Biography

Isabel de Sebastián & Bob Telson + Franco Luciani's biography

Bob Telson, a New Yorker who made a name for himself when he composed “Calling You”, the Oscar-nominated theme song for the film Bagdad Café, boasts, however, other equally important accomplishments, as he was nominated to the Grammy, Pulitzer and Tony awards for his compositions for Broadway.
He studied organ, counterpoint and harmony in France with the legendary teacher Nadia Boulanger, and later on pursued further studies at Harvard. Once a graduate, he joined the band of composer Philip Glass. During the golden age of salsa in New York he joined Tito Puente’s and Machito’s bands, and afterwards the gospel band The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, for which he also composed, arranged and produced. He has mainly composed songs and soundtracks for theatre, dance (Twyla Tharp) and several films, including the Argentine production La vida según Muriel. His songs have been recorded by international artists like Barbra Streisand, Natalie Cole, George Benson, Wynton Marsalis, Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, George Michael, Céline Dion, Joe Cocker and K.D. Lang. In 1989 he met his wife, singer Isabel de Sebastián, on the occasion of her trip to New York to record her first solo album.
Previously, Isabel de Sebastián had been a member of the mythical band of the Porteño underground, Las Bay Biscuits, and in 1981 she formed the band Metrópoli, with which she released two records that are considered “cult albums”. She was also a member of Luis Alberto Spinetta’s band in 1986/87, and was guest singer for Virus, Los Redonditos de Ricota and Fito Páez, among others.
For their show at the Festival, Bob and Isabel will be accompanied by the remarkable harmonicist from the city of Rosario, Franco Luciani, born in 1981 and already among the most talented young artists of the Argentine popular music. A consummate performer in all the varieties of our country’s popular music and owner of a special talent for improvisation, Franco has shared the stage with such big names as Mercedes Sosa, León Gieco, Luis Salinas, Domingo Cura, Raúl Barboza and Divididos, among others. He is also involved in the project Sanluca –alongside Raúl Carnota and percussionist Rodolfo Sánchez–, and has recently toured Canada, Spain, Belgium and France.

www.isabeldesebastian.com • www.francoluciani.com.ar
www.myspace.com/francoluciani