is a
declaration of political independence from Washington and
now means that virtually every government on the continent
except for that of El Salvador and its paymasters in the
US now recognize the island's government. Here in Cuba we
have had extensive coverage of Foreign Minister Felipe
Perez-Roque's participation in the celebrations, and his
meeting with Tabare Vasquez was shown on the news last
evening, followed by a detailed interview with the Cuban
Foreign Minister.

(Uruguay's progressive newly elected government, called
a "government of hope" by Cuban commentator Juana Carrasco
Martin, enters office with a mixture of high expectations
and limits on its room to maneuver. The military remains
a very powerful force, and the Frente Amplio has come to
office in a parliamentary election, not as a result of an
armed revolution as the Cuban government did. Caution is
appropriate for this government today. Declaring its will
to be independent of Washington, and to join the broader
trend toward Latin American integration and recognition
of Cuba are two important positive steps which this new
government took on its first day in office. Good news!)
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[Elisa Keisha]

I dunno about hidden stuff here... but I know this is suppose to be about how famous the artists is... coz they didnt let Antonio Banderas sang at the Oscar's some years ago (a song that was suppose to be singed by him) coz he wasnt famous enuf. Now he is, he can sing... Its still not right.... but...