Joaquín Sabina
Encyclopedia
Joaquín Ramón Martínez Sabina (Úbeda
, Jaén
, Spain
, 12 February 1949), known artistically as Joaquín Sabina, is a singer, songwriter, and poet. He has released fourteen studio albums, two live albums, and three compilation albums. He has collaborated and composed songs for Ana Belén
, Olga Román
and Miguel Ríos
amongst others.
He performed both solo and with a group for his live albums, performing with Javier Krahe and Alberto Pérez in La mandrágora, the group Viceversa in a 1986 concert, and with Joan Manuel Serrat
in "Dos pájaros de un tiro" (Two birds with one shot).
Sabina suffered a stroke
in 2001 and although he physically recovered, he entered a deep depression
which resulted in a four-year-long concert hiatus. He recovered and released his eighteenth album, Alivio de Luto, in November 2005. He released his latest album, Vinagre y rosas, in 2009.
, Chuck Berry
and Little Richard
, as well as many others.
He attended a high school run by the Salesians of Don Bosco
and during this period he began reading works by Fray Luis de León, Jorge Manrique
, José Hierro
, Marcel Proust
, James Joyce
and Herbert Marcuse
. After completing high school, his father wanted him to follow in his footsteps and become a police officer but he refused, saying that he preferred the guitar.
and Philology
of Granada
, reading philology
in the faculty. There, he read the poetry of Pablo Neruda
and César Vallejo
. Sabina lived at first with a woman called Lesley and started to prepare his thesis.
His revolutionary ideology led him to be related to the anti-fascist groups. In 1970, he began collaborating with the magazine "Poesía 70", sharing pages with Carlos Cano and Luis Eduardo Aute
, he then left the university, going into exile in London
using a fake passport under the name Mariano Zugasti, to avoid persecution from Francisco Franco
's government after throwing a Molotov Cocktail
into a government building. That same year, his father received an order to arrest Sabina due to his anti-Franco ideals.
In 1975, Sabina started writing songs and singing at local bars. In a local bar called "Mexicano-Taverna" Sabina performed in the presence of George Harrison
, who was celebrating his birthday. The ex-Beatle then gave Sabina a five-pound note as tip, which Sabina still preserves to this day. When Franco's dictatorship ended in 1975, Sabina returned to Spain and joined the army but, feeling imprisoned, he got married in order to be able to sleep outside the barracks.
(today Sony) and released malas compañías (bad companies). This album gave Sabina his first number-one hit single "Pongamos que hablo de Madrid" (Let's say I'm talking about Madrid), and the artist attained wide recognition. He released a live album called La mandrágora (The Mandrake), sharing the spotlight with bandmates Javier Krahe and Alberto Pérez. The trio enjoyed much popularity due to their participation in a TV program. La Mandrágora created much controversy due to the racy and political content of the lyrics.
Sabina released his third album Ruleta Rusa (Russian Roulette) in 1983 and two years later, Juez y Parte (Judge and Side). His political views led him to take part in the anti-NATO movement. He later released Joaquín Sabina y Viceversa en directo, his first live album, recorded in the Salamanca theatre in Madrid
. In this album, the singer collaborates with other singers such as Javier Krahe, Javier Gurruchaga, and Luis Eduardo Aute
.
In 1987 he released Hotel, Dulce Hotel (Hotel, Sweet Hotel), which sold a large number of records in Spain. That success followed with his next album El Hombre del Traje Gris (The Man in the Gray Suit), and followed with a successful tour of South America
. This was followed by the released Mentiras Piadosas (White Lies) in 1990, and two years later Física y Química (Chemistry and Physics), which led to another successful tour of the Americas.
His later albums Esta boca es mía (This Mouth is Mine), yo, mi, me, contigo (i, my, myself, with you) and 19 Días y 500 Noches (19 Days and 500 Nights), won him more recognition and multiple platinum albums.
After recovering from a stroke, he returned to the stage in 2002 with Dímelo en la Calle (Tell me on the Street) or Dare to say that outside. He later released a double album called Diario de un peatón (A Pedestrians Diary), which included both his previous album and 12 new songs, along with a book illustrated by him.
In 2005 Sabina's released a new record Alivio de luto (Mourning Relief). The album release was accompanied by a DVD that includes interviews, music videos, acoustic versions of the songs, and home-made recordings.
