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Joan Manuel Serrat
Joan Manuel Serrat
Background information
Birth name	Joan Manuel Serrat i Teresa
Born	(1943-12-27) December 27, 1943 (age 68)
Origin	Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Genres	Nueva Canción
Occupations	Singer, Songwriter
Instruments	Singing, Guitar
Years active	1965–present
Labels	Sony BMG
Website	www.jmserrat.com

Joan Manuel Serrat i Teresa (Catalan pronunciation: [ʒuˈam mənuˈɛɫ səˈrat]) (27 December 1943) is a Spanish singer.

Serrat is considered one of the most important figures of modern, popular music in both the Spanish and Catalan languages. He became involved with music at the age of 17, when he got his first guitar, to which he dedicates one of his earliest songs, "Una guitarra".

In the early '60s, the young artist participated in a pop band, playing along with classmates at Barcelona's Agronomy School and performing mainly Beatles songs and Italian 'pop-of-the-era' songs translated to Spanish.

In 1965, while singing in a radio show called Radioscope, host Salvador Escamilla helped him secure a record deal with local label Edigsa, where he recorded his first LP, as well as joining the group Els Setze Jutges.

Joan Manuel Serrat's first live stage performance in 1967 at the Palau de la Música Catalana, served to establish him as one of the most important artists inside the Nova cançó movement in Catalonia.

The following year, Spain entered Serrat in the Eurovision Song Contest 1968 to sing "La, la, la", but he asked to sing it in Catalan, to which the Spanish authorities would not agree. This would be the first time he would come into conflict with the language politics of Francoist Spain, because of his decision to sing in his native Catalan language, repressed by dictator Francisco Franco. Defiantly, Serrat refused to sing the Spanish-language version, and was hurriedly replaced by Massiel, who went on to win the contest with her Spanish-language interpretation.

As a result, Serrat's songs were banned and his records burned in the streets. He then traveled to South America and participated in the Rio de Janeiro's World Music Festival, where he took first place with the song "Penélope".

In 1969, Serrat released an album containing songs with texts of Antonio Machado, a well-known Spanish poet of late 19th-early 20th century. This album brought him immediate fame in all Spain and Latin America though, in spite of this, his decision to sing in Spanish was criticized in some Catalan nationalist circles. Regarding this and other times when his choice of language (sometimes Spanish, sometimes Catalan) raised controversy on either side of the political sphere, he once explained: "I sing better in the language they forbid me."

The release of the Mediterráneo LP in 1971 consolidated the artist's reputation worldwide. During that year, Serrat sang a seminal concert at the theater of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, which was highly influential in the Puerto Rican music community of the time, and which had repercussions as late as 2006.

In late 1974, Serrat was exiled in Mexico due to his condemnation of arbitrary executions under Franco's regime. It wasn't until Franco's death on November 20, 1975 that Serrat was able to return to his homeland. In 1976, Joan Manuel Serrat was acclaimed for the first time in the U.S.A., while performing in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York.

In January 1995, the Spanish government awarded him a medal for his contribution to Hispanic culture. That same year, a tribute album called Serrat, eres único was made to honor his career, featuring artists such as Diego Torres, Ketama, Rosario Flores, Joaquín Sabina, and Antonio Flores. On November 28, 1998, Serrat performed the Cant del Barça during the FC Barcelona Centenary festival at the Camp Nou.

In 2000, the Spanish Association of Authors and Editors (SGAE) awarded him with one of ten Medals of the Century.

Serrat revealed in October 2004 that he had been undergoing treatment for cancer of the urinary bladder and in November that year he had to cancel a tour of Latin America and the U.S. in order to undergo surgery in Barcelona, where he still lives. His signature song "Mediterráneo" was selected as the most important song of the 20th century in Spain.

His recovery was satisfactory, and in 2005 he went on tour again ("Serrat 100×100") around Spain and Latin America with his lifelong producer and arranger, Ricard Miralles. During the tour Serrat played symphonic versions of his songs with local symphony orchestras.

A second volume of Serrat, eres único was also released this year, featuring Alejandro Sanz, Estopa, and Pasión Vega. Around the same time, Cuban artists such as Silvio Rodríguez, Pablo Milanés, Chucho Valdez, and Ibrahim Ferrer came together to make another tribute CD, Cuba le canta a Serrat.

By 2006, the theater of the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras where Serrat sang in 1970 had undergone a multi-million dollar renovation, after being closed for ten years. The university planned to reopen the theater with Serrat as its first popular culture act, thus recalling his first performance there. However, student protests over the university conceding private entities control over some theater administration functions ended up in a physical confrontation between some student leaders and patrons attending the theater's inaugural gala, the day before Serrat's first scheduled performance. As a result, the concerts had to be postponed and changed to another venue. Serrat felt particularly uneasy about the whole situation; when he was pressed to take sides in the controversy he opted to remain neutral.

