Paloma San Basilio

Paloma Cecilia San Basilio Martínez (Madrid; November 22, 1950) is a Spanish singer and actress, winner of a Latin Grammy Award and representative of Spain in the 1985 Eurovision Song Contest. Throughout his career he has sold 16 million records with styles ranging from Ballad to pop, leaving a good number of appearances in musical theater such as Evita, Man of La Mancha, My Fair Lady, Victor/Victoria or Sunset Boulevard.

He announced his retirement from the world of music in 2013, going on a farewell tour through Europe and America.

Gold Medal for merit in Fine Arts, 2021.

Personal life

Married in the early years of the 70s to the athlete Ignacio Gómez Pellico, she had a daughter, Ivana Vanessa. They were canceled shortly after. She later began a relationship with businessman Claudio Rey, with whom she has been together for more than thirty years. Paloma is an example of knowing how to separate personal life from professional life. She barely talks about her private life; Journalists respect her enormously. She maintains a wonderful relationship with them, which was reflected in the presentation they gave her of the Orange Award at the beginning of the 80s, this award being the one awarded by the press to the people who have treated them best.

Career

Paloma San Basilio was born in Madrid, she lived her childhood in Seville and her adolescence in Lugo. She studied Philosophy and Letters and Psychology at the Complutense University of Madrid for a few years before beginning her artistic career in 1975.

Beginnings

During the early seventies she was the presenter of the television program Siempre en Domingo and an actress in the zarzuela program Divertir Siglo. It was in 1975 when she recorded her first album, Sombras, with wide international repercussion, which included songs composed for her, as well as versions of classics such as "The Way We Were", &# 34;The Long And Winding Road" or "Feelings". His next work Donde vas, from 1977, includes more upbeat songs composed, among others, by Bebu Silvetti, as well as ballads such as the one that gives the title to the album and which was preselected to represent Spain in Eurovision in 1977, and consolidated its fame in Latin America. Her influences are very varied: from artists such as The Beatles, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holliday or Barbra Streisand to artists that, due to her stay in Seville, she often listened to, such as Lola Flores or Gracia Montes. This meant that she could not be pigeonholed into any genre, since she skillfully mastered several.

On October 23, 1978 he recorded the album En Directo at the Teatro Monumental in Madrid, which included one of his most successful songs from his early period: "< i>Kiss by kiss... sweetly", as well as versions of classics by international female soloists: I say a little prayer (Aretha Franklin), People (Barbra Streisand), Parole, Parole (Mina), Sweet Sadie the Savior (Patti Austin), etc. As a curiosity, I would like to say that in the first pressings of the album, the LP differed from the cassette in some issues such as" Where Are You Going" (on the cassette it was completely live, while on the LP they included it with pre-recorded sound), something that was corrected in the following editions. This makes this cassette a highly sought-after piece by music lovers. Also in 1978, for the Latin American market, the album Beso a kiss... dulcemente was released, which includes compositions such as "Now" (version of "Ancora, ancora, ancora", by the Italian Mina Mazzini) and "On the rainbow", theme from The wizard of Oz ("Over the Rainbow") that he recorded in Spanish, as well as a song of his own authorship: "Atardecer". Two singles are extracted from the aforementioned album. The first "Secrets" by Bebu Silvetti and Miguel Tottis, is surprising for its disco character and for the lavish and accomplished high notes in her voice. The second is the one that gives theme to the album: "Kiss to Kiss...Sweetly" and it becomes one of her most radio and successful songs, being today a classic in her repertoire.

