INDISPENSABLE MUSIC FEATURE STORY: GUSTAVO SANTAOLALLA
For a composer to become truly iconic, his work has to be instantly recognizable. Gustavo Santaolalla has achieved his icon status for just this reason. With his signature ronroco, the Andean mandolin he learned to play as a boy, he’s carved out a singular sound that has graced film, TV, and even games, including the award-winning scores for Brokeback Mountain, The Last of Us (the TV show and the game), and many more.
Born on August 19, 1951 in the Ciudad Jardín Lomas del Palomar neighborhood of the Buenos Aires province, he was given his first ronroco and became utterly captivated by music, abandoning his early desire to become a priest. He formed his first group, Arco Iris (“rainbow” in Spanish) in 1967 at age 16. An acoustic rock ensemble whose music was imbued with regional folk sounds, Arco Iris was highly influential from its inception through the late 70s. After most of the members moved to California, he remained in Argentina and set about recording with a new outfit, Soluna, which recorded one album, Energía Natural, released in 1977. Hounded by the dictatorial Argentine government, he eventually ventured to California himself, forming yet another band, Wet Picnic.
He busied himself with other projects, producing an album for Leon Gieco entitled Pensar en Nada and recording his first solo albums. He and Gieco collaborated again for a series of recordings, De Ushuaia a la Quiaca 1, 2 and 3, that showcased traditional Argentinian musicians. Finding himself a key player in the Rock en Español scene, he continued to produce albums for artists like Molotov, Maldita Jacinda, and Café Tacuba. He also toured with his band, Bajofondo, an ensemble comprising musicians from Argentina and Uruguay. Throughout this period, he continued tinkering the instrument that was his first love -- the one that would change his direction entirely.
His seminal 1998 solo recording, Ronroco, was a celebration of the instrument for which the album was titled and both an exploration of and re-interpretation of Argentine folk traditions. It introduced the song “Iguazu,” named for the national park that borders Brazil and home to the sublime Iguazu Falls (the largest waterfall system in the world). The track became of one of the composer’s most well-known songs, appearing in movie and TV soundtracks, including The Insider, Deadwood, Collateral, Babel, and Top Gear. While the album was not a commercial success, it earned a cult following and propelled Santaolalla into the next phase of his musical journey — a composer for film.
He’s rejected being cast as a film composer, rather, “I see myself as more of an artist that uses different forms to express myself. I love it all.” 1 Yet that particular form has seen his greatest successes. His score for The Motorcycle Diaries employs a variety of strings, including the ronroco, guitars, and cello. He was awarded the Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music from BAFTA (the British Academy Television and Film Awards) in 2004, and won another for his work on Babel in 2006.
Also in 2006, he won his first Academy Award for Brokeback Mountain. The script and the characters attracted him to the project. “You really felt for those characters, that loneliness and that sadness, and it's truly a heartbreaking story.” he told NPR. His music was a driving force when it came time to shoot the movie, as the score had already been written, and informed artistic decisions by director Ang Lee. “The environment of the story, you know, called for something spacious, you know. I love silence in music,” he explained. “I hate when you have the feeling that something was not happening on the screen, and then they look at each and they say, `Let's put some music'. “2 The song, “A Love That Will Never Grow Old” from the soundtrack earned him a Golden Globe as well.
"The Last of Us" (live at Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires)
Babel earned him a second Oscar, and he continued to rack up awards as a producer, including Grammys, Latin Grammys, and more for work with Café Tacuba, Juanes, La Vela Puerca, and others. He’s collaborated with artists as diverse as Brazilian singer Marisa Monte, American Soprano, Dawn Upshaw, Eric Clapton, and Morrissey.
His latest high-profile project is the score for the HBO series, The Last of Us, for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award. His music was used in the popular game, released in 2013, which served as the blueprint for the TV series. He discussed the project in this video.
A truly unique, innovative and gifted composer, Gustavo Santaolalla’s creativity has touched so many, whether they be film goers, TV viewers, gamers or simply fans of thoughtful and emotion-driven music. His next project, whatever it may be, is sure to fascinate and delight.
Indispensable Music Spotify Playlist / Gustavo Santaolalla
1. Gustavo Santaolalla, Making Music For Both Stage and Screen