Hollywood Flashback: When a Spanish-Language Song First Won at the Academy Awards

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This year’s Oscar nominees for the best original song include two tracks in Spanish by Emilia Pérez: “El Mal” and “Mi Camino.” The Academy has had a long-standing interest in songs with a Latin flavor, dating back to the category’s inaugural year in 1934 when “Carioca” from Flying Down to Rio was nominated. Interestingly, this song didn’t have Spanish lyrics and was famous for being the first dance number shared by Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire on screen.

It wasn’t until 2005, with the win of “Al Otro Lado del Río” from Focus Features’ “The Motorcycle Diaries,” that Spanish speakers finally had a film to represent them in this category. Directed by Walter Salles, who is nominated for three Oscars this year with his latest work, “I’m Still Here,” the movie is largely based on Che Guevara’s memoir. In this memoir, Guevara and Alberto Granado embark on a journey across South America, traveling primarily on a Norton 500 motorcycle.

Jorge Drexler, a well-known Uruguayan musician, shared with THR that director Walter Salles didn’t specify what kind of song he wanted. Instead, Drexler picked the topic and the style, such as tempo, rhythm, and tone. The next morning, he emailed an MP3 version of his composition to Salles; this particular take ended up in the final film.

Although Drexler wasn’t well-known enough to perform his song during the Oscars, they instead chose Antonio Banderas and Carlos Santana for that role. However, the songwriter wasn’t willing to let this opportunity pass: When Prince handed him the award, Drexler sung a few lines without any musical accompaniment, then ended his acceptance speech with a casual, “Goodbye, thank you.” (in Spanish: “Ciao, gracias.”)

This tale was initially published in the independent issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine for February. To get the magazine, simply click here to become a subscriber.

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2025-02-15 23:24