Joan Manuel Serrat | Artist
Joan Manuel Serrat i Teresa is a Spanish musician, singer and composer born 1943 in Barcelona. He is considered one of the most important figures of modern, popular music in both the Spanish and Catalan languages. Serrat's father, Josep Serrat, was a Catalan anarchist affiliated with the CNT and his childhood and environment in his neighbourhood greatly impacted him, as a great number of his songs described Catalonia after the Spanish Civil War. the young artist participated in a pop band with classmates at Barcelona's Agronomy School and performing mainly Beatles songs and Italian pop songs translated to Spanish. In 1965, while singing on the radio show Radioscope, he secured a record deal with local label Edigsa. From there he joined the group Els Setze Jutges which defended the Catalan language during the Spanish State. In 1967 his first album Ara que tinc vint anys was released which included songs from previous EPs, as well as "Balada per a un trobador", "Els vells amants" and "Els titelles". His first live stage performance in 1967 at the Palau de Musica Catalana established him as one of the most important artists inside the Nova cançó movement in Catalonia. The following year, Spain entered Serrat in the Eurovision Song Contest to sing "La, la, la", but he asked to sing it in Catalan, to which the Spanish authorities would not agree. This would be the first time he would come into conflict with the politics of Spain, repressed by dictator Generalissimo Franco. The release of the Mediterráneo LP in 1971 consolidated the artist's reputation worldwide. During that year, Serrat sang a seminal concert at the theater of the University of Puerto Rico, which was highly influential in the Puerto Rican music community. In late 1974, Serrat was exiled in Mexico due to his condemnation of capital punishment in Francoist Spain. It wasn't until Franco's death in November 1975 that Serrat was able to return to his homeland. In 1976, Serrat was acclaimed for the first time in the United States, while performing in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. Standout albums include Com ho fa el vent (1969), Joan Manuel Serrat (1969), Dedicado a Antonio Machado, poeta (1969), Mi niñez (1970), Mediterráneo (1971) and Miguel Hernández (1972). In January 1995, the Spanish government awarded Serrat a medal for his contribution to Hispanic culture.
Artist Website: jmserrat.com
Featured Albums: Joan Manuel Serrat
Related Artists: Serrat & Sabina
Video Clips: La La La, Fiesta Madrid, Antonio Machado
