Sun, Moon, Stars

Monday, April 23, 2007


His is not the typical path one might associate with a landscape designer -- child music prodigy, UCLA theater student, Latin American pop star -- but it is just that diverse background that makes Eduardo Xol a multi-talented and down-to-earth designer. While it seems an unlikely path, for Xol it makes perfect sense. "If you can bring harmony into someone's life -- by touching an emotional chord through the lyrics of a song or by creating an outdoor space -- then you should share that gift." It has been that need to touch people on an emotional level and his innate creative mind that have allowed Xol to almost seamlessly span multiple disciplines.Xol was spotted by Extreme Makeover: Home Edition through his work with his design company Xol Design and his instincts and charisma have struck a chord with the show's nearly 20 million viewers. Known for his unique approach at marrying indoor and outdoor into his designs, Xol tries to capture a variety of senses. Whether it is the sound of a wind chime, the soft touch of a chair, the smell of a candle -- Xol understands that this attention to detail completes a typically exclusively visual discipline. Xol looks for "the right balance and elements to live with great ease, style and comfort using all five senses. When you honor the senses, design makes sense."As with the way all things start, Xol's design career began with a childhood fondness. Born in East Los Angeles, Xol marveled at his grandmother's roses and his father's beloved bonsai trees. But he would set aside his love of nature for other artist pursuits. First, there was music. He was merely three when he began playing piano, and had mastered several other instruments before he reached adolescence. At age 11 he was scouted to perform with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Zubin Mehta. Two years later, he gave a series of piano recitals under the auspices of Mexico City's Conservatory of Music.His love of the stage offered an easy segues into other performance arts. During his teens he achieved success in dance (with the Mexican Dance Theater, among others) and film (Zoot Suit), and attended UCLA's theatre program. Upon his relocation to Mexico City, his career began to flourish as the rising pop star Edi Xol. He landed roles on such telenovelas as Sentimientos Ajenos, La Jaula de Oro and Acapulco Cuerpo y Alma; he also produced music for the latter series. With a successful singing career, he quickly scored video hits, press and laurels for his BMG Latin debut album, La Pasi�n. It was when he began working with community outreach programs with the Los Angeles Unified School District -- and took a step back from the stage -- that he regained his love of gardening. He apprenticed with a landscape architecture firm in Venice, California, where he quickly found his myriad of creative outlets weaving into place. He became focused on incorporating all of the senses in every design execution. Most importantly, Xol values the way he is able to use his talents to help people in communities all around the country. "To join an amazingly gifted group of designers that works selflessly to transform the lives of deserving families is a dream come true," he marvels. "I love traveling to new cities every month and experiencing how a community rallies together to complete a project. It gives me the opportunity to meet people of different backgrounds and see the true heart and soul of America." Sometimes he also serves as a bridge between these different backgrounds, as when he translated comic Jeff Foxworthy's jokes for the show's Latin workers during a home makeover in Georgia.It's rare that a successful entertainer forsakes the limelight. But for Eduardo Xol, design, music, theater and other arts are all related, all partaking of the balance and harmony he's employed to delight the senses of families, friends and fans worldwide. He's also currently at work on a how-to book about living through the senses.