Evita and Eurovision

In December 1980, the musical Evita premiered with great success, triumphing in the theaters of Madrid, Barcelona, San Juan de Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, Mexico City, Caracas, Panama, Santo Domingo, San José, Bogotá, Quito, Lima, Santiago de Chile and Miami. Paloma's fame grew both in the countries that she had already visited and in the countries in which she could not present Evita due to political problems; Such was the case of Argentina, which at that time had a civil-military dictatorship. Paloma San Basilio's moving interpretation of the role of Evita made the character and artist closely associated. It was released on a double disc and in a single-disc abridged edition. Andrew Lloyd Webber himself, one of the authors of the work, praised and defined Paloma as, perhaps, the best Evita. He gave the character a warmth and drive that, according to critics at the time, greatly enriched her character and did not exist in her predecessors. He again surprised her vocal ability in songs such as & # 34; Buenos Aires & # 34;, & # 34; La Nueva Argentina & # 34; or "Waltz for Eva and Ché". When Oliver Stone was going to shoot the film, something he never did, Paloma was one of the strongest candidates to play the character of Eva Perón in it.

Evita remained on the bill for two years, during which their next two studio albums were published. Now from 1981 increased its popularity even more if possible with songs like the very famous "Juntos", "La Hiedra i>", "Memory" (main theme of the musical Cats) and "El Inmenso" (with slightly different arrangements than in 1978). This album is one of the singer's most celebrated and includes a beautiful photo session, taken by photographer Antonio Molina. It constitutes her return to the recording world, after a three-year break. Dama, their next album from 1983, is famous for songs like "Dama", "El aire del sabbath afternoon", theme by Loretta Goggi and rhythmic cuts like "Bailando", "Fiesta del interior& #3. 4; and "A vacation". Between 1983 and 1984, he began a triumphant series of tours through Latin America in Puerto Rico, and upon his return to Spain he presented his new work Paloma, which was already successful in Latin America with " Why did you abandon me" and it was one of her best-selling works. In it you could hear synthesizers and instruments that were very common at the time. Likewise, she was co-author of several of her songs, a role that in years to come, she would carry out many times.

It was from "Evita" and of these three albums, when the public sees Paloma as a close artist, with a great voice and also removes the label of "cold singer" that until then she had been awarded, perhaps because she was a complete and international artist that was not abundant in Spain at the time.

In 1985 he participated in the Eurovision Song Contest singing the song "The party ended", which gives the title to the new album composed and produced by Juan Carlos Calderón. She performed her song in the Swedish city of Gothenburg and it was an important event in her career despite not obtaining a good classification. As usual, it incorporates versions of classics such as "Sin Ti (Without You)" original by the Welsh band Badfinger, "We're All Alone", by Rita Coolidge, adapted with the title "Impaciencia", or "Que va, qué va" (the classic "Manureva" by Serge Gainsbourg).

In those years she did occasional work as a TVE presenter, such as the variety program Superstar (1984) or the magazine La Tarde (1987). Within the series The Spanish musical comedy on Spanish Television, she stars in Las Leandras and La Cinderella del Palace and has a performance in a third, The Green Envelope, where she plays the Goddess Fortune and sings "De una monedita de oro". All three were published in the collection "The magazine" from Hispavox. Even today, it is common for Paloma to include 'Los Nardos' in her concerts, a parade included in Las Leandras.

He presents his show Live at the Teatro Monumental in Madrid, releasing a successful double album. She sings for those affected by the earthquake in Mexico and for those affected by the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia. Together with Emilio Aragón, he presents the OTI Festival and throughout the year he is present on the radio with songs such as "Because of a night in love", "< i>Like the wind", "The Kiss of your Mouth", "Impatience" and "Without you". From there, her tours and presentations continued, giving the best of herself and a very careful character to her shows, both in costumes, scenery, repertoire, lights, etc., which made them highly valued by the critics and the public were just that: great shows very similar to those made in the United States.

Juan Carlos Calderón produces his new work, Vuela Alto from 1986, where "My Cariño" stands out. This is once again one of his best-selling albums of his career, given the quality of his compositions. Vuela Alto was also titled the world tour that broke box office records. In the following years Paloma continues releasing albums without stopping; Grande from 1987 that achieved platinum sales and the tour of the same name kept the star on tour for more than 6 months, