Amaia Montero
Encyclopedia
Amaia Montero Saldías also known as the original vocalist of La Oreja de Van Gogh
La Oreja de Van Gogh
La Oreja de Van Gogh is a Latin Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated Spanish pop band from Donostia-San Sebastian. The name of the band refers to the famous post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh who cut off the lobe of his own ear...

 between 1996 and 2007, is a singer/songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...

 from Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....

, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

. Including her work with the band, Montero has sold more than 7 million album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...

s worldwide.

Background

Amaia Montero is the daughter of José Montero and Pilar Saldías, and has an older sister, named Idoia. She attended UPV/EHU
University of the Basque Country
The University of the Basque Country is the only public university in the Basque Country, in Northern Spain...

 studying Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....

, where she met the rest of the members of La Oreja de Van Gogh. When the band became famous, she switched studies to Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...

 at the UNED. She later stopped studying.

Although Montero has played for crowds of over 120,000 she claims to be very shy. Her personality has been described as sociable, fun, and very accessible.

She has a vocal instructor, and although she cannot attend classes regularly due to lack of time, the benefit to her voice is evident. Montero had nodules in her throat in 1998 when the album Dile al sol
Dile Al Sol
Dile al sol is Spanish pop rock band La Oreja de Van Gogh's debut album released by Sony Music Entertainment in May 1998. The album was very successful in Spain, selling more than 800,000 copies there....

was recorded but the nodules were removed after the first tour.

1996-2007: La Oreja de Van Gogh

"La Oreja de Van Gogh" was formed in 1996, after guitarist Pablo Benegas, bassist Álvaro Fuentes, keyboardist Xabi San Martín, and drummer Haritz Garde met at a local university. Amaia Montero joined the band subsequently, following an invitation by Benegas. The two met at a dinner party after he heard Montero singing Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad O'Connor
Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor is an Irish singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in the late 1980s with her debut album The Lion and the Cobra and achieved worldwide success in 1990 with a cover of the song "Nothing Compares 2 U"....

's "Nothing Compares 2 U".
After experimenting with band names, such as "Los Sin Nombre" they decided on La Oreja de Van Gogh which means Van Gogh's ear.

In 1998 the band were signed by Sony BMG, after they won a Rock Festival in San Sebastián
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...

.
Amaia then completed work on the band's first album Dile al sol
Dile Al Sol
Dile al sol is Spanish pop rock band La Oreja de Van Gogh's debut album released by Sony Music Entertainment in May 1998. The album was very successful in Spain, selling more than 800,000 copies there....

, which sold about 800,000 copies in Spain, making it the 20th best-selling album in Spanish history.

La Oreja de Van Gogh's second studio album, released on September 11, 2000, received the name of El viaje de Copperpot
El Viaje De Copperpot
El viaje de Copperpot is Spanish pop rock band La Oreja de Van Gogh's second studio album, issued by Sony Music Entertainment on September 11, 2000. It was the band's first album to feature a bonus track....

 (Copperpot's Journey). This album was highly successful, selling more than 1,200,000 copies in Spain, becoming the 8th best-selling album of all time there, being certified Diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...

. It sold 750,000 copies in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 going 3x Platinum (750,000 Copies before 2000 would be Diamond or 7x Platinum) and more than 2,000,000 worldwide.

In 2001 they won an award for Best Spanish Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...

 held in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

.

In 2003, they released their third album Lo que te conté mientras te hacías la dormida
Lo Que Te Conté Mientras Te Hacías La Dormida
Lo Que te Conté Mientras te Hacías la Dormida is the third studio album of the Spanish pop rock band La Oreja de Van Gogh issued by Sony Music Entertainment in April 2003. On May 10, 2004, Sony Music issued a special edition of Lo que te conté mientras te hacías la dormida for the French market,...

