Carlos Varela (1963 - ) músico y cantautor cubano. Nace el 11 de abril de 1963 en La Habana. Fiel exponente de la nueva trova cubana de los últimos tiempos. De la generación posterior a Silvio Rodriguez, Pablo Milanés, etc., tomándolos a estos como referentes para sus temas, como son, Monedas al Aire, Como los Peces, Tropicollage, Lucas y Lucia, etc., pero con un toque más actual con respecto a sus tiempos y tratando por sobre todo temas sociales actuales de la Cuba de hoy, teniendo algunos problemas con el régimen político por sus letras que, si bien no se muestran totalmente opuestas al régimen cubano, hablan en muchas ocasiones de los principales problemas sociales, económicos y políticos que azotan a su país.
Sus actuaciones se suceden por Canadá, España, México, Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, Suecia, Dinamarca y Estados Unidos... compartiendo escenarios con Silvio Rodríguez, Pablo Milanés, Fito Paez, Joaquín Sabina, Mercedes Sosa y otros.
El día 8 de diciembre de 2006 ofreció un memorable concierto en el Estadium del centro recreativo "José Antonio Echeverría" en La Habana el cual estuvo dedicado al 26 aniversario de la muerte de John Lennon y también al 28 Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano. Varela toco durante casi dos horas bajo las inclemencias del tiempo. "Bendita lluvia" dijo Varela y siguió protagonizando uno de sus conciertos más memorables de la actualidad.
Carlos Varela (born April 11, 1963) is a singer-songwriter of nueva trova from Havana, Cuba. In the 1980s he joined the Nueva Trova musical movement, a political music genre connected with Fidel Castro's revolution. Like many other Cuban musicians of his time[citation needed], Varela was "silenced" in his first years as a trovadour. In the verses of one of his oldest songs "Memorias" [Memoirs] form his 1989 album "Jalisco Park" he mentions this situation saying "a veces me ponen en la radio, a veces no" [sometimes they air me on the radio, sometimes they don't] among other verses criticizing how few choices are left for the regular Cuban. From the same album comes the tune "Guillermo Tell" William Tell one of his most popular and controversial ones. It tells the story of the son of William Tell who wants to take control over his father and take his chance shooting at the apple instead of being always the one shot at tracing parallels of how young people were patronized and manipulated by the Regime. He, like many others, had to perform in Havana's parks and private patios until Silvio Rodriguez, one of the nueva trova founders, "discovered" him and helped the "nomo" [Gnome] (nickname coming from the way he dresses) taking him on a tour to Spain. His first CD "Jalisco Park" was published in Spain. Nowadays Varela's music is known for its open criticism of some of Castro's policies, although still considered Nueva Trova.
His song — "Una Palabra" [A Word]— was used in the film Powder Keg (2001) one of the famous series of the BMW car, directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu starring Clive Owen and again in the film Man on Fire in 2004 starring Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning. He has manage to integrate his music in several Cuban films as well, such as Las profecias de Amanda and Video de familia among others.
