“Outstanding Ecuadorian-born, New York-based singer-songwriter Eljuri… Fusing socially conscious lyrics with blistering guitar rock, she blended missionary fervor with impeccable musicianship.” –CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

"The sound of her songs is a contagious amalgamation of danceable rhythms with lyrics that address social issues." –HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Cecilia Villar Eljuri born in Guayaquil, Ecuador and raised in New York has always demonstrated a singular focus.

Daughter of Ecuadorian Paco Villar, the revered pioneer of radio, television and theater and Olga Eljuri a composer of great renown in Ecuador, Cecilia’s career was nurtured from an early age. She was immersed in music and the arts.

From an early age, Eljuri was writing songs, playing guitar and sneaking into shows to hear her favorite bands. She started performing professionally when she was 17 with The Trouble Dolls, filling historic New York rock clubs like CBGB's and The Bitter End.

Musically restless, she formed the band, Grupo Fiesta (1998). Drawing from her latin roots, her music, lyrics and arrangements began to resonate with that style.

Defiant and tenacious, and in search of an outlet for her own musical perspective, Eljuri released her solo debut En Paz (2008) under the indie label Manovill Records in the U.S. and a year later in Mexico under the prestigious label Discos Intolerancia.

En Paz is enriched by the contributions of guest musicians that reinforce it with intense and dynamic sounds including the reggae riddims section of the legendary Jamaican duo Sly & Robbie, and the highly respected rock maven Johnette Napolitano, lead singer of the alternative rock band Concrete Blonde. The album gained critical attention by the force of Eljuri’s universal truths and global rhythms.

This exceptional guitarist sponsored by Gibson has been compared to Carlos Santana by many periodicals including Global Rhythm, The New Yorker and Al Borde.

Sensitive and committed, of Latin blood and heart, composer and lyricist, leader of all the projects in which she has been involved, Cecilia has toured in Mexico for three years as a power trio with her accompanying musicians Alex Alexander on drums and Keith Golden on bass. Eljuri performed at various festivals and forums such as UNAM, UCM, many clubs in and around Mexico City, reaching the heights of the 2010 Ollinkan Festival and Vive Latino Festival 2011 on the emerging independent artist Intolerante stage.

In August 2011, on her first tour in Colombia, South America she was invited to open for Dr. Krápula as part of the social campaign: Smoke-Free Parks and Beaches with live appearances in Bogota, Santa Marta and Cartagena.

Eljuri’s album “Fuerte” (2012) is produced by multiple Grammy winner Gustavo Borner, co-produced by Cecilia Villar Eljuri and released by the labels Manovill Records in the U.S. and Discos Intolerancia in Mexico. This powerful collection of songs is enriched by the performances of prominent invited guest musicians including, once again, the famous Jamaican reggae duo, drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare on Eljuri’s song “Empuja”. Eljuri also invited the highly respected independent rockers Mario Muñoz and Sergio Acosta Leon of Colombia’s Doctor Krápula to perform on the cd. Mexico’s celebrated electronica group Kinky remixes Eljuri’s pop single “Paloma” as a bonus track.

Eljuri has toured and performed at such world renowned festivals in the US, Mexico and Colombia, SA as: Flushing Meadows Cinco de Mayo Festival, LAMC, Festival Artistico Ecuatoriano, Houston iFest, Vive Latino, Festival Internacional OllinKan, Lilac Festival, ¡Viva! Chicago Latin Music Festival, Playas y Parques Sin Humo, ¡Festival Viva el Planeta! and the Baltimore LatinoFest. Eljuri has shared the stage with infamous artists such as: Doctor Krápula, Sly & Robbie, Los Amigos Invisibles, Juanes, Los Lonely Boys, Ely Guerra, Liber Terán, War, Crista Galli, Yomo Toro, Panteón Rococó, Yossi Fine, Concrete Blonde, Johnette Napolitano, Jose Feliciano, Millie Quezada, Cristian Castro, and Steel Pulse.

Eljuri proudly endorses the Gibson Guitar family of brands, MonoCase, and JH Audio custom in-ear monitors.

"The highlight of the evening was a performance that mixes power pop with Latin music Cecilia Villar Eljuri played big wah-wah guitar lines… the rest of the band spiced the music with hot Santana-flavored samba that set the jampacked room ablaze."— NEW YORK TIMES

Billboard magazine says, Eljuri has "... a sound that electrifies Latin styles...This is rock/dance music at its best."

Noche Latina says “She’s Joan Jett, PJ Harvey, Julieta Venegas, Tori Amos, and Andrea Echeverri all rolled into one…”

“Eljuri writes catchy four minute standards… with hooks that would make Sheryl Crow blush” and as “a deep-rooted instrumentalist – her guitar playing reminiscent of a young Carlos Santana.”

–GLOBAL RHYTHM Magazine