In 2006 Serrat also released Mô, his first album completely in Catalan in 17 years. The album title refers to the city of Mahón, capital of the Spanish island of Menorca, where he likes to get away from it all during long touring seasons.

Serrat is a part owner of the Mas Perinet winery producing both DO Montsant and DOC Priorat wines in La Morera de Montsant.

Discography (LPs)[link]

• 1967 – Ara que tinc Vint Anys
• 1968 – Cançons Tradicionals
• 1969 – Com ho fa el Vent
• 1969 – La Paloma
• 1969 – Dedicado a Antonio Machado, poeta
• 1970 – Serrat IV
• 1971 – Mediterráneo
• 1972 – Miguel Hernández
• 1973 – Per al meu Amic
• 1974 – Canción Infantil
• 1975 – ...Para Piel de Manzana
• 1977 – Res no és Mesquí
• 1978 – 1978
• 1979 – Mi Biñez
• 1980 – Tal com Raja
• 1981 – En Tránsito
• 1983 – Cada Loco con su Tema
• 1984 – Fa Vint Anys que tinc Vint Anys
• 1984 – En Directo
• 1985 – El Sur también Existe
• 1986 – Sinceramente Teu
• 1987 – Bienaventurados
• 1989 – Material Sensible
• 1992 – Utopía
• 1994 – Nadie es Perfecto
• 1996 – Banda Sonora d'un Temps d'un País
• 1996 – El Gusto es Nuestro (live with Ana Belén, Víctor Manuel, and Miguel Ríos)
• 1998 – Sombras de la China
• 2000 – Cansiones (Tarrés)
• 2002 – Versos en la Boca
• 2003 – Serrat Sinfónico
• 2006 – Mô
• 2007 – Dos Pájaros de un Tiro (live with Joaquín Sabina)
• 2010 – Hijo de la Luz y de la Sombra
• 2012 – La Orquesta del Titanic (studio album with Joaquín Sabina)

Tributes (LPs)[link]

• Varios: Serrat, eres único (BMG Ariola, 1995)
• Ricardo León: 'Antes que lleguen los perros' (Whitehill Records, 2002)
• Ricardo León: 'Levementeodioso' (Whitehill Records, 2004).
• Varios: Serrat, eres único (volumen 2) (BMG Ariola, 2005)
• Varios: Cuba le canta a Serrat (Discmedi, 2005)
• Varios: Per al meu amic Serrat (Discmedi, 2006)
• Varios: Cuba le canta a Serrat (volumen 2) (Discmedi, 2007)

External links[link]

• JOAN MANUEL SERRAT... Desde siempre y para siempre
• Joan Manuel Serrat discography
• English translations of Serrat's songs

Niña Pastori is a Spanish flamenco singer (cantaora). She was born María Rosa García García in San Fernando (Cádiz) on 15 January 1978. The youngest of five siblings and only daughter of a military man (José) and gypsy flamenco singer 'La Pastori', she started her artistic career at a young age. At the age of six she accompanied her mother in the flamenco tablaos of "Barrio de la Pastora", and a year later won a contest in San Fernando. Her initial name was "La niña de la Pastori", but she later changed it to "Niña Pastori".

Biography[link]

Among her first mentors was Camarón de la Isla, also from San Fernando (Cádiz), whose purist flamenco style she followed in her early years. Later she added a more commercial, pop tone to her image and style without losing her flamenco roots, and artists Paco Ortega and Alejandro Sanz helped her produce her first album, Entre dos puertos (Between Two Ports), when she was seventeen. The single Tú me camelas was a hit in Spain in summer 1996.

Her second album, Eres luz (You Are Light, 1998) confirmed her success, with songs again by Paco Ortega and Alejandro Sanz, Parrita, Manuel Malou and her brother Paco. In 2000 she published her third album, Cañaílla, produced by Alejandro Sanz and Josemi Carmona of the flamenco group Ketama; it is dedicated to her home town and more flamenco than the previous works. Her album María (2002) evolved to a more personal style, taking part in the lyrics and composition of some of her songs, a trend that she continued in No hay quinto malo, her fifth album (2004).

In Joyas prestadas (Loaned jewels, 2006), where Niña Pastori makes personal versions of songs originally by artists from very different styles and genres. The original artists include Joan Manuel Serrat, Alejandro Sanz, Mexican rockers Maná, Dominican artist Juan Luis Guerra, Antonio Machín, Manolo García of El Último de la Fila, Luz Casal, Armando Manzanero, Los Jeros or Marifé de Triana.