. It was their first album to sell impressively in the Americas, with over 100,000 copies sold in the States alone, and more than 2,500,000 copies worldwide. It continued the band's success; eight singles from the album charted in Spain, four of them reaching number one. It became the 45th best-selling album of all time in Spain, while the band continued to break into the Latin American markets, including the States. They won several awards in the wake of the album, including an award for Best Group or Duet at the MTV Video Music Awards Latinoamérica 2004
MTV Video Music Awards Latinoamérica 2004
The annual MTV Video Music Awards Latinoamérica 2004 took place on October 21, 2004 in Miami at the Jackie Gleason Theater for the third time in a row.Paulina Rubio was the first woman to host the awards.-Artist of the Year:* Alejandro Sanz* Café Tacuba...

, and an Ondas Award for Best Album. The album also received a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...

 nomination, for Best Latin Album. With this release the band took the live act, to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, where they played at the mythical Olympia in Paris, after their sold-out show in La Cigale
La Cigale
La Cigale is a theater at 120, boulevard de Rochechouart near Place Pigalle, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. The theatre is part of a complex that is connected to Le Trabendo and the Boule Noire. The hall can accommodate 1389 people or 954 people...

, and the group continue to win fans in France, Italy, Germany and Switzerland. Also tours in Mexico, South America and USA, where they performed in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Boston, Chicago, Puerto Rico, Phoenix and Texas after their album "Lo Que te Conté Mientras Te Hacías La Dormida" went Platinum in the USA.
More concerts in South America followed in April 2005 including a sold-out concert at Luna Park in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

, and two shows with crowds of over 30,000 each concert in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

, where they received all possible audience acceptance awards when they performed at the 2005 Viña del Mar International Song Festival
Viña del Mar International Song Festival
The Viña del Mar International Song Festival is a music festival held annually during February since 1960 in Viña del Mar, Chile. It is considered the most important musical event in Latin America....

, taming the usually demanding crowd (traditionally called "El Monstruo", or "The Monster", because of their enthusiasm) and from there they travelled to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 to play a sold-out show in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

 on 25 July 2005.

In 2006, Amaia Montero and La Oreja de Van Gogh, released their fourth and last work together called: Guapa
Guapa
Guapa is the fourth studio album released on April 25, 2006, by Spanish Pop rock band La Oreja de Van Gogh. On December 5, 2006, Más guapa was released exclusively in Spain and Mexico. Two months later, on February 13, 2007, the album was also released in Chile...

. This album was highly successful too, becoming the 47th best-selling album of all time in Spain, being certified 7x platinum there; 2x platinum in Mexico, 1x platinum in Argentina and Chile, and 1x Gold in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

 and USA. Sony Music issued a special edition of this album for the Italian market as well. In 2006, the band won a Latin Grammy Award for Best Pop Album By a Duo or Group, a second nomination at the MTV Europe Music Awards
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...

 for Best Spanish Act, 3 nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards Latinoamérica 2006 for Artist of the Year, Best Group or Duet and Best Pop Artist. And in 2007 they received all audience acceptance awards at Viña del Mar International Song Festival
Viña del Mar International Song Festival
The Viña del Mar International Song Festival is a music festival held annually during February since 1960 in Viña del Mar, Chile. It is considered the most important musical event in Latin America....

 07.
In 2007 La Oreja de Van Gogh with Amaia as lead singer, became the 16th best-selling music artists of all time in Spain.

The Guapa Tour went through Latin America, USA, and parts of Europe, with more than 50 shows in Spain.

2007-Present: Solo Career

Amaia announced her departure from the group on November 19, 2007, to launch a solo career. La Oreja de Van Gogh remains active and has now released two albums with new lead singer Leire Martínez
Leire Martínez
Leire Martínez Ochoa , is a Spanish Basque singer-songwriter, current lead vocalist of the band La Oreja de Van Gogh after Amaia Montero's departure in 2007....

.

"Amaia Montero" (2008)

Montero recorded her first solo album in the Italian cities of Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....

 and Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...

, and mixed the songs at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

.
This new record came after the 11 years filled with hits with La Oreja de Van Gogh.
It was released on November 18, 2008 in Spain and went to number one there, selling 40,000 copies in its first week.





