A celebrated Spanish singer, songwriter, poet, and lyricist, Joaquín Sabina built a reputation for literate, deeply lyrical pop/rock. Late in the 1970s he first drew broad notice through the 1980 release Malas Companias, whose chart-topping single “Pongamos Que Hablo de Madrid” announced his arrival. As his style shifted from rock toward a more refined pop approach, further commercial breakthroughs arrived with the 1987 album Hotel, Dulce Hotel and the 1992 set Fisica y Quimica, the latter propelled by the hit “Y Nos Dieron Las Diez.” Additional platinum-certified projects followed, among them Esta Boca Es Mia, Yo, Mi, Me, Contigo, and 19 Dias y 500 Noches. After suffering a stroke and enduring a four-year absence from live performance, Sabina resumed touring with the 2005 album Alivio de Luto. In addition to lifetime achievement distinctions—the 2009 Golden medal of the city of Madrid and the 2017 Favourite Son medal of Úbeda—he has sustained an active schedule of concerts and book publications, issuing his seventeenth album, Lo Niego Todo, in 2017.
Joaquín Ramón Martínez Sabina entered the world in Úbeda, Spain, on February 12, 1949. By age fourteen he had begun composing poetry and joined the teenage rockabilly group Merry Youngs. His poetic and musical abilities later extended into theater when he performed with Juan Panadero’s company. The 1976 publication of his book Memorias del Exilio supplied the lyric foundation for his debut album, recorded in 1978. El Inventario preceded Malas Compañias, his initial CBS release. While his stature as a songwriter expanded, numerous prominent Hispanic vocalists began commissioning material from him. In 1985 Sabina departed CBS for Ariola. The live album Joaquín Sabina y Viceversa captured two acclaimed concerts at Salamanca Theater on February 14 and 15, 1986. The next studio effort, Hotel, Dulce Hotel, appeared in 1987 and surpassed 400,000 copies sold. During 1992 Sabina undertook nearly two hundred performances across multiple continents. The Spanish Songwriters Association (SGAE) named him Best Spanish Rock and Pop Songwriter in 1997; three years afterward Nos Sobran los Motivos arrived. A stroke in 2001 interrupted his activities, yet he reentered the studio the following year to complete Dímelo en la Calle. Alivio de Luto reached stores in 2005, and two years later, after an extensive world tour alongside Joan Manuel Serrat, the live recording Dos Pájaros de un Tiro appeared. Sabina returned in 2009 with Vinagre y Rosas, supported by the youthful duo Pereza, whose contributions added sonic drive. That same year Madrid awarded him its Golden medal. He reunited with Serrat for the 2012 project La Orquesta del Titanic, which was followed by Live at Luna Park.
The artistic alliance between Sabina and Serrat formed the focus of director Francesc Relea’s documentary Simbolo y el Cuate, featuring writer Eduardo Galeano, musician Javier Limon, and numerous additional contributors. Its sixteen-song soundtrack topped the Spanish charts, while the film enjoyed widespread success throughout Europe. Sabina’s subsequent tour reached Mexico City and London’s Royal Albert Hall, yielding the live set 500 Noches para una Crisis: En Directo in 2015—his final Sony release. Two years later he demonstrated continued commercial and artistic vitality with Lo Niego Todo on the S&L label. Crafted in collaboration with singer-songwriter Leiva, who also served as producer, and novelist Benjamin Prado, the album debuted at number one on the Spanish charts, held the position for ten weeks, and earned enthusiastic critical praise. Of the twenty-six-date regional tour, the opening eleven concerts sold out within minutes. In 2017 Úbeda further honored its native son with the Favourite Son Medal.
