Hugo (musician)
| Hugo | |
|---|---|
 Hugo at VERY TV in November 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Hugo Chula Alexander Levy |
| Born | August 6, 1981 London, England |
| Genres | Country, blues rock, bluegrass |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Labels | Roc Nation |
Hugo Chakrabongse Levy (born 6 August 1981), known under the mononym Hugo or Thai name Chulachak Chakrabongse (Thai: จุลจักร จักรพงษ์; rtgs: Chunlachak Chakkraphong) son of Narisa Chakrabongse and his British father, is a singer-songwriter. Based in New York City and signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation label, his musical style has been dubbed by Roc Nation as "gangsta-rock". He is best known for his bluegrass re-working of Jay-Z's "99 Problems". His debut album, Old Tyme Religion, was released on May 10, 2011.[1]
Biography
Hugo was born in England to M.R. Narisa Chakrabongse, raised in Thailand near the Chao Praya River, and now resides in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City. He is the grandson of Prince Chula Chakrabongse, great-grandson of Chakrabongse Bhuvanath, and great-great-grandson of King Rama V of Siam.
As a teenager, he released four studio albums with the band Siplor, which had several of its records banned on the radio. After moving to London, he became highly influenced by blues musicians such as Howling Wolf, Son House, Robert Johnson and Skip James as well as more modern musicians and bands such as Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, Dr. Dre, Jeff Buckley, MGMT, Tame Impala, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Devendra Banhart, The Big Pink and Jack White. He achieved recognition when his song "Disappear" was featured on Beyoncé's album I Am... Sasha Fierce, beginning a series of collaborations that led to a record deal with Jay-Z's Roc Nation label in 2010.[2]
"Bread and Butter" was featured on the season two television promo for ABC's comedy-drama series Castle. This same song also featured on the seventh season of HBO's hit series, Entourage.
Band
- Jon Cornell - bass
- Mark Slutsky - drums
- Chris LoPresto - keyboards
- Jay Barclay - guitar
Discography
Studio albums
(2011) Old Tyme Religion
- Old Tyme Religion
- 99 Problems
- Bread & Butter
- Rock 'n' Roll Delight
- Hopelessly Stoned
- Hurt Makes It Beautiful
- Born
- Mekong River Delta
- Sweetest Cure
- Different Lives
- Just a Shred
- Wake Alone
- Sai Lom (สายลม) (Thailand Edition)
(2014) Deep In The Long Grass
- Twitch and Tug
- I Need the Truth
- Secrets and Lies
- Quiet Fire
- Hailstorms
- Nightshift
- All I Think About
- A Fire Worth Keeping
- The Long Grass
- Down the River
- Feather
Pop culture references
Hugo's version of "99 Problems," his first single, was featured in the Natalie Portman/Ashton Kutcher romantic comedy No Strings Attached, in the 2011 remake of Fright Night, and in the pilot episode of the NBC thriller series The Blacklist.[3]
See also
References
- ↑ "Hugo Chakrabongse: From 'trash' in Thailand to triumph in the United States | CNN Travel". travel.cnn.com. Retrieved 2015-11-13.
- ↑ "The Official Website of Hugo". Hugoofficial.com. Retrieved 2011-04-18.
- ↑ "Fright Night (2011)". IMDb. Retrieved 2015-11-13.