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Marcos Isaac Cohen, better known as Marcos Cohen (born October 4th, 1967), is an Uruguayan musician, singer and composer. The singer is notable for his candombe-influenced ballads, and has also experimented with several other genres including pop, rock, flamenco, R&B and jazz.

Biography

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Los Angeles based singer/songwriter born in Montevideo, Uruguay. Marcos initiated his career as an actor and musician creating and producing musical plays for children (Un libro mágico, Tito el gran travieso, Parque Robótico, El Varietito, Cu-Cu Beat Show, La Creación, La huelga de las velas, among others.)

For adults, he created the One-man show "Al Jolson, The Show Must Go On."* His interpretation as the legendary singer/entertainer made him the recipient of a Golden Medal Award at the "World Championship of Performing Arts" (LA 2000) which was an Olympic version for performers.

In 2018 he participated at the Hollywood Fringe Festival (2018) with his play "Trapped At Tea Time."

He immigrated to Los Angeles in 1997 to pursue his dream of being a Hollywood actor. He studied acting at The School of Performing Arts (Theatre of Arts) in Hollywood. Marcos got a foretaste of this dream by making his debut in the big screen with the role of Dr. Ibañez, allegedly the President of Guatemala (1948) at the movie "The Good Shepherd" directed by Robert de Niro (Universal, 2006.)

Marcos is currently working on his first album as a Latin Pop new artist titled "Amor en tiempos de Corona." This album comes as a result of the confinement that the pandemic has caused, putting him in touch with his innermost feelings and love for music.

Marcos is becoming an ambassador of the Uruguayan genre Candombe in the U.S. having made his debut with his band "CANDOMBEAT" at the "Latin Sound" Summer Festival organized by LACMA in Los Angeles (2019.)

In 2009 launches his first album "Diaspora Sur" at the Movie Center in Montevideo, under the pseudonym Mor D. Hai, "A Latin Revolution In Jewish Music.*

Early life
Marcos started learning piano when he was 8 years old. He was raised in a very artistic family. His father (Osvaldo Cohen) was a businessman and even though he never pursued a career as a musician, he was a very talented piano and he was very well known for making his Hammond organ talk.

Marcos was influenced musically by his dad but also by his older sisters who taught him how to play popular songs in the guitar.

From his housewife mother Dora, who was also an actress, Marcos inherited his passion for acting by not missing one day of mom's rehearsals before going to school.

After few years of learning classical piano, Marcos got carried away by his natural talent for "playing by ear" and decided to create his own music at an early age. At 15 years old he recorded his first ballad titled "Olvidarte" (Forget) which became very popular at his High School choir performances and especially at the "Quinceañeras" parties in Uruguay.

Other of his early compositions were performed and awarded at choir festivals and even at OTI Festival in Uruguay.

Marcos got a BA, Bachelor Degree in "Arts and Social Communication" with a thesis about the Spanish Singer-Songwriter Joaquin Sabina.

After graduating from college he decided to take leap of faith and emigrated to Los Angeles to pursue his artistic career. In order to make a living, he dressed as a clown and learned how to make animal balloons to perform in Santa Monica Promenade and Pier. An unknown old lady who was passing by and claimed to have "psychic" powers stood in front of that clown and told him: "What are you doing here, old soul? I know you have fears. But you have to pursue your music career."

Marcos was raised in a Jewish family but never got a Jewish education until he became Bar Mitzvah and later on in his life went to Israel to study at a school of Torah Aish HaTorah Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He developed a stronger identity with his religious roots and decided to create songs inspired on his learning. He produced his first album in the genre Latin Jewish Music call "Diaspora Sur" (Diaspora South) under the pseudonym of Mor D. Hai which connects to his Hebrew name Mordechai.



Honours, decorations, awards and distinctions

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Awarded "Silver medal" for his original song "Hay que cantar" (World Championship of Performing Arts. Hollywood, 2000)

Awarded "Golden medal" for his acting interpretation of "Al Jolson, The Show Must Go On" (World Championship of Performing Arts. Hollywood, 2000)

Musical Style
His genre is predominantly Pop mixed with African descent Uruguayan "Candombe" beats. He was influenced by the popular music of Argentia (Alejandro Lerner, Sandra Mihanovich, Fito Paez, Diego Torres) but mostly by the classic Bossa Nova precursors Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, João Gilberto and the Samba-reggae of Brazil.

In some songs he adds a touch of flamenco, Middle Eastern and the nostalgic sounds of Argentinean tango.

This blend of styles gives a vibrant and unique sound to his music that makes it very accessible to all ages.

On his Latin Jewish album, Cohen writes and adapts poems from Psalms, from the Moorish Spain like Judah Halevi, Solomon Ibn Gabirol, and also from the Holocaust like Hannah Senesh.


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