The Uruguayan singer and composer, Jorge Drexler, received the crowning award of La Mar de Músicas 2021 festival. The organization decided that this year, Drexler was deserving of the award that, in other editions, has been received by musicians such as Salif Keita, Totó la Momposina, Oumou Sangaré, Susana Baca, Cheick Lô, Pablo Milanés, Omara Portuondo and Gino Paoli; and the City of Cartagena said the award was given for being an artist "rebel of universal pulsation, in whose guitar transatlantic twang new songs back and forth."

The singer has also been recognized with the La Mar de Músicas award, in recognition of relevant figures of world music, for having been able to "conjure up, from the roots, a full, challenging poetry, a lifeline of knowledge and memory. And for reminding us that to live is to be in constant movement," said the organizers of the event.

Drexler celebrated and accepted the recognitions in the best possible way, by giving his third concert in the last year and a half. 

"I am going to celebrate in the best way, which is singing for you. It's an honor and I hope to live up to it."

As an ambassador of Uruguay and Ibero-America in Spain, and around the world, Drexler is a singer-songwriter with a tireless spirit. He is a troubadour skilled in prose and verse with a knack for expressing people's emotions and a huge and beautiful ability to build bridges between different cultures. For the festival organizers, Drexler's profile perfectly represents the spirit of La Mar de Músicas.

This concert at the ceremony opens a season of concerts in his tour of Spain after a complicated year for cultural events. The staging of his concert began in a minimalist way, with Drexler in the middle of the stage, with his guitar and voice, improvising on the fly summarizing the last minute changes to the festival.

Taking a tour of his albums, Drexler sang "Milonga del moro judío" and the biographical "Montevideo," part of his album Salvavidas de hielo (2017). The iconic "Polvo de estrellas" preceded "Inoportuna," to make an ode to reflection and the passage of time with "La edad del cielo." "Asilo" and the simplicity of "Guitarra y vos," "Toque de queda," "Codo con codo," were created amid the world pandemic, and received a nomination for the Latin Grammy 2020 awards in the category of "Song of the Year," were also performed.

At the audience's request, Drexler played "Los puentes," "Soledad," and in another improvised moment, he performed a duet with singer Rocío Márquez, who was present at the awards ceremony. In the last part of the concert he did not want to leave out songs like "Movimiento;" "Bolivia," "La trama y el desenlace," and took the opportunity to close with "Silencio" and the enchanting "Todo se transforma."