In 2007, he went on tour with Spanish singer Joan Manuel Serrat
, called Dos Pájaros de un Tiro (Two birds with one Shot) and they recorded a CD of this tour, which includes the DVD of the concert and a documentary.
In 2009, he received the prize of the city of Madrid
by the maior Alberto Ruiz Gallardón, who said that he was one of the most important people who has given a good image to the city. This year, he published his 15th studio album, Vinagre y Rosas (Vinegar and Roses), an album that would count with the collaboration of his producers Pancho Varona and Antonio García de Diego, and with the band Pereza
. The first single of the album is the song Tiramisu de limón (Lemon Tiramisu), sung with Ruben and Leiva, the members of Pereza. For the promotional video, he counted with the collaboration of the actress and singer Monica Molina
. Finally the album was published the December 14th, entering directly to the first position of the Spanish album chart.
Úbeda
Úbeda is a town in the province of Jaén in Spain's autonomous community of Andalusia, with some 35,600 inhabitants. Both this city and the neighboring city of Baeza benefited from extensive patronage in the early 16th century resulting in the construction of a series of Renaissance style palaces...
, Jaén
Jaén, Spain
Jaén is a city in south-central Spain, the name is derived from the Arabic word Jayyan, . It is the capital of the province of Jaén. It is located in the autonomous community of Andalusia....
, 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...
, 12 February 1949), known artistically as Joaquín Sabina, is a singer, songwriter, and poet. He has released fourteen studio albums, two live albums, and three compilation albums. He has collaborated and composed songs for Ana Belén
Ana Belén
Ana Belén is the artistic name of María del Pilar Cuesta Acosta, a Spanish actress and singer. She was born on 27 May 1951 in Madrid.- Biography :...
, Olga Román
Olga Román
Olga Román is a Spanish Latin jazz and pop singer.In 1985, she studied music and graduated from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in 1987. Whilst in Boston she performed at the Ryles Jazz Club. She moved to New York City, where he played the club circuit in Greenwich Village...
and Miguel Ríos
Miguel Ríos
Miguel Ríos is a Spanish singer, composer, actor. He is one of the pioneers of rock and roll in Spain.-Biography:...
amongst others.
He performed both solo and with a group for his live albums, performing with Javier Krahe and Alberto Pérez in La mandrágora, the group Viceversa in a 1986 concert, and with Joan Manuel Serrat
Joan Manuel Serrat
Joan Manuel Serrat i Teresa is a Catalan Spanish singer-songwriter.Serrat is considered one of the most important figures of modern, popular music in both the Spanish and Catalan languages...
in "Dos pájaros de un tiro" (Two birds with one shot).
Sabina suffered a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
in 2001 and although he physically recovered, he entered a deep depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
which resulted in a four-year-long concert hiatus. He recovered and released his eighteenth album, Alivio de Luto, in November 2005. He released his latest album, Vinagre y rosas, in 2009.
Early years
Joaquín Sabina, is the second son of Adela Sabina del Campo and Jerónimo Martinez Gallego. His father was a policeman. He attended a Carmelite primary school and he started writing his firsts poems and composing music at 14 years old. He was part of a band called Merry Youngs which imitated singers such as Elvis PresleyElvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
and Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
, as well as many others.
He attended a high school run by the Salesians of Don Bosco
Salesians of Don Bosco
The Salesians of Don Bosco is a Roman Catholic religious order founded in the late nineteenth century by Saint John Bosco in an attempt, through works of charity, to care for the young and poor children of the industrial revolution...
and during this period he began reading works by Fray Luis de León, Jorge Manrique
Jorge Manrique
Jorge Manrique was a major Spanish poet, whose main work, the Coplas a la muerte de su padre , is still read today...
, José Hierro
José Hierro
José Hierro del Real , sometimes colloquially called Pepe Hierro, was a Spanish poet. He belongs to the so-called postwar generation, within the rootless and existential poetry streams. He wrote for both Espadaña and Garcilaso magazines...
, Marcel Proust
Marcel Proust
Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust was a French novelist, critic, and essayist best known for his monumental À la recherche du temps perdu...
, James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
and Herbert Marcuse
Herbert Marcuse
Herbert Marcuse was a German Jewish philosopher, sociologist and political theorist, associated with the Frankfurt School of critical theory...
. After completing high school, his father wanted him to follow in his footsteps and become a police officer but he refused, saying that he preferred the guitar.
