Visitante

Visitante, was born on September 10, 1979 in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico.[3] His father was also a musician.[4] Visitante met his step-brother Residente when they were both two years old, when Residente's mother married Visitante's father.[5] The family developed strong ties to the Puerto Rican arts community; his stepmother, Flor Joglar de Gracia, was an actress in Teatro del Sesenta, a local acting troupe, while his father was still a musician at the time.[6] His stepbrother Residente asserts that he and his family lived a relatively comfortable lifestyle growing up, placing them in a group of Puerto Ricans who are "too poor to be rich and too rich to be poor."[7] Although their parents later divorced, the stepbrothers remained close.[5] When he was at the seventh grade, he was once reprehended and taken to the principal room at school for refusing to sing the American national anthem - he would later become a supporter of the Puerto Rican independence, just like Residente.[8] Residente attendeded the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia, where he obtained a master's degree in art, while Visitante continued refining his skills as a musician, directing bands Kampo Viejo and Bayanga. When Residente returned to Puerto Rico the band Calle 13 was almost immediately put together.[9]

In late 2010 Visitante married Cuban singer Diana Fuentes.

Visitante performing in Nicaragua in 2009.

Visitante has been a musician most of his life, but it was not until 2004 that he began making music with his step-brother Residente, giving the band the name Calle 13.[5] The step-brothers hosted their music on a website, and began searching for a record label in order to release their music commercially.[5] After sending demo tapes to White Lion Records, the duo was offered a record deal.[5] The duo gained recognition for their controversial song "Querido FBI", which responded to the killing of Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, a key figure for the Puerto Rican independence movement.[6]

Cabra chose his stage name "Visitante" because that is how he had to identify himself to the guard every time he returned to his brother's house in Trujillo Alto.[4] Visitante's influences come from numerous musical genres. Artists that were influential on him included salsa master Rubén Blades, singer-songwriter Silvio Rodríguez and writer Tite Curet Alonso.

Visitante and his band Calle 13 have won 19 Latin Grammy Awards and 3 Grammys, the most by any group.[10]

With Calle 13

• 2005: Calle 13
• 2007: Residente o Visitante
• 2008: Los de Atrás Vienen Conmigo
• 2010: Entren Los Que Quieran
• 2014: Multi Viral

• 2006 – My Block: Puerto Rico (documentary), as himself.
• 2009 – Mercedes Sosa, Cantora un viaje íntimo (documentary), as himself.
• 2009 – Calle 13: Sin Mapa (documentary), as himself.

• Calle 13 official website

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