The self-titled album contains eleven songs composed by Montero. She dedicates a song to her former bandmates (Tulipan) and to her father (407) who was diagnosed with cancer in 2006.
"Quiero Ser
Quiero Ser (song)
"Quiero Ser" is a song written by Amaia Montero for her 2008 debut solo album Amaia Montero. The song is the album's opening track, and was released as its first single....

" was the first single released from the album, which peaked at number one in Spain, in its first week.
On January 2009, "Quiero Ser" became the longest charting number one single in the Spanish airplay history with 13 consecutive weeks in the number one spot.

The same month, Montero started the international promotion of her debut solo album. After three weeks of promotion she had to stop the tour, and cited personal reasons. A few days later Diariovasco.com confirmed the death of Amaia's father.

Amaia Montero performed for the first time in her solo tour with Kudai
Kudai
Kudai was a Latin Grammy Award-Nominated Chilean pop group was founded in Santiago, Chile. Its original members were Tomás Cañas Manzi, Pablo Holman Concha, Nicole Natalino and Bárbara Sepúlveda Labra. In 2006 Nicole Natalino left the group citing personal reasons, and was replaced by Ecuadorian...

 & 84 in the Peruvian city Cusco
Cusco
Cusco , often spelled Cuzco , is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cuzco Province. In 2007, the city had a population of 358,935 which was triple the figure of 20 years ago...

. Movistar promoted her tour 2009 that continues in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...

, Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...

, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....

, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...

, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...

, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...

, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...

 and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

.

"2" (2011)

Amaia Montero's second solo album 2
2 (Amaia Montero album)
2 is the second solo album by Spanish singer Amaia Montero, after an eleven-year music career as the frontwoman for La Oreja de Van Gogh and the success of her first album Amaia Montero. It was released in Spain on 8 November 2011 by Sony BMG. "Caminando" was the first single released from the...

 was released Novemer 8 2011 with the lead single being Caminando
Caminando
"Caminando" is a song written and produced by Amaia Montero for her 2011 album 2. It was release the first single to be released from her 2011 album. It was premiered on Septemer 17 2011 on the Spanish radio station Los 40 Principales and was released on September 20 2011 on iTunes....

.

Discography

  • 1998: Dile al sol
    Dile Al Sol
    Dile al sol is Spanish pop rock band La Oreja de Van Gogh's debut album released by Sony Music Entertainment in May 1998. The album was very successful in Spain, selling more than 800,000 copies there....

  • 2000: El viaje de Copperpot
    El Viaje De Copperpot
    El viaje de Copperpot is Spanish pop rock band La Oreja de Van Gogh's second studio album, issued by Sony Music Entertainment on September 11, 2000. It was the band's first album to feature a bonus track....

  • 2003: Lo que te conté mientras te hacías la dormida
    Lo Que Te Conté Mientras Te Hacías La Dormida
    Lo Que te Conté Mientras te Hacías la Dormida is the third studio album of the Spanish pop rock band La Oreja de Van Gogh issued by Sony Music Entertainment in April 2003. On May 10, 2004, Sony Music issued a special edition of Lo que te conté mientras te hacías la dormida for the French market,...

  • 2006: Guapa
    Guapa
    Guapa is the fourth studio album released on April 25, 2006, by Spanish Pop rock band La Oreja de Van Gogh. On December 5, 2006, Más guapa was released exclusively in Spain and Mexico. Two months later, on February 13, 2007, the album was also released in Chile...

  • 2008: Amaia Montero
    Amaia Montero (album)
    "Amaia Montero" is the debut solo album by Spanish singer Amaia Montero, after an eleven-year music career as the frontwoman for La Oreja de Van Gogh. It was released in Spain on 18 November 2008 by Sony BMG. "Quiero Ser" was the first single released from the album...

  • 2011: 2
    2 (Amaia Montero album)
    2 is the second solo album by Spanish singer Amaia Montero, after an eleven-year music career as the frontwoman for La Oreja de Van Gogh and the success of her first album Amaia Montero. It was released in Spain on 8 November 2011 by Sony BMG. "Caminando" was the first single released from the...


