Words by Sabia McCoy-Torres—
For such an iconoclastic and rebellious act, Puerto Rico’s Calle 13 sure cleaned up at last year’s Latin Grammys, winning a record-setting eight wins for their LP Entren Los Que Quieran. And the project is still bearing fruit. With “La Vuelta al Mundo,” (“Turn the World Around”) rapper-vocalist Residente, the well-known face of the group, and behind-the-scenes producer Visitante ventured into old-fashioned love song territory, and now they’ve got an almost movie-like video to tell the story.
Far from typical musica urbana, this song sounds more like folk music with Al Green lyrics. French horns, flute melodies, fingers snapping, and guitar strumming compliment love talk (“I’m going to escape to the nearest constellation, luck is my oxygen, your eyes are my window” ) you might hear in wedding vows, while African derived djembe drums characteristic of music throughout the Caribbean tie this song to their native Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, the video, directed by Argentinean film maker Juan José Campanella, is a conceptually creative and charming story about a man who uses post-it notes to transform his stifling office world into a pleasant landscape to brighten the day of his co-worker/love interest.
Calle 13’s worldwide release of their new video La Vuelta al Mundo (Around the World)
It makes us discover the inner power to reach the unreachable.
In times like these, when the world’s workforce experiences one of its most unstable moments, Calle 13 releases their new video La Vuelta al Mundo, challenging and empowering the audience to regain control over their lives and pursue those goals that faded way within the everyday life.
A convincing minimalist performance by Argentinian actors Soledad Fandiño and John Minujín, makes us live the story of two clerks, who unknowingly share a common wish to break-up the dull routine that marginalized their lives. Clinging to surroundings, the characters transform office supplies into tools and imagination into art, to color and shape disappointment, helplessness, love and hope, while constructing their liberty in a fantasy world that takes them away from a consuming reality.
Some may remember the frustration and aspirations of La Tregua’s (Mario Benedetti) characters Martin Santomé and Laura Avellaneda, others may recall the most recent post-it-notes war, when a group of French underworked employees made a statement to show their discontent. But the truth is that once again, Calle 13, demonstrates how art can become a powerful vehicle for reflection and social transformation.
The video was directed by Oscar winner filmmaker Juan José Campanella, (El Secreto de sus ojos; in English, The secret in their eyes). The clip, produced by 100 Bares, takes place inside an office building located in the Villa Urquiza tango roots neighborhood, in the suburbs of Buenos Aires.
Throughout sequences, as a narrator, Residente Calle 13 (René Perez Joglar) appears and disappears witnessing the characters’ transformation. The on-and-off presence of Visitante (Eduardo Cabra Martínez) and their sister PG-13 (Ileana Cabra Joglar) plays the role of consciousness, as the impulse to pursue individual growth. “It was a joint effort, where creativity and performance were the key factors to convey our message to all the people that want but don’t dare to break-up with routine”, said Residente. And added, “We wanted the audience to put themselves in the shoes of the characters, and live their personal stories through them… to make them think about how much empowerment they may have over their lives, even if they don’t acknowledge it.”
The theme La Vuelta al Mundo is part of Calle 13′s latest album, Entren los que quieran (in English, Those who want to may come in) that gave the Puerto Rican band nine Latin Grammys last November. Currently, Calle 13 is working on what will be their new musical production. The band started touring last May, making a first stop in the U.S, after which they will travel to Europe, for the second time since 2011, where they have already booked 21 presentations.