Uruguayan singer-songwriter, Jorge Drexler, has earned countless accolades over the years, including multiple Latin Grammy wins. On this episode, which first aired in 2023, he talked to our host Maria Hinojosa about some key moments in his life and career—and the unexpected turns that have come along with it.

From growing up as the son of a Holocaust survivor, becoming an ENT doctor and dropping medicine to pursue music, to the making of his album, “Tinta y tiempo,” and why it almost didn’t come to life.

Jorge first caught the world’s attention in 2005, when his song, “Al otro lado del río,” included in the movie “The Motorcycle Diaries,” became the first Spanish-language song to ever win an Academy Award. And he became the first Uruguayan to ever win an Oscar.

After that exhilarating night, Jorge says, everybody told him that every door would open for him and that he could break big into the global music scene if he moved to Los Angeles or Miami. At the same time, he was going through a divorce.

“And I said, okay, but you know what? I’m going to make a record about what I’m actually feeling, which is sadness. If I have to follow my instinct and my truth, or if I have to follow the circumstances, I’m going to follow my truth.”

And from that pain one of his most acclaimed records came to life: “12 segundos de oscuridad,” released in 2006. From then on, Jorge has released five more albums that have established him as one of the most prominent Latin American singer-songwriters of our time.

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Photo featured courtesy of Jorge Drexler. 

This episode originally aired in 2023.