Tino Casal
Encyclopedia
José Celestino Casal Álvarez, more commonly known as Tino Casal, (b. Tudela Veguín, Oviedo
, Asturias
, Spain
, 11 February 1950 - d. Madrid
, Spain, 22 September 1991) was a Spanish singer, songwriter and producer, who was active during La Movida Madrileña
(The Madrilenian movement)
, Sweet
& T-Rex among others.
In 1977, after a series of trips abroad, Casal returned to Spain, where he signed a recording contract with Philips
when Spanish music lovers were looking for a substitute for well-loved crooners Nino Bravo
and Bruno Lomas. During the 1970s, he performed at a number of different music festivals, and in 1978 he took part in the Benidorm Festival, where he won "Best Young Singer" and "Best Musical Composition.".
After breaking his recopublisherrding contract, Casal threw himself into painting until 1980, when he returned to music, producing other artists, such as Goma de Mascar or the Obús, the first heavy metal
group in Spain. EMI
took a keen interest in Casal's dual-role and offered him a contract in 1981.
With his new recording contract, Casal took major liberties over his working hours, the main reason why he returned to a musical career. In 1981, he released his first solo effort, Neocasal, produced by Julian Ruiz, which contained the hits "Champú de Huevo" (Egg Shampoo) - his first Number 1 - and "Billy Boy". Although the album had been poorly received by critics, Casal began to find followers. He also continued to produce records for groups, such as Azul y Negro
and Obús, and collaborated with filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar
, financing his the production of the film Laberinto de pasiones (Labryinth of Passion) which yielded certain famous elements of Casal's appearance, such as his red jacket, originally worn by Imanol Arias
.
In 1983 the release of Etiqueta Negra, consolidated Casal's position as a major player on the Spanish music scene with the success of "Embrujada" ("Bewitched") and "Póker para un perdedor" ("Poker for a Loser"). Despite having seen the album sell exceptionally well, Casal decided to edit and re-release the record with additional tracks. The following year, he released "Hielo Rojo" ("Red Ice"), from which appeared the hit single, "Pánico en el edén" ("Panic in the Garden of Eden"). In 1985 suffered from a heavy ankle sprain, whilst touring in Valencia. He chose to ignore medical advice and toured for two further months, self-medicating with anti-inflammatories and analgesics up until the point where he found himself hospitalised and on the brink of death with necrosis in both hips. As a result, Casal was wheelchair-bound for several months. He was admitted to hospital in August 1985 and after 19 days in the Intensive Care Unit
, without food or water, four litres of infectious fluid was removed from his left leg. The original diagnosis of AIDS
, was soon dismissed but priests had arrived with the intention of reading Casal his "last rites
".
. The album, entitled, Lágrimas de cocodrilo (Crocodile Tears), contained his own versions of other artist's songs but also some of his own original recordings. It was produced under the orchestral direction of Julián Ruíz and Andrew Powell
, in charge of musical arrangement of Alan Parsons Project. The album's biggest success was the cover of Barry Ryan
's "Eloise", which reached number 1 in Los 40 Principales
(the Spanish Top 40) and became one of his best-known works. At the time (1988), his was the second biggest-selling album in Spain, behind Descanso Dominical by Mecano
.
In October 1989, he released his last album, Histeria, which revisted the main themes of his musical career during the 1970s. After this release, Casal dedicated his latter years to painting and sculpting, in addition to collaborations with other artists. In May, Casal released a compilation album of his greatest hits, Etiqueta Negra, grandes éxitos, and had begun preparations to release another album in 1992, with the intention of recording in Tokyo.
lost control of the car and crashed into a lamp post. Casal was sitting in the passenger seat and was the only fatality. Unsurprisingly, the news was a huge shock to the Spanish music industry. A year later, EMI
paid a posthumous tribute to Casal, by re-releasing the compilation album. Etiqueta Negra. Other artists, such as Alaska, Marta Sánchez
and Stravaganzza
have since covered and sampled his songs.
Oviedo
Oviedo is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city....
, Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
, 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...
, 11 February 1950 - d. 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...
