Leonor Watling & Leo Sidran
Biography Leonor Watling & Leo Sidran
Leonor Watling
is one of the most recognisable voices on the Spanish music scene. As the singer and songwriter of Marlango, she has built a career marked by elegance, fusion of genres and a unique sensibility. Since her beginnings, her music has moved between jazz, blues and pop with influences from French chanson and American folk, creating an unmistakable style.
With Marlango, she has released seven studio albums, consolidating her place on the music scene with lyrics that explore deep emotions and nuanced performances. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with great artists such as Fito Páez, Jorge Drexler, Miguel Bosé, Coque Malla and Rufus Wainwright, enriching her sound and expanding her creative universe. In April, she will release a new single with Leo Sidran, once again exploring her most intimate and personal side.
Although many also recognise her for her work as an actress, Leonor finds in music a space for free and intimate expression, where each song is a story told with her unmistakable voice. Her passion for music has made her an essential reference point for those who seek authenticity and emotion in every note.
Leo Sidran
is a Grammy winning multi-instrumentalist musician, producer, arranger, composer, recording artist and podcast host based in Brooklyn, New York.
Raised around music and musicians, Sidran started writing songs professionally as a teenager when the Steve Miller Band recorded four of his songs for their 1993 Wide River album. Around the same time, he began performing regularly as a drummer with his father, renowned and multifaceted jazzman Ben Sidran.
Sidran’s seven solo albums have explored the space between pop music, jazz, Brazilian and singer songwriter genres. Jazz Magazine in France says “Leo Sidran makes pop music swing.” Jazz Times says of Leo, “Vocally he suggests an amalgam of his father Ben with a hint of Donald Fagen. His fluid laidback style is reminiscent of Bob Dorough. Musically and lyrically his compositions are smart, sharp, and sparklingly original.” His most recent album, The Art Of Conversation was released in 2021. El Pais in Spain called it a “hymn to empathy”.
In addition to his solo career he has produced or co-produced projects for artists around the world (often in the Latin music space) including the Oscar winning song “Al otro lado del rio” for Jorge Drexler (from the film The Motorcycle Diaries), the Latin Grammy winning Healer for Cuban singer Alex Cuba, Grammy Nominated Mis Americas for Argentine-American songwriter Kevin Johansen, and The Original for Clyde Stubblefield (James Brown's original funky drummer). Leo has produced all of Ben Sidran’s records for the last 15 years, most recently Swing State.
Leo’s music has been featured in hundreds of advertisements for the world’s biggest brands, and he has scored long form projects for outlets including ESPN 30 for 30, Discovery, IFC, Sundance, and PBS.
As a drummer, he has played and recorded with jazz luminaries including Phil Woods, Howard Levy, David Fathead Newman, Clark Terry, Dave Grusin, Rick Margitza, and many more. He tours regularly around the world with his father’s quartet and his love of jazz continues to inform much of his work.
Above all, Leo loves to connect with people, which is what led him to start his much heralded podcast The Third Story, featuring interviews with musicians, producers, songwriters, and others in the creative class of all ages about their personal stories and professional journeys. Although it is not specifically a jazz podcast, many of his guests have spent time exploring the space around improvisation and creation.
