ITAAL SHUR
ABOUT ME
I co-wrote "Smooth" with Santana, "Ascension" with Maxwell, and "Más y Más" with Draco Rosa — twice nominated for Song of the Year, and I won, for "Smooth." Those songs moved tens of millions of records and still get heavy radio and streaming play decades later. I left music for a while to deal with life. Now I'm back, because I'm a music man and that's who I am. Full story
The song is the engine.
“Smooth”
Santana feat. Rob Thomas · 1999
Won as Songwriter
Song of the Year · 2000 — Itaal Shur & Rob Thomas
Awards Driven by the Song
Record of the Year
Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
Album of the Year
Best Rock Album
RIAA
Diamond single · Diamond / 15× Platinum album
Supernatural took 8 Grammys total, tying Michael Jackson's Thriller for the most in a single ceremony. Inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, 2025.
One song sits at the center of three of the four "Big Four" Grammys awarded that night — including the songwriter's award.
For over a decade "Smooth" stood as the #2 biggest song in Billboard Hot 100 history, and still ranks #3 of all time.
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For over a decade "Smooth" stood as the #2 biggest song in Billboard Hot 100 history, and still ranks #3 of all time. 〰️
12 weeks at #1 · Oct 1999 → Jan 2000
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12 weeks at #1 · Oct 1999 → Jan 2000 *
#1 Song of the '90s · Billboard
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#1 Song of the '90s · Billboard *
“Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)”
Maxwell · 1996
Co-Write Credit
Written by Maxwell & Itaal Shur — keyboards and associate production.
Awards Driven by the Song
Best R&B/Soul Single, Male · Soul Train Award · 1997 (Won)
Best R&B Album · GRAMMY · 1997 (Nom.)
RIAA
Gold single · 2× Platinum album
The breakout single that broke Maxwell's debut — a cornerstone of neo-soul, alongside D'Angelo's Brown Sugar and Erykah Badu's Baduizm.
Maxwell's breakthrough hit — and a cornerstone of neo-soul.
#8 — US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
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#8 — US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs *
“Más y Más”
Draco Rosa · 2004 / feat. Ricky Martin · 2013
Nominated as Songwriter
Song of the Year · Latin GRAMMY · 2004 — Luis Gómez Escolar, Draco Rosa & Itaal Shur
Awards Driven by the Song
Best Short Form Music Video · Latin GRAMMY · 2004 (Won)
Record of the Year · Latin GRAMMY · 2004
Record of the Year · Latin GRAMMY · 2013
Album It Led — Vida
Album of the Year · Latin GRAMMY · 2013 (Won)
Best Latin Pop Album · GRAMMY · 2014 (Won)
Recorded in two languages — "Más y Más" / "Crash Push."
The only song ever nominated twice for the Latin Grammy Record of the Year.
Groove Collective
Founding member, keyboards and composer · 3 albums (1993–1999)
Groove Collective 1994 · album
We The People 1996 · album
Declassified 1999 · album
“Até Quando?”
Single by Gabriel o Pensador · co-written by Itaal Shur · 2001
Hit Single
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Hit Single *
became an anthem of Brazilian social protest
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became an anthem of Brazilian social protest *
“Seja Você Mesmo”
Album by Gabriel o Pensador · Producer & keyboards Itaal Shur · 2001
Gold · Brazil
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Gold · Brazil *
#4 Brazil / #5 Portugal · 100k copies (ABPD)
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#4 Brazil / #5 Portugal · 100k copies (ABPD) *
“Cavaleiro Andante”
Album by Gabriel o Pensador Contributor Itaal Shur · 2001
Gold · Brazil
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Gold · Brazil *
#9 Brazil / #13 Portugal · 50k copies (ABPD)
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#9 Brazil / #13 Portugal · 50k copies (ABPD) *
Solo Projects
track "My Funny Valentine" became a charting club hit in the UK
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track "My Funny Valentine" became a charting club hit in the UK *
Film Scoring
“Alive Inside: A Story of Music and Memory”
Original score by Itaal Shur · dir. Michael Rossato-Bennett · 2014
Won as Composer
Best Music · Milan Int'l Film Festival (Leonardo's Horse) · 2014
Awards the Film Won
Audience Award, U.S. Documentary Sundance · 2014
Best Documentary · Milan Int'l Film Festival · 2014
Total
12 wins · 7 nominations (IMDb)
MORE
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"Til I Get to You" — Ricky Martin · 2005
"Serve the Ego" — Jewel · 2002 · #1 US Dance Club
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"High" — Lighthouse Family · 1997
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"Saade (I'm Happy)" — Kronos Quartet · Pieces of Africa · 1992
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Enrique Iglesias
Cyndi Lauper
Carole King
Anthony Hamilton
Elan Atias
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McDonald's
Nike
Target
…among others
music is magic. Its the international language we all understand. I took some time off from music but now i’m back doing what i was born to do.