, Spain, 22 September 1991) was a Spanish singer, songwriter and producer, who was active during La Movida Madrileña
La Movida Madrileña
La Movida Madrileña was a countercultural movement that took place mainly in Madrid during the Spanish transition after Francisco Franco's death in 1975...
(The Madrilenian movement)
Biography
Casal began his musical career, aged 13, in a group called "Los Zafiros Negros" (The Black Sapphires). In 1967 he joined "Los Archiduques" (The Archdukes), replacing their lead singer, who had fallen ill. He then left for London, in order to follow one of his other great passions - painting. It was there, that Casal had his first contact with glam-rock, attracted by the stream led by David BowieDavid Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Sweet
Sweet (band)
Sweet was a British rock band that rose to worldwide fame in the 1970s as one of the most prominent glam rock acts, with the classic line-up of lead vocalist Brian Connolly, bass player Steve Priest, guitarist Andy Scott, and drummer Mick Tucker.Sweet was formed in 1968 and achieved their first...
& T-Rex among others.
In 1977, after a series of trips abroad, Casal returned to Spain, where he signed a recording contract with Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
when Spanish music lovers were looking for a substitute for well-loved crooners Nino Bravo
Nino Bravo
Luis Manuel Ferri Llopis , better known by his stage name Nino Bravo, was a Spanish pop singer.-Early life:...
and Bruno Lomas. During the 1970s, he performed at a number of different music festivals, and in 1978 he took part in the Benidorm Festival, where he won "Best Young Singer" and "Best Musical Composition.".
After breaking his recopublisherrding contract, Casal threw himself into painting until 1980, when he returned to music, producing other artists, such as Goma de Mascar or the Obús, the first heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
group in Spain. EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
took a keen interest in Casal's dual-role and offered him a contract in 1981.
With his new recording contract, Casal took major liberties over his working hours, the main reason why he returned to a musical career. In 1981, he released his first solo effort, Neocasal, produced by Julian Ruiz, which contained the hits "Champú de Huevo" (Egg Shampoo) - his first Number 1 - and "Billy Boy". Although the album had been poorly received by critics, Casal began to find followers. He also continued to produce records for groups, such as Azul y Negro
Azul y Negro
Azul y Negro was founded in 1981 by Carlos G. Vaso: a multi instrumentalist, songwriter and producer, and Joaquin Montoya: .-Pioneers:...
and Obús, and collaborated with filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar Caballero is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer.Almodóvar is arguably the most successful and internationally known Spanish filmmaker of his generation. His films, marked by complex narratives, employ the codes of melodrama and use elements of pop culture, popular...
, financing his the production of the film Laberinto de pasiones (Labryinth of Passion) which yielded certain famous elements of Casal's appearance, such as his red jacket, originally worn by Imanol Arias
Imanol Arias
Imanol Arias born Manuel María Arias Domínguez , is a Spanish actor and one off film director.Imanol Arias began his career with a travelling theatre group in Spain performing in the Basque Country of northern Spain. He debuted on TV in 1976 and his first film was in "Cecilia " of 'Humberto Solas'...
.
In 1983 the release of Etiqueta Negra, consolidated Casal's position as a major player on the Spanish music scene with the success of "Embrujada" ("Bewitched") and "Póker para un perdedor" ("Poker for a Loser"). Despite having seen the album sell exceptionally well, Casal decided to edit and re-release the record with additional tracks. The following year, he released "Hielo Rojo" ("Red Ice"), from which appeared the hit single, "Pánico en el edén" ("Panic in the Garden of Eden"). In 1985 suffered from a heavy ankle sprain, whilst touring in Valencia. He chose to ignore medical advice and toured for two further months, self-medicating with anti-inflammatories and analgesics up until the point where he found himself hospitalised and on the brink of death with necrosis in both hips. As a result, Casal was wheelchair-bound for several months. He was admitted to hospital in August 1985 and after 19 days in the Intensive Care Unit
Intensive Care Unit
thumb|220px|ICU roomAn intensive-care unit , critical-care unit , intensive-therapy unit/intensive-treatment unit is a specialized department in a hospital that provides intensive-care medicine...
