Eduardo José Cabra Martínez, better known by his stage name "Visitante Calle 13" or simply "Visitante", is a Puerto Rican musician, multi-instrumentalist and musical composer of the Puerto Rican band Calle 13, which also includes his siblings Ileana Cabra and René. They began their career making alternative reggaeton, but have moved away from the genre, taking an experimental and varied approach to music, with their lyrics being more geared to social and political concerns which combines hip hop and urban with various Latin Americanmusical styles.
Early life
Visitante, was born on September 10, 1979 in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico. His father was also a musician. Visitante met his step-brother Residente when they were both two years old, when Residente's mother married Visitante's father. 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. 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." Although their parents later divorced, the stepbrothers remained close. 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. 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. In late 2010 Visitante married Cuban singer Diana Fuentes.
Musical career
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. The step-brothers hosted their music on a website, and began searching for a record label in order to release their music commercially. After sending demo tapes to White Lion Records, the duo was offered a record deal. 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. 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. 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.
Discography
; With Calle 13
2005: Calle 13
2007: Residente o Visitante
2008: Los de Atrás Vienen Conmigo
2010: Entren Los Que Quieran
2014: Multi Viral
Compositions
2006 – Loose
2009 – Un viaje íntimo
2010 – Sale el Sol
Filmography
2006 – ', as himself.
2009 – Mercedes Sosa, Cantora un viaje íntimo, as himself.
