Mocedades

Four young students from Bilbao launched the Spanish vocal ensemble Mocedades in 1967. Drawn to folk traditions and Beatles songs, the quartet first performed under the name Voces y Guitarras before adopting its lasting title. Producer Juan Carlos Calderon heard their earliest demo and immediately foresaw their rise as a major presence in the domestic market.

History began for Mocedades in 1973 when the group placed second at the Eurovisión Festival with the song “Eres Tú,” soon followed by another major success, “Tómame o Déjame.” Signing with CBS in 1980, the members began collaborating with producer Oscar Gómez. Although frequent lineup shifts marked the ensuing years, the remaining singers rebuilt the act without allowing a permanent split. Tracks such as “Amor de Hombre” and “Maitechu Mia,” the latter recorded with Plácido Domingo, rose on the charts. Despite continual personnel turnover, the group preserved its distinctive sound and international following.

Lead singer Amaya Uranga departed in 1984 to launch a solo career and was succeeded by Ana Bejerano, who appeared on three CBS albums: La Vuelta al Mundo de Willy Fog, Colores, and Sobreviviremos. By the time the last of these sets appeared, both José Ipiña and Carlos Zubiaga had exited, while Iñaki Uranga joined the lineup. This configuration proved equally brief. When Intímamente arrived in 1992, Bejerano, Iñaki Uranga, and Roberto Uranga had all left, leaving only Izaskun Uranga and Javier Garay as original members. They rebuilt the roster with Inés Rangil, José García, and Iñigo Zubizarreta, installed Izaskun as lead vocalist, and returned to the stylistic approach of the group’s earliest recordings. Suave Luz appeared in 1995 with this formation, yet most newcomers departed the following year and were replaced by Idoia Arteaga, Jose Antonio Las Heras, Arsenio Gutierrez, and Fernando Gonzalez. Working again with Juan Carlos Calderon, the new lineup recorded Mocedades Canta a Walt Disney, a collection of Spanish-language Disney songs issued by Walt Disney Records. The release proved popular enough to restore television exposure.

In 1999 Izaskun Uranga suffered a serious car accident that confined her to two years of bed rest and suspended all band activity. Lacking work, Idoia, Arsenio, and Gonzalez departed, while Jose Antonio and Garay remained until Izaskun recovered.

Live performances resumed in 2001 with the addition of Luis Hornedo and Iratxe Martinez. Without a label contract, the group distributed its own recordings and videos online. Tragedy persisted: in 2005 three members from different eras—Rafael Blanco, Roberto Uranga, and active singer Jose Antonio Las Heras—passed away. Gonzalez returned to replace Las Heras, Iratxe Martinez left both the group and the music industry, and Rosa Rodríguez took her place. The band next released Mocedades Canta a Juan Luis Guerra, an album devoted entirely to the Dominican singer-songwriter’s material and the only Mocedades project not issued simultaneously in Spain. Its success supported tours throughout the country and the United States. Two new songs appeared on internet outlets in 2012, yet a planned full-length album was postponed when Rodríguez and Gonzalez exited at year’s end. Begoña Costa and Aitor Melgosa joined in 2013 and participated in the 45th-anniversary concerts through Mexico.

The following year Izaskun Uranga, the last remaining member of the original Las Hermanas Uranga configuration, also departed. Retaining rights to the name, she assembled her own Mocedades with Rosa Rodríguez, Gonzalez, Arsenio Gutierrez, and newcomer José María Santa María. Garay’s version of the group continued touring and recording, releasing Por Amor a Mexico on Fonovisia in early 2018. Two separate ensembles currently perform under the Mocedades name.