Other projects

She's also known for her duets with famous singers, such as:
  • Álex Ubago
    Álex Ubago
    Álex Ubago is a Spanish singer-songwriter. He is especially known for his heartfelt voice and his ballads. He rose to stardom in 2001, when he appeared as a guest on a hit TV show in Spain. Alex started to tour national radios with his guitar to sing his songs live and be interviewed...

     - Sin miedo a nada
  • El Canto del Loco
    El Canto del Loco
    El Canto del Loco is a Spanish pop rock band, although its members recognize that some of their songs are more in the style of power pop....

     - Puede ser
  • José Luis Perales
    José Luis Perales
    José Luis Perales is a Spanish singer-songwriter and composer who is very popular in Spain and Latin America. He has performed some of his extensive work at Carnegie Hall, New York.-Biography:...

     - Porque te vas
  • Alejandro Fernández
    Alejandro Fernández
    Alejandro Fernández is a Mexican singer. Nicknamed as "El Potrillo" by the media and his fans, he has sold over 20 million albums worldwide. Alejandro is the son of the ranchera singer Vicente Fernández. He originally specialized in traditional, earthy forms of Mexican folk music, such as...

     - Me dediqué a perderte
  • Mikel Erentxun
    Mikel Erentxun
    Mikel Erentxun is a Spanish Rock en Español singer. Formerly with the group Duncan Dhu, he started his solo career in 1992. He has released six albums as a solo artist and has covered The Smiths' song, "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out", as "Esta luz nunca se apagará", as well as...

      - Lau Teilatu ("Four Roofs" translated from euskera)
  • Eros Ramazzotti
    Eros Ramazzotti
    Eros Luciano Walter Ramazzotti , known simply as Eros Ramazzotti, is an Italian singer and songwriter. Ramazzotti is enormously popular in Italy, and is well known in most non-English-speaking European countries and in the Spanish-speaking world, as he has released most of his albums in both...

     - Está pasando noviembre
  • Presuntos Implicados
    Presuntos Implicados
    Presuntos Implicados is a Spanish pop band, created in March 1983 in Yecla, Murcia.- About the band :The band was originally composed of the siblings Sole and Juan Luis Giménez, and their friend Pablo Gómez. In the same year 1983, they won a radio contest and their first recording, Danzad, Danzad...

      - Samurai
  • Miguel Bosé
    Miguel Bosé
    Miguel Dominguín Bosé is a Latin Grammy-winning Spanish/Italian musician and actor.-Early life:Bosé was born in San Fernando Hospital in Panama City, Panama, the son of the famous Italian actress Lucia Bosé and the legendary bullfighter Luis Miguel Dominguín. He is also a cousin of Carmen...

     - Sevilla
  • Lorca
    Lorca
    Lorca is a municipality and town in the autonomous community of Murcia in southeastern Spain, 36 miles southwest of the city of Murcia. It had a population of 92,694 in 2010, up from the 2001 census total of 77,477. Lorca is the municipality with the second-largest surface area in Spain with...

     - El último Quijote
  • Ramsey Ferrero - Me quedas tú
  • Mikel Erentxun
    Mikel Erentxun
    Mikel Erentxun is a Spanish Rock en Español singer. Formerly with the group Duncan Dhu, he started his solo career in 1992. He has released six albums as a solo artist and has covered The Smiths' song, "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out", as "Esta luz nunca se apagará", as well as...

     - Ahora sé que estás
  • Tiziano Ferro
    Tiziano Ferro
    Tiziano Ferro is an Italian pop singer. He reached notoriety in 2001 and during his career he has also sung in Spanish, English, French and Portuguese.-Childhood and early beginnings:...

     - El Regalo Más Grande
    Il Regalo Più Grande
    "Il regalo più grande" is a song by Italian singer Tiziano Ferro. The song was written by Ferro for his fourth album, Alla mia età....


External links

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