JOEL VIRGEL

Joël Virgel’s exceptional blend of Bossa Nova, Soul, Afro-Beat and sophisticated melodies is a direct result of being born on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe and raised in Paris. He grew up listening to the soulful sounds of Stevie Wonder and the Brazilian love songs of Carlos Jobim, while cultivating a deep appreciation for the tender melodies of Brahms.As a Parisian teenager, Joël’s passion for music inspired him to launch his career as a drummer and percussionist. A few years later, Joël embarked on an American holiday, which wound up becoming his new home. He immediately found himself immersed in the art, music and fashion scenes of New York and Los Angeles, singin backup for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and playing drums with a myriad of artists such as the Wild Colonials and Nina Hagen. Always inspired to improve upon his artistry, he studied voice and drums at the Dick Grove School of Music while singing bass in a local Los Angeles classical choir.By the mid-1990’s, Joël had built a reputation as a uniquely talented singers. He was sought after for his sexy continental flair, singing in different languages for television commercials and performing regularly with several bands whose styles span the musical spectrum. Correspondingly, Joël had discovered the world of yoga, the yogi devotional music known as Kirtan and was soon lending his vocal and percussionist talents to well-known Kirtan artists Krishna Das, Wah!, and Bhagavan Das. The yoga world fell in love with Joël’s rhythmic drumming and soulful voice, a sound that is undoubtedly present on Joël’s debut full-length album entitled “Amour Amer.”“Amour Amer,” a synergistic blend of Joël’s musical influences and life experience, is the culmination of over two years of creative energy. On the album, Joël pays homage to some of his favorite artists with unique renditions of The Velvet Underground and Serge Gainsbourg classics while highlighting his gift for creating haunting melodies and infectious beats on an array of original songs.In addition to creating his own music, Joël recently found himself working alongside renown film composers Hans Zimmer and Harold Klauser. It was through Joël‘s relationship with Klauser that he was able to expand his creative repertoire to include acting. Klauser, also a film producer, believed Joël was perfect for the role of “Nakudu”, a multi-lingual warrior that Klauser created with Roland Emmerich for their epic film 10,000 B.C. After reading for the role several times, Joël was cast as Nakudu and spent the summer of 2006 in Walvis Bay, Namibia, where he was able to draw on his linguistic talents to create a tribal language which sounded so authentic that the even the native Namibians believed he was speaking real words. Having now realized his hidden talents, Joël will pursue acting alongside his musical endeavors and is currently working with Klauser on the score of 10,000 B.C. The film will be released worldwide in December, 2007.