Joaquin Sabina 

Biography

• Joaquín Sabina (born February 12, 1949) is a latin, rock and trova, singer, songwriter, and poet, hailing from Úbeda, Jaén, Spain.

  At the age of 14, whilst still in primary school, Sabina first began writing poems and composing music. He went on the form the band Merry Youngs, when still in is teens, who would perform covers of Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard among others. Sabina then began reading the poems of Jorge Manrique, José Hierro, Marcel Proust and James Joyce before enrolling at the University of Granada to study philology. After becoming familiar with anti-fascist groups in the ‘70s, during the Franco dictatorship, Sabina began working with the magazine ‘Poesía 70’. He later threw a molotov cocktail into a government building and using a fake passport to exile himself to London, UK.

  Whilst in London, Sabina started writing songs and playing in local bars, in which one night he performed in the same room as George Harrison, who gave the singer a five-pound tip. The dictatorship ended in Spain and Sabina moved back, releasing his debut album “Inventario” in 1978 on the independent label Movieplay. Subsequently, Sabina moved to CBS records and released the album “Malas compañias” in 1980, which spawned the singer’s first No. 1 hit “Pongamos que halo de Madrid”.

  This grew the singer’s popularity exponentially and in 1985 Sabina left CBS and signed to Ariola, who issued the live album “Joaquín Sabina y Viceversa” in 1986. Sabina’s subsequent full-length “Hotel, Sweet Hotel” appeared in 1987, sold over 400,000 copies, and led to the later releases “El Hombre del Traje Gris” in 1988, Mentiras Piadosas (Pious Lies)” in 1990, and “Física y Química” in 1992. The singer became known for his extensive touring, performing over 200 shows in one tour, including large areas of South America. In 1997, Sabina was recognised as the Best Spanish Rock and Pop Songwriter by the Spanish Songwriters Association (SGAE), and released the album “Nos Sobran los Motivos” in 2000.

  After suffering a stroke and making a laudable recovery the singer-songwriter continued to release a string of albums including “Dímelo en la Calle” in 2002, “Alivio de Luto” in 2005, the live album “Dos Pájaros de un Tiro” in 2007, and with young Spanish duo Pereza, the album “Vinagre y Rosas” in 2009. Sabina has subsequently released his 16th studio album “La Orquesta Del Titanic” (The Titanic’s Orchestra) in 2012 alongside musician Joan Manuel Serrat, who he has worked previously on “Dos Pájaros de un Tiro” in 2007.

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