Luz Casal
Encyclopedia
Luz Casal, born November 11, 1958 at Boimorto
, is a Spanish
pop
singer. She grew up in neighbouring Asturias
, took singing, piano and ballet classes, and moved to Madrid
to pursue a career as a musician.
She became famous in the early 1980s, and remained an important figure in Spanish pop music all through said decade and beyond, with her sound gradually maturing towards soft adult pop. She recorded a cover version of Étienne Daho
's French language song "Duel au Soleil" in Spanish called "Un nuevo día brillará", which became a hit song. Since the beginning of her career, she has sold over five million albums.
In 1992 she enjoyed great success with her appearance in the soundtrack of Pedro Almodóvar
's acclaimed film Tacones Lejanos
singing Agustín Lara
's theme "Piensa en mí".
In January 2007, Luz Casal was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent an operation at the Ruber Clinic in Madrid., seven months later, she revealed to the Spanish media that she had overcome her disease. More recently in May 2010, she announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer in her other breast and had to cancel her current tour to be operated on.
Her first name, Luz, means “light” in Spanish
.
where she performed for the first time in front of fifty people. There, she studied piano and ballet, apart from that, she formed part of a Rock
group called Los Fannys that made versions of other artist's songs. Luz formed part of another band too that performed in Asturias
, León
and Galicia. Nevertheless, she always wanted to be a solo singer.
In 1977, to start her career on the music scene, and after convincing her parents, she went to Madrid
, where she made her first recording called: "La guapa" ( The beautiful), and made contact with a lot of record labels until an independent production company gave her an audition as a backing singer, which is how she entered the world of professional music. She was a backing singer for mand artist's recordings, in fact she accompanies Juan Pardo in his live performances. From that moment on, she started composing her first songs, of which she recorded ten, but they were not released. In these years, she made her only appearance in the theatre, taking the role of Raquel Meller
in the musical "Las Divinas" (The Divines), performed in the Reina Victoria theatre in Madrid
.
In 1980 she released her first single with a multinational company, "El ascensor" (The elevator), a song with a strong Reggae
flavour as a tribute to Bob Marley
. She took part in many festivals held in a lot of countries and took dance
classes with Karen Taft, Arnold Taraborelli, Lindsay Kemp
, Merche Esmeralda and Goyo Montero.
In 1981, seeking less control over her private life, she joined the company Zafiro and took part in the live album published by the group Leño
. The following year she started the recording of her first solo album, en Madrid, Brussels and Amsterdam, which was released in September 1982 and was named: "Luz". The album was produced by Carlos Narea, and included songs composed by herself and by Roque Navaja. She appeared for the first time in a TV program, and participated in a book-album of the poet Xaime Noguerol. In 1983 she recorded the video of the Maxi single
"No aguanto más" (I can't stand anymore), then she started making live performances and took part in the tour The rock of a summer night, with Miguel Ríos
and Leño, whom with she performed in 35 cities of Spain
.
In 1984 she released her second album, "Los ojos del gato" (The eyes of the cat), recorded in Spain
, Belgium
and Germany
. Some of the songs, written by Ramoncín and Hilario Camacho, started being listened in the whole Europe
. Luz kept on studying: piano
, chorus and performance. Luz III, released a y year later, in 1985, contains a very popular track called "Rufino", by Carmen Santonja (Member of Vainica Doble). That year she performed in a festival held in Czechoslovakia
, with artists from other countries; Luz still remembers the impact of listening "No aguanto más" and "Ciudad sin ley" (Lawless city) being played by an orchestra with Wind instruments. In 1986 she gave more than 90 concerts and performed again for Czech Television
. In Germany
she recorded the song "The water is life", for an environmental campaign, with stars such as Mark Knopfler
.
In 1987 she recorded an a capella song with the group 'The Christians' for a television program and in May of that year, her next album "Quiéreme aunque te duela" (Love me although it hurts you), was launched, in which she started to be less of a rocker and discovered herself as a great ballad performer, ballads that would be the greatest hits of that era. She participated in the TV program "¡Qué noche la de aquel año!" (¡How incredible was that year's night!), that was hosted by Miguel Ríos
, then she travelled to México
, Venezuela
and New York
.
In 1988 she appeared in the TV program "Viaje con nosotros" (Travel with us), by Javier Gurruchaga (Lead singer of La orquesta Mondragón), and in a benefit gig in Seville
, she performed a Tango
version of Quiereme aunque te duela.
. The album, which sold over 300,000 copies and was her definitive leap to stardom, includes two of the most important songs of the history of Spain
, "Te Dejé Marchar" (I Let You Go) and "No Me Importa Nada" (Nothing Matters For Me). That year she took part in a festival held in Chile
in favour of Human rights
, among artists and groups such as Sting and U2
.