A refugee in London
He then enrolled in the University of PhilosophyPhilosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and Philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
of Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
, reading philology
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
in the faculty. There, he read the poetry of Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda
Pablo Neruda was the pen name and, later, legal name of the Chilean poet, diplomat and politician Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. He chose his pen name after Czech poet Jan Neruda....
and César Vallejo
César Vallejo
César Abraham Vallejo Mendoza was a Peruvian poet. Although he published only three books of poetry during his lifetime, he is considered one of the great poetic innovators of the 20th century in any language. Thomas Merton called him "the greatest universal poet since Dante"...
. Sabina lived at first with a woman called Lesley and started to prepare his thesis.
His revolutionary ideology led him to be related to the anti-fascist groups. In 1970, he began collaborating with the magazine "Poesía 70", sharing pages with Carlos Cano and Luis Eduardo Aute
Luis Eduardo Aute
Luis Eduardo Aute is a Spanish musician, singer-songwriter, film director, painter and poet.-First years in the Philippines:Luis Eduardo Aute was born in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, on September 13, 1943...
, he then left the university, going into exile in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
using a fake passport under the name Mariano Zugasti, to avoid persecution from Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco
Francisco Franco y Bahamonde was a Spanish general, dictator and head of state of Spain from October 1936 , and de facto regent of the nominally restored Kingdom of Spain from 1947 until his death in November, 1975...
's government after throwing a Molotov Cocktail
Molotov cocktail
The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, Molotov bomb, fire bottle, fire bomb, or simply Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons...
into a government building. That same year, his father received an order to arrest Sabina due to his anti-Franco ideals.
In 1975, Sabina started writing songs and singing at local bars. In a local bar called "Mexicano-Taverna" Sabina performed in the presence of George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
, who was celebrating his birthday. The ex-Beatle then gave Sabina a five-pound note as tip, which Sabina still preserves to this day. When Franco's dictatorship ended in 1975, Sabina returned to Spain and joined the army but, feeling imprisoned, he got married in order to be able to sleep outside the barracks.
After the return
Sabina's first album, Inventario (Inventory) was released in 1978 by a small label Movieplay. He describes this album "as his own version of death metal", but the album largely went unnoticed. Afterwards, he moved to the powerful CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
(today Sony) and released malas compañías (bad companies). This album gave Sabina his first number-one hit single "Pongamos que hablo de Madrid" (Let's say I'm talking about Madrid), and the artist attained wide recognition. He released a live album called La mandrágora (The Mandrake), sharing the spotlight with bandmates Javier Krahe and Alberto Pérez. The trio enjoyed much popularity due to their participation in a TV program. La Mandrágora created much controversy due to the racy and political content of the lyrics.
Sabina released his third album Ruleta Rusa (Russian Roulette) in 1983 and two years later, Juez y Parte (Judge and Side). His political views led him to take part in the anti-NATO movement. He later released Joaquín Sabina y Viceversa en directo, his first live album, recorded in the Salamanca theatre in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. In this album, the singer collaborates with other singers such as Javier Krahe, Javier Gurruchaga, and Luis Eduardo Aute
Luis Eduardo Aute
Luis Eduardo Aute is a Spanish musician, singer-songwriter, film director, painter and poet.-First years in the Philippines:Luis Eduardo Aute was born in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, on September 13, 1943...
.
In 1987 he released Hotel, Dulce Hotel (Hotel, Sweet Hotel), which sold a large number of records in Spain. That success followed with his next album El Hombre del Traje Gris (The Man in the Gray Suit), and followed with a successful tour of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. This was followed by the released Mentiras Piadosas (White Lies) in 1990, and two years later Física y Química (Chemistry and Physics), which led to another successful tour of the Americas.
His later albums Esta boca es mía (This Mouth is Mine), yo, mi, me, contigo (i, my, myself, with you) and 19 Días y 500 Noches (19 Days and 500 Nights), won him more recognition and multiple platinum albums.
After recovering from a stroke, he returned to the stage in 2002 with Dímelo en la Calle (Tell me on the Street) or Dare to say that outside. He later released a double album called Diario de un peatón (A Pedestrians Diary), which included both his previous album and 12 new songs, along with a book illustrated by him.
In 2005 Sabina's released a new record Alivio de luto (Mourning Relief). The album release was accompanied by a DVD that includes interviews, music videos, acoustic versions of the songs, and home-made recordings.
In 2007, he went on tour with Spanish singer Joan Manuel Serrat
Joan Manuel Serrat
Joan Manuel Serrat i Teresa is a Catalan Spanish singer-songwriter.Serrat is considered one of the most important figures of modern, popular music in both the Spanish and Catalan languages...
, called Dos Pájaros de un Tiro (Two birds with one Shot) and they recorded a CD of this tour, which includes the DVD of the concert and a documentary.
In 2009, he received the prize of the city of Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
by the maior Alberto Ruiz Gallardón, who said that he was one of the most important people who has given a good image to the city. This year, he published his 15th studio album, Vinagre y Rosas (Vinegar and Roses), an album that would count with the collaboration of his producers Pancho Varona and Antonio García de Diego, and with the band Pereza
Pereza
Pereza is a pop rock group from Barajas composed of Rubén Pozo Prats and José Miguel Torres Conejo artistically known as Rubén and Leiva...
. The first single of the album is the song Tiramisu de limón (Lemon Tiramisu), sung with Ruben and Leiva, the members of Pereza. For the promotional video, he counted with the collaboration of the actress and singer Monica Molina
Mónica Molina
Mónica Molina is a Spanish actress and singer with a distinctive Meditterain style in her albums. She is the daughter of well-known flamenco singer Antonio Molina.Her album "Vuela" was nominated for 2002 Latin Grammy awards....
. Finally the album was published the December 14th, entering directly to the first position of the Spanish album chart.
Discography
- Inventario (Inventory) (1978)
- Malas compañías (Bad Companies) (1980)
- La mandrágora (The Mandrake) (1981)
- Ruleta rusa (Russian Roullette) (1984)
- Juez y parte (1985) (Judge And Side), with Viceversa.
- Joaquín Sabina y Viceversa en directo (Joaquín Sabina and Viceversa live) (1986)
- Hotel, dulce hotel (Hotel, sweet hotel) (1987)
- El hombre del traje gris (The Man in the Gray Suit) (1988)
- Mentiras piadosas (Pious Lies) (1990)
- Física y Química (Physics and Chemistry) (1992)
- Esta boca es mía (This Mouth is Mine) (1994)
- Yo, mi, me, contigo (I, my, me, with you) (1996)
- Enemigos íntimos (Intimate Enemies) (1998), with Fito PáezFito PáezRodolfo "Fito" Páez Ávalos is an Argentine popular rock and roll pianist, lyricist, Spanish language singer and film director.-Early career:...
. - 19 días y 500 noches (19 Days and 500 Nights) (1999)
- Nos sobran los motivos (More than enough motives) (2000)
- Dímelo en la calle (Tell me on the street) (2002)
- Diario de un peatón (Diary of a Pedestrian) (2003)
- Alivio de luto (Mourning Relief) (2005)
- Dos pájaros de un tiro (Two Birds With One Shot) (2007), with Joan Manuel SerratJoan Manuel SerratJoan Manuel Serrat i Teresa is a Catalan Spanish singer-songwriter.Serrat is considered one of the most important figures of modern, popular music in both the Spanish and Catalan languages...
- Vinagre y rosas (Vinegar and Roses) (2009)
Books
- Memorias del exilio (Memories from the exile) (1976)
- De lo contado y sus márgenes (About what has been told and its borders) (1986)
- El hombre del traje gris (Partitures of the 8th album) (1989)
- perdonen la tristeza (Excuse me for my sadness) (2000) Written by Joaquín Sabina and Javier Mendez Flores.
- Ciento volando de catorce (A hundred of fourteen in the bush) (2001)
- Con buena letra (With a good handwriting) (2002) Compilation of lyrics.
- Esta boca es mía (This mouth is mine) (2005) Compilation of satirical poems published in the weekly magazine Interviú.
- Con buena letra II (With a good handwriting II) (2005) Compilation of lyircs
- Sabina en carne viva, yo también se jugarme la boca (2006) Written by Joaquín Sabina and Javier Mendez Flores.
- Esta boca sigue siendo mía (This mouth is still mine) (2007) Compilation of satirical poems published in the weekly magazine Interviú.
- A vuelta de correo (By return mail) (2007) Compilation of the correspondence between Joaquín Sabina and other personalities.
External links
- Joaquín Sabina Official Web Site, JSabina.com