euphoric folk, tropical rock, roots storytelling

About

Alex Etchart, British-Uruguayan musician and creator of Vientos, standing against a backdrop of Uruguayan sand dunes and the Atlantic ocean

Alex Etchart

British-Uruguayan Alex Etchart was raised in the fierce polyrhythms and majestic harmonies of London's South American refugee diáspora.

Trained in classical, jazz and ma'qam on vocals and a suite of instruments, Alex ran World Music Sessions at SOAS collaborating with musicians of many traditions.

Alex immersed in British and Irish folk while travelling the UK writing songs for social movements protecting nature and resisting rising racism.

They set up the Vientos band to channel the Charly Garcia-inspired Latin Rock and Caetano Veloso dancing melodies in their body into a bilingual festival band that gets everyone grooving to stories of hope and transcendence.

Vientos was launched in 2023 at Rich Mix as part of La Linea festival, London's seminal Latin American music festival, with support from Sumac Ayllu and DJ Ivicore. They released folk/rock/electronica single Johnny Barnes on Spotify in 2023 and toured the UK in May 2025 to 6 cities to joyous dancing whooping crowds.

After a climbing accident and knee surgery, Alex' big rock/electronica album got postponed, and they set up The Sowing Seeds to record something wholesome, joyous and uplifting in trying times. They compiled years of original a cappella rounds songs from firesides and teaching Fire Choir into a body of work designed to invite everyone to sing, no matter their background or vocal confidence.

Vientos band performing live on tour in Wales at the Braich Goch eco education centre near Machynlleth, UK music tour 2025
Alex Etchart performing live at Rich Mix in Shoreditch, London, singing into a microphone with Bowie-inspired makeup during La Linea Latin American music festival

Outside of Vientos, Alex has composed musicals with marginalised communities, selling out shows in 9 countries to standing ovations every night.

They come back to Vientos to bring their full self, dancing, singing and telling intimate stories as well as crooning anthems of hope.

They are Creative Director of Sibling Arts human rights theatre/film NGO, Leader of Nest Collective's Fire Choir & work freelance as a strategist in community engagement and funding, interdisciplinary workshop facilitator and guest director on creative projects.

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