, without food or water, four litres of infectious fluid was removed from his left leg. The original diagnosis of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, was soon dismissed but priests had arrived with the intention of reading Casal his "last rites
Last Rites
The Last Rites are the very last prayers and ministrations given to many Christians before death. The last rites go by various names and include different practices in different Christian traditions...
".
Reapppearance
Following a long convalescence, Casal returned in 1987 with a cane and a new album, recorded at Abbey Road StudiosAbbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
. The album, entitled, Lágrimas de cocodrilo (Crocodile Tears), contained his own versions of other artist's songs but also some of his own original recordings. It was produced under the orchestral direction of Julián Ruíz and Andrew Powell
Andrew Powell
Andrew Powell - musical composer, arranger and performer - was born 18 April 1949 in London, England of Welsh parents.- Early life :He began taking piano lessons at the age of four and later attended Kings College School, Wimbledon by which time he was also learning the viola, violin and orchestral...
, in charge of musical arrangement of Alan Parsons Project. The album's biggest success was the cover of Barry Ryan
Barry Ryan (singer)
Barry Ryan was an English pop singer. He is currently a photographer.The son of pop singer Marion Ryan, Ryan and his twin brother Paul began to perform at the age of 16...
's "Eloise", which reached number 1 in Los 40 Principales
Los 40 Principales
Los 40 Principales is the main musical radio station in Spain with more than 4,000,000 listeners. The station was founded in 1966 and in 2006 the station celebrated its 40th anniversary...
(the Spanish Top 40) and became one of his best-known works. At the time (1988), his was the second biggest-selling album in Spain, behind Descanso Dominical by Mecano
Mecano
Mecano was a Spanish pop band whose debut coincided with La Movida Madrileña , a sociocultural movement that occurred in Madrid, Spain during the 1980s...
.
In October 1989, he released his last album, Histeria, which revisted the main themes of his musical career during the 1970s. After this release, Casal dedicated his latter years to painting and sculpting, in addition to collaborations with other artists. In May, Casal released a compilation album of his greatest hits, Etiqueta Negra, grandes éxitos, and had begun preparations to release another album in 1992, with the intention of recording in Tokyo.
Death
Tino Casal died on 22 September 1991 in a car accident, aged 41. Casal was returning from a nightclub with three other people when, due to excessive speed, the driver of the Opel CorsaOpel Corsa
The front-wheel drive Opel Corsa was first launched in September 1982 to replace the Opel Kadett C City, and to fill the gap vacated as the Kadett grew in size and price. Built in Zaragoza, Spain, the first Corsas were three-door hatchback and two-door saloon models, with four-door and five-door...
lost control of the car and crashed into a lamp post. Casal was sitting in the passenger seat and was the only fatality. Unsurprisingly, the news was a huge shock to the Spanish music industry. A year later, EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
paid a posthumous tribute to Casal, by re-releasing the compilation album. Etiqueta Negra. Other artists, such as Alaska, Marta Sánchez
Marta Sánchez
Marta Sánchez López is a Spanish female vocalist. She was born on 8 May 1966 in Madrid. Her father, Antonio Sánchez Camporro, was a Galician opera singer.- Biography :...
and Stravaganzza
Stravaganzza
Stravaganzza is a Symphonic metal/Gothic metal band from Madrid, Spain formed in 2004, the band has since released 3 studio albums and one EP. They combines element of extreme metal such as gothic metal, death metal, doom metal and black metal with heavily orchestrated symphonic metal and...
have since covered and sampled his songs.
Discography
- Neocasal (1981)
- Etiqueta Negra (1983)
- Hielo Rojo (1984)
- Lágrimas de Cocodrilo (1987)
- Histeria (1990)
Compilations
- Grandes Éxitos: Etiqueta Negra (1991)
- Casal Vive (2000)
- Casal Remixes (2001)
- Casal Único: Antología Audiovisual (2006)
- Tino Casal: The Platinum Collection (2007)
External links
- Web oficial de Tino Casal
- Tigre Bengalí... Web sobre la discografía de Tino Casal
- Tino Casal Biografía y críticas de discos en Lafonoteca