Alejandro Ernesto Balbis (Montevideo, December 4, 1967) is a Uruguayan singer, composer, guitarist and producer.

Alejandro Balbis
Alejandro Balbis en 2010.
Alejandro Balbis en 2010.
Background information
Birth nameAlejandro Ernesto Balbis
Born (1967-12-04) December 4, 1967 (age 56)
OriginMontevideo, Uruguay
GenresRock and roll, Murga, Música Rioplatense
Occupation(s)Singer, composer, guitarist and producer
InstrumentsGuitar, vocals
Years active1980–present
LabelsMontevideo Music Group

Biography

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Early life

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Alejandro Balbis took his first steps in music at a young age, taking guitar lessons with Jorge Lazaroff, and then singing and directing the children murga Firulete,[1] which later changed its name to Contrafarsa. Eventually, he started competing in the major carnaval. As the time went by, Balbis started to grow as an artist and to gather young musicians he met at singing workshops he gave in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His main influences were Alfredo Zitarrosa, Carlos Gardel and Atahualpa Yupanqui, among many others.[citation needed]

Carnaval

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Since childhood, he showed a great fondness of carnaval, more specifically, the murgas. He went on to become part of murgas such as Contrafarsa, Falta y Resto, Saltimbanquis, A Contramano, Asaltantes con Patente, etc.[2][3]

Solo career

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After many years of experimenting with different sounds and musicians, "Ale" Balbis got to record his debut album, titled "El Gran Pez", in reference to the movie Big Fish, which had a big impact on the musician's life. The record was viewed in a positive light by critics, especially in Billboard and Rolling Stone magazines, getting a four star score in the latter. The album was presented in Club Niceto and sold out.[citation needed]

Current band

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  • Tomás Wille (drums, percussion)
  • Tiago Vega (bass)
  • Manuel Eguía (guitar)
  • Sebastián Baró (lead guitar)
  • Leandro Stivelman (first chorus, accordion)
  • Nicolás Oviedo (chorus)
  • Valentin de la Concepción (chorus)

Discography

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Bibliography

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  • Montevideo Cachichurris. Issue No. 13 – April 4, 1999, Page 9. Weekly publication – Montevideo, Uruguay.

References

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  1. ^ "Soy un cantor de murga". 180.com.uy. 15 November 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  2. ^ "Hacer canciones es laburar para ellas". Página 12. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  3. ^ "Entrevista a Alejandro Balbis". Radiomental. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 6 December 2014.