In 1991 Luz, released "A Contraluz" (Behind The Light), which sold over 400,000 copies, obtaining four platinium albums. In this album importantly is the bolero
"Piensa en mí" (Think Of Me), by Agustín Lara, which was chosen by Pedro Almodóvar
for his film "Tacones Lejanos" (High Heels). This massive hit made her a European superstar, especially admired in France
. Following this, Luz took a four year break away from recording studies, a time when she started thinking about her career because of her success, but she kept on performing in Spain
, Latin America
, France
and other European countries.
Her next album, that was titled: "Como La Flor Prometida" (Like The Promised Flower), was released in 1995, four years after her previous album. This sold over 800,000 copies, being the most successful album of her career. In 1996 she released a compilation album, "Pequeños Y Grandes Exitos" (Hits, Great And Small). Two years later she released another compilation album, only in France
, Luz Casal, that sold more than 400,000 copies and included two songs in French, "Tu Ne L'Emporteras Pas" and "Entre Mes Souvenirs". versions of "No Me Importa Nada" and "Entre Mis Recuerdos," respectively, performed in the Olympia Theatre of Paris
and becomes the first Spanish pop
singer playing during five years, between the 24 and the 28 of October, La Cigalle Theatre.
In 1999, after four years without having released anything secondary to the death of her father, she recorded "Un Mar De Confianza" (A Sea Of Trust) which sold over 600,000 copies. That year, the song "Mi Confianza" (My Trust) was awarded the Ondas Award in the category for Best Song. She then started a European tour performing in France
, Italy
, Switzerland
and Belgium
. She collaborated on an album by Rosendo called "Siempre Hay Una Historia" (There's Always A History), recorded in the Carabanchel Prison. In 2001 she received the Goya Award
in the category of Best Original Song from the soundtrack of the animated film "El Bosque Animado" (The Living Forest).
In November 2002 Luz released the album "Con Otra Mirada" (With Another Look), with 150,000 copies sold and in October 2004 she released the album "Sencilla Alegría" (Single Happiness), recorded in Du Manoir Studio with production by Javier Limón. The album, which sold over 150,000 copies and in which Luz offers an incredible voice, includes influences from Flamenco
, Jazz
and also features Chris Barron (from The Spin Doctors), Jerry Gonzalez
, Olivier Durán, Pablo Guerrero, Rui Veloso, Niño Josele, Quique González and Pablo Novoa. This album includes "Negra Sombra" (Black Shadow), a poem by Rosalía de Castro
, set to music by Juan Montes Capón, which was on the soundtrack to Mar Adentro
, by Alejandro Amenábar
.
Having overcome breast cancer, on October 12 Luz released a new single "Se Feliz" (Be Happy) from her new album, "Vida Vóxica" (Toxic Life), inspired by her experience with chemotherapy. The album appeared in November 2007. The 29th of September 2009, she published a new album called "La Pasión" (The Passion), an album in which the singer paid homage to the most important bolero singers from the 1940s to the 1960s. In this album she made versions of songs such as: "Alma Mía" (My Soul), "Cenizas" (Ashes), and "Historia De Un Amor" (The History Of A Love). This album went gold in Spain
and platinium in France
.
Apart from the release of the new album, Luz Casal was awarded with the Medal Of Arts And Culture of France which coincided with the release of her new album.
Boimorto
Boimorto is a municipality of Spain in the Province of A Coruña, in the autonomous community of Galicia. It has an area of 82.71 km2, a population of 2,486 , and a population density of 30.06 people/km2. Coordinates: 43° 00' 27" N - 8° 07' 37" W. Elevation: 487 m.-Demographics:...
, is a Spanish
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...
pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer. She grew up in neighbouring 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...
, took singing, piano and ballet classes, and moved to 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...
to pursue a career as a musician.
She became famous in the early 1980s, and remained an important figure in Spanish pop music all through said decade and beyond, with her sound gradually maturing towards soft adult pop. She recorded a cover version of Étienne Daho
Étienne Daho
Étienne Daho is a French singer, songwriter and record producer who has released a number of synth-driven and rock-surf influenced pop hit singles since 1981.- Career :...
's French language song "Duel au Soleil" in Spanish called "Un nuevo día brillará", which became a hit song. Since the beginning of her career, she has sold over five million albums.
In 1992 she enjoyed great success with her appearance in the soundtrack of 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...
's acclaimed film Tacones Lejanos
Tacones lejanos
High Heels is a 1991 melodrama film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar and starring Marisa Paredes, Victoria Abril and Miguel Bosé. The plot follows the fractured relationship between a self-involved mother who is a famous torch song singer and the grown daughter she had abandoned as a child...
singing Agustín Lara
Agustín Lara
Agustín Lara was a Mexican singer and songwriter.-Biography:Lara was born in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz. Later, the Lara family had to move again to Mexico City, establishing their house in the borough of Coyoacán. After Lara's mother died, Agustín and his siblings lived in a hospice run by their...
's theme "Piensa en mí".
In January 2007, Luz Casal was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent an operation at the Ruber Clinic in Madrid., seven months later, she revealed to the Spanish media that she had overcome her disease. More recently in May 2010, she announced that she had been diagnosed with cancer in her other breast and had to cancel her current tour to be operated on.
Her first name, Luz, means “light” in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
.
First years
Luz Casal is the daughter of José Casal and Matilde Paz. When she went to live in Avilés she studied in the school Paula Frassinetti, build by the Dorotean Sisters of Charity. Then, the family went to live in the town of GijónGijón
Gijón , officially Gijón / Xixón, is a coastal industrial city and a municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias in Spain. Early mediaeval texts mention it as "Gigia". It was an important regional Roman city, although the area has been settled since earliest history...
where she performed for the first time in front of fifty people. There, she studied piano and ballet, apart from that, she formed part of a Rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
group called Los Fannys that made versions of other artist's songs. Luz formed part of another band too that performed in 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...
, León
León, Spain
León is the capital of the province of León in the autonomous community of Castile and León, situated in the northwest of Spain. Its city population of 136,985 makes it the largest municipality in the province, accounting for more than one quarter of the province's population...
and Galicia. Nevertheless, she always wanted to be a solo singer.
In 1977, to start her career on the music scene, and after convincing her parents, she went to 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...
, where she made her first recording called: "La guapa" ( The beautiful), and made contact with a lot of record labels until an independent production company gave her an audition as a backing singer, which is how she entered the world of professional music. She was a backing singer for mand artist's recordings, in fact she accompanies Juan Pardo in his live performances. From that moment on, she started composing her first songs, of which she recorded ten, but they were not released. In these years, she made her only appearance in the theatre, taking the role of Raquel Meller
Raquel Meller
Raquel Meller , born Francisca Marqués López, was a Spanish cuplé and tonadilla singer. She was an international star in the 1920s and 1930s, appearing in several films and touring Europe and the Americas...
in the musical "Las Divinas" (The Divines), performed in the Reina Victoria 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 1980 she released her first single with a multinational company, "El ascensor" (The elevator), a song with a strong Reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
flavour as a tribute to Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
. She took part in many festivals held in a lot of countries and took dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
classes with Karen Taft, Arnold Taraborelli, Lindsay Kemp
Lindsay Kemp
Lindsay Kemp is a British dancer, actor, teacher, mime artist and choreographer.Born in South Shields on May 3, 1938, Kemp's father, a seaman, was lost at sea in 1940. According to Kemp, he danced from early childhood: "I'd dance on the kitchen table to entertain the neighbours. I mean, it was a...
, Merche Esmeralda and Goyo Montero.
In 1981, seeking less control over her private life, she joined the company Zafiro and took part in the live album published by the group Leño
Leno
Leno is the surname of Jay Leno, comedian and talk show host.Leno may also refer to:* Leno, Italy* Leno * Leno, a stock character in theatre of ancient Rome who is a slave dealer or pimpPeople with the surname Leno...
. The following year she started the recording of her first solo album, en Madrid, Brussels and Amsterdam, which was released in September 1982 and was named: "Luz". The album was produced by Carlos Narea, and included songs composed by herself and by Roque Navaja. She appeared for the first time in a TV program, and participated in a book-album of the poet Xaime Noguerol. In 1983 she recorded the video of the Maxi single
Maxi single
A maxi single or maxi-single is a music single release with more than the usual two tracks of an a-side song and a b-side song.-The first maxi singles:...
"No aguanto más" (I can't stand anymore), then she started making live performances and took part in the tour The rock of a summer night, with 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:...
and Leño, whom with she performed in 35 cities of 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...
.
In 1984 she released her second album, "Los ojos del gato" (The eyes of the cat), recorded in 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...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and 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...