The last album released is Esperando Verte released in January 2009. She sang a version of Schubert's Ave Maria during Pope John Paul II's last visit to Madrid on May 2003. Later this version was included in a new edition of her album María released in 2006. She is married to Julio Jiménez Borja "Chaboli", co-producer, composer and percussionist in her albums. She is the great-granddaughter of flamenco singer Inés "la del Pelao".

Collaborations[link]

• Entre dos puertos: Antonio Reyes (bailador); Ricardo Miño, Moraíto Chico, Juan Manuel Cañizares, Rafael Riqueni and Ramón Trujillo (guitarista).

• Eres luz: Moraíto, Juan Carlos Romero, Machuka, Alejandro Sanz, José Antonio Rodríguez and Juan Manuel Cañizares (guitarists); Manuel Soler, El Bandolero and Chaboli (percussionista).

• Cañaílla: Guadiana (cantador), Antonio Carmona (cantador); José Miguel Carmona, Diego Carrasco, Diego del Morao, Moraíto Chico and Vicente Amigo (guitarista); Alejandro Sanz (compositante); El Bandolero and Chaboli (percussionista).

• María: Farruquito (bailaor); José Carlos Gómez, Moraíto Chico, Diego del Morao and José Antonio Rodríguez (guitarists); El Bandolero, Chaboli and Tino di Geraldo (percussionists).

• No hay quinto malo: Paquete, Diego del Morao, Juan Carmona and José Miguel Carmona (guitarists); Luis Dulzaides, Tino di Geraldo and Chaboli (percussionists); Carles Benavent (bass); Victor Merlo (double bass).

• Joyas prestadas: José Miguel Carmona and Diego Moreno (guitarists); Chaboli and Angie Bao (percussionist); Antonio Serrano (harp); Nacho Mañó and Antonio Ramos "Maca" (bass); José María Cortina and Santi Navalón (keyboards).

External links[link]

• MySpace profile
• esflamenco.es (in English)
• Interview with Niña Pastori

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2007)

Café Quijano is a Spanish pop band formed by three brothers, Manuel, Óscar and Raúl Quijano, all of whom are singers. The brothers are originally from León, along with their father, who ran a musical pub called "la Lola" in the city center, which gave name to one of their most well-known songs. Apart from publishing four successful albums, they presented galas, collaborated with Disney for soundtracks and worked on a project with Castilla y León's image to promote tourism to the region.

Throughout its history the band has collaborated with artists such as the outstanding Cuban musician Pancho Amat on their debut album. Olga Tañon sings with them in "La Taberna del Buda", and on their last production they sang with Joaquín Sabina and Celine Dion.

In April 2007, Manuel Quijano, the lead singer, announced his first solo CD (Vidas y Venidas), and confirmed that, after the promotion of ¡Qué grande es esto del amor!, the group was to split up.

Discography[link]

• Café Quijano (1998)

1. Loco de amor
2. Ante todo
3. Tu ritmo loco
4. Poesía de amor
5. La duda eterna
6. La vecinita
7. Discúlpame
8. Envidia
9. Pensando en ti
10. Porque me miras

• La Extraordinaria Paradoja del Sonido Quijano (1999)

1. La Lola
2. Sangre negra
3. Hablando a un cristal
4. El perdido
5. Morenita
6. Falsas promesas
7. Vete de mí
8. Los locos
9. Lágrimas de miel
10. En algún rincón

• La Taberna del Buda(2001)

• ¡Qué Grande Es Esto del Amor! (2003)

1. Tequila
2. Cerrando bares
3. El arte del teatro
4. La duquesa
5. ¡Qué grande es esto del amor!
6. ¿Por qué me miente?
7. Todo es mentira
8. El loco triste
9. Dame de esa boca
10. Nadie lo entiende (chorus feat. Celine Dion)
11. No tienes corazón (feat. Joaquín Sabina)
12. Sirvame una copita

Trivia[link]

• Café Quijano wrote the lyrics for and sang in Disney's Spanish-dubbed version of Lilo & Stitch, providing the main song called "Ardiente Amor" ("Burning Love").
• In 2004 Café Quijano composed the Spanish National Football Team's song for that year's Eurocup, called "Sírvame una Copita" (Pour me a drink). The Spanish meaning of "Sírvame una Copita" for Eurocup is "Serve (bring) me a cup" (the winning cup of Eurocup).
• They were among the artists selected by Armando Manzanero to make his record "Duetos" (Duets), in which they sing "Esperaré" ("I'll Wait").

External links[link]

• Official Site (Spanish)
• Café Quijano's MySpace page