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Ferra (Singer-songwriter)

Ferra (born Carlos Marcelo Ferraresi, October 17, 1961 in Mendoza, Argentina) is an Argentine singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer. He has composed songs for singers like Paulina Rubio, La Original Banda el Limon, Yahir, Banda el Recodo, Los Tigres del Norte, Pepe Aguilar, Enanitos Verdes, Luis Coronel, Reyli, Shaila Durcal, Larry Hernandez or Pedro Fernandez. Ferra also has teamed with composers as Reyli, Claudia Brant, Aureo Baqueiro, Dan Foliart, Horacio Palencia, Lori Barth, Yoel Henriquez, Paulina Aguirre, Edgar Oceransky and Diego Verdaguer.

Biography

He grew up musically influenced by his fatther (Carlos Aquiles Ferraresi), who was a fan of Dixieland. His mother (Martha Gonzalez del Solar) and his love of reading were a great literary influence, in addition to the fact, a little overrated by the family, to be Ferra great-great grandson of the writer Jose Hernandez, the author of the book "Martin Fierro". Ferra discovered his love for music at the age of eleven, getting 45 rpm vinyl records of famous movie theme songs recordings and learning to sing them through phonetics. At the age of thirteen started to play guitar learning from his high school classmates. At the same time he was totally amazed by The Beatles music. Seeing this, his parents bougth him his first guitar and he started playing it by ear and writing his first song attempts. Then they put him in guitar lessons but he didn’t fit in there so he continued learning by himself, playing up from six to eight hours a day. Then at the age of eighteen, he moved to Cordoba, Argentina to attend National University of Cordoba where after five years and the creation of a twelve minutes symphonic work he obtained a bachelor’s degree in music composition. He also learned to play piano during that time. One of his first experiences on stage was singing his own songs at the Cordoba Rock ’84 Festival where he obtained the “Best New Solo Artist” award. Then he returned to Mendoza, where he started to compose professionally, writing songs and music for theatre and playing keyboards with all the hottest bands in town. In 1990 he moved to Cochabamba, Bolivia to work at a recording studio as producer and composer and to produce his first own recording. In 1991 he moved to Mexico City pursuing his singing career. In Mexico he really learned the craft of a composer writing hundreds of songs for many artists in various styles. In 1999 he was finalist in the Viña del Mar International Song Festival representing Argentina and singing his song “El mundo va al reves”. During 2002 and 2003 he was touring Mexico, USA and Central America with the mexican band “Elefante” as an opening act and invited musician. In 2004 he was again finalist in the Viña del Mar International Song Festival representing Mexico, singing his song “Siete”. Despite all his success, “Di que regresaras” (co-written with Octavio Lara) a song recorded by La Original Banda el Limon in 2011, has been the most successful song of Ferra so far. “Di que regresaras” became #1 in United States and remained fourteen weeks on top of charts. He has also released four solo albums including his songs. He composed soap-opera songs like “Buscando el paraiso” (Buscando el paraiso, Televisa 1993-1994), “Para amarte asi” (Cancion de amor, Televisa 1996), "La fuerza del amor" (DKDA, Televisa 1999-2000) and “La fea mas bella”,"El club de las feas", “Dueña de mi vida” and “Se busca un hombre” (La fea mas bella, Televisa 2006-2007). His songs has been part of various Grammy and Latin Grammy nominated and winner recordings like “No puedo estar sin tu amor” (Por ti, Banda el Recodo), “Amor secreto” (Pau-latina, Paulina Rubio), “Te mueres por volver” (Asi, Shaila Durcal), “Le pido a Dios” (Mas de un camino, Pepe Aguilar) and “Te propongo” (Mexicano hasta las pampas II, Diego Verdaguer). In 2010 Ferra created “Abc of songs, La Clinica de Composicion” a travelling workshop for latin songwriters.

Awards and Recognitions

Ferra won the “Best New Solo Artist” award at the Cordoba Rock ’84 Festival. He was finalist in the Viña del Mar International Song Festival in 1999 singing his own song “El mundo va al reves” as Argentina representative. In 2004 he was again finalist in the Viña del Mar International Song Festival singing his own song “Siete” as Mexico representative. His song “Di que regresaras” was awarded in 2012 as “ASCAP Latin Song of the Year”, get him the title of Songwriter of the Year 2012 awarded by the Monitor Latino Convention in Los Angeles, California and was nominated as "Best Banda Song of the Year" at the 2012 Billboard Mexican Music Awards. “Di que regresaras”obtained an aditional ASCAP award in 2013. In 2014 his song “Mi niña traviesa” obtained a new ASCAP award.

Personal life

After living in Mexico City for eighteen years, Ferra resides in Los Angeles since 2010. He continues with his singing career as well as making the crossover into english as songwriter.

Curiosities

He is a practicioner of healing techniques as IRECA and Thetahealing. His biggest music influences are The Beatles, The Carpenters, Carlos Gardel, Fito Paez, mexican bolero and ranchera music.

Discography

• El baile del espejo (1991)
• El mundo va al reves (1999)
• Natural (2004)
• Luz Electrica (2008)
• Girando (2008) (Colective production with Edgar Oceransky, Lazcano Malo, Rodrigo Rojas, Charlene Arian and Edel Juarez)

External links

• Ferra official website
• Ferra on the ASCAP website
• Diario Los Andes: Ferra muestra su talento en Viña
• MDZ online: El mendocino Ferra ganó el premio ASCAP a la “Mejor canción latina 2011”
• Diario Los Andes: Ferra trae sus canciones
• Ferra, compositor, productor y cantante.