A song by the provocative and hugely popular Puerto Rican duo Calle 13 is featured in “Metegol” (to be titled “Foosbol” in English), a new soccer-themed animated movie by Argentine director Juan José Campanella. The filmmaker’s “The Secret in Their Eyes” won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film in 2010. The song, “Me Vieron Cruzar” is to be included on Calle 13’s upcoming fifth album, set to be released in the fall, as well as on the movie soundtrack.
In “Metegol,” based on a story by Roberto Fontanarrosa, the tiny players on a foosball table come to life to battle a big game and help the movie’s underdog protagonist get a girl. The trailer reveals a quick-witted soccer-themed “Toy Story,” whose over-the-top Argentine characters will appeal to adults and kids. The movie premieres July 18 in the land of Maradona and Messi, with a release planned in the United States in the fall.
“Me Vieron Cruzar,” a sweet song that sounds like the closest Calle 13 has come to a bona fide ballad, includes folkloric rhythms and chords from Argentina’s national anthem.
“We were able to create the spirit of being at the game, supporting your team… so that everything turns out all right,” rapper and vocalist René Pérez Joglar, also known as Residente, said in Spanish via a press release about the film. Calle 13 previously teamed with Campanella on a video for their track “La Vuelta al Mundo.”
Péréz, Calle 13’s public rebel, was recently in the news when he met with Wikileaks’ Julian Assange in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. Péréz announced through Twitter that the two were working together on an activist musical project, and he invited fans to contribute their rhymes for a song he was writing about media manipulation. That as-yet-uncompleted track is also to be included on Calle 13’s new album.
With their first record in 2005, Calle 13 became known for their brand of “alternative reggaeton.” They went on to break the record for the most Latin Grammys wins ever at the 2011 awards, with their album “Entren los Que Quieran” sweeping through urban, alternative and tropical categories.
“Like true champions, to win you have to be competitive, but being competitive is not the goal,” Péréz said, referring to his inspiration for the song in “Metegol.” “It’s about reaching the level that you’ve been striving for from the beginning.”