. Some of the songs, written by Ramoncín and Hilario Camacho, started being listened in the whole Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Luz kept on studying: piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, chorus and performance. Luz III, released a y year later, in 1985, contains a very popular track called "Rufino", by Carmen Santonja (Member of Vainica Doble). That year she performed in a festival held in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, with artists from other countries; Luz still remembers the impact of listening "No aguanto más" and "Ciudad sin ley" (Lawless city) being played by an orchestra with Wind instruments. In 1986 she gave more than 90 concerts and performed again for Czech Television
Ceská televize
Česká televize is the public television broadcaster in the Czech Republic, broadcasting four channels.- Czechoslovak Television :Television in Czechoslovakia started to take its first steps before World War II. However, before visible results could be achieved, all activities were interrupted by...
. 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...
she recorded the song "The water is life", for an environmental campaign, with stars such as Mark Knopfler
Mark Knopfler
Mark Freuder Knopfler, OBE is a Scottish-born British guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer and film score composer. He is best known as the lead guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the British rock band Dire Straits, which he co-founded in 1977...
.
In 1987 she recorded an a capella song with the group 'The Christians' for a television program and in May of that year, her next album "Quiéreme aunque te duela" (Love me although it hurts you), was launched, in which she started to be less of a rocker and discovered herself as a great ballad performer, ballads that would be the greatest hits of that era. She participated in the TV program "¡Qué noche la de aquel año!" (¡How incredible was that year's night!), that was hosted by 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:...
, then she travelled to México
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...
, 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...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
In 1988 she appeared in the TV program "Viaje con nosotros" (Travel with us), by Javier Gurruchaga (Lead singer of La orquesta Mondragón), and in a benefit gig in Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, she performed a Tango
Tango music
Tango is a style of ballroom dance music in 2/4 or 4/4 time that originated among European immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay . It is traditionally played by a sextet, known as the orquesta típica, which includes two violins, piano, double bass, and two bandoneons...
version of Quiereme aunque te duela.
Massive Success
In 1989 she released with her new company Hispavox Luz produced for Paco Trinidad and Chucho Merchán, and habitual musician of EurythmicsEurythmics
Eurythmics were a British pop rock duo, formed in 1980, currently disbanded, but known to reunite from time to time. Consisting of members Annie Lennox and David A...
. The album, which sold over 300,000 copies and was her definitive leap to stardom, includes two of the most important songs of the history of 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...
, "Te Dejé Marchar" (I Let You Go) and "No Me Importa Nada" (Nothing Matters For Me). That year she took part in a festival held 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...
in favour of Human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, among artists and groups such as Sting and U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
.
In 1991 Luz, released "A Contraluz" (Behind The Light), which sold over 400,000 copies, obtaining four platinium albums. In this album importantly is the bolero
Bolero
Bolero is a form of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance and song. There are Spanish and Cuban forms which are both significant and which have separate origins.The term is also used for some art music...
"Piensa en mí" (Think Of Me), by Agustín Lara, which was chosen by 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...
for his film "Tacones Lejanos" (High Heels). This massive hit made her a European superstar, especially admired in 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...
. Following this, Luz took a four year break away from recording studies, a time when she started thinking about her career because of her success, but she kept on performing in 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...
, Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, 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...
and other European countries.
Her next album, that was titled: "Como La Flor Prometida" (Like The Promised Flower), was released in 1995, four years after her previous album. This sold over 800,000 copies, being the most successful album of her career. In 1996 she released a compilation album, "Pequeños Y Grandes Exitos" (Hits, Great And Small). Two years later she released another compilation album, only in 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...
, Luz Casal, that sold more than 400,000 copies and included two songs in French, "Tu Ne L'Emporteras Pas" and "Entre Mes Souvenirs". versions of "No Me Importa Nada" and "Entre Mis Recuerdos," respectively, performed in the Olympia Theatre of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and becomes the first Spanish pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer playing during five years, between the 24 and the 28 of October, La Cigalle Theatre.
In 1999, after four years without having released anything secondary to the death of her father, she recorded "Un Mar De Confianza" (A Sea Of Trust) which sold over 600,000 copies. That year, the song "Mi Confianza" (My Trust) was awarded the Ondas Award in the category for Best Song. She then started a European tour performing in 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...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. She collaborated on an album by Rosendo called "Siempre Hay Una Historia" (There's Always A History), recorded in the Carabanchel Prison. In 2001 she received the Goya Award
Goya Awards
The Goya Awards, known in Spanish as los Premios Goya, are Spain's main national film awards, considered by many in Spain, and internationally, to be the Spanish equivalent of the American Academy Awards....
in the category of Best Original Song from the soundtrack of the animated film "El Bosque Animado" (The Living Forest).
In November 2002 Luz released the album "Con Otra Mirada" (With Another Look), with 150,000 copies sold and in October 2004 she released the album "Sencilla Alegría" (Single Happiness), recorded in Du Manoir Studio with production by Javier Limón. The album, which sold over 150,000 copies and in which Luz offers an incredible voice, includes influences from Flamenco
Flamenco
Flamenco is a genre of music and dance which has its foundation in Andalusian music and dance and in whose evolution Andalusian Gypsies played an important part....
, Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and also features Chris Barron (from The Spin Doctors), Jerry Gonzalez
Jerry Gonzalez
Jerry Gonzalez is an American-born Latino jazz trumpeter and percussionist, most noteworthy for his contributions to Latin jazz.-Biography:-Early life and career:...
, Olivier Durán, Pablo Guerrero, Rui Veloso, Niño Josele, Quique González and Pablo Novoa. This album includes "Negra Sombra" (Black Shadow), a poem by Rosalía de Castro
Rosalía de Castro
María Rosalía Rita de Castro , was a Galician romanticist writer and poet.Writing in the Galician language, after the Séculos Escuros , she became an important figure of the Galician romantic movement, known today as the Rexurdimento , along with Manuel Curros Enríquez and Eduardo Pondal...
, set to music by Juan Montes Capón, which was on the soundtrack to Mar Adentro
Mar adentro
The Sea Inside is a 2004 film by the Spanish director Alejandro Amenábar. It is based on the real-life story of Ramón Sampedro , a Spanish ship mechanic left quadriplegic after a diving accident and his 29-year campaign in support of euthanasia and the right to end his life.- Plot summary :This is...
, by Alejandro Amenábar
Alejandro Amenábar
Alejandro Fernando Amenábar Cantos is a Spanish- Chilean film director. Amenábar was born in Santiago, Chile to a Spanish mother and Chilean father, but the family moved to Spain just one year after his birth...
.
Having overcome breast cancer, on October 12 Luz released a new single "Se Feliz" (Be Happy) from her new album, "Vida Vóxica" (Toxic Life), inspired by her experience with chemotherapy. The album appeared in November 2007. The 29th of September 2009, she published a new album called "La Pasión" (The Passion), an album in which the singer paid homage to the most important bolero singers from the 1940s to the 1960s. In this album she made versions of songs such as: "Alma Mía" (My Soul), "Cenizas" (Ashes), and "Historia De Un Amor" (The History Of A Love). This album went gold in 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...
and platinium in 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...
.
Apart from the release of the new album, Luz Casal was awarded with the Medal Of Arts And Culture of France which coincided with the release of her new album.
Singles
- No aguanto mas (1982)
- Eres tu (1982)
- Ciudad sin ley (1982)
- Los ojos del gato (1984)
- Detrás de tu mirada (1984)
- Secreto (1984)
- Voy a por ti (1985)
- Rufino (1985)
- Hechizado (1985)
- Quiéreme aunque te duela (1987)
- Un día marrón (1987)
- Que rabia (1987)
- Te dejé marchar (1988)
- Loca (1989)
- No me importa nada (1989)
- El tren (1990)
- He visto un angel (1990)
- Piensa en mi (1991)
- Un pedazo de cielo (1991)
- Un año de amor (1991)
- Es por ti (1992)
- Tal para cual (1992)
- Entre mis recuerdos (1995)
- Lo eres todo (1995)
- Besaré el suelo (1995)
- Plantado en mi cabeza (1996)
- Te ofrezco lo que tengo (1996)
- Mi confianza (1999)
- Sentir (2000)
- Quisiera ser y no puedo (2000)
- Inesperadamente (2000)
- Ni tu ni yo (2002)
- Dame un beso (2003)
- A veces un cielo (2003)
- Un nuevo dia brillará (2004)
- Sencilla alegría (2005)
- Mi memoria (2005)
- Se feliz (2007)
- Soy (2008)
- Con mil sufrimientos (2009)
- Historia de un amor (2009)
Albums
- El ascensor (Single) (1980)
- Luz (1982)
- Los ojos del gato (1984)
- Luz III (1985)
- Quiéreme aunque te duela (1987)
- Luz V (1989)
- A contraluz (1991)
- Como la flor prometida (1995)
- Un mar de confianza (2000)
- Con otra mirada (2002)
- Sencilla alegría (2005)
- Vida tóxica (2007)
- La Pasión (2009)
Compilation albums
- Pequeños y grandes éxitos (1996)
- Pequeños, medianos y grandes éxitos (2006)
Albums released in France
- The best of Luz Casal (1998)
- Pequeños, medianos y grandes éxitos (French edition) (2006)
Soundtracks
- Tacones lejanos (1991)
- El Bosque animado (2001)
External links
- Official Homepage
- Boimorto info (in Spanish)
- Review of 'La Pasion' (English)
- Luz Casal at Morkol.com Listen the songs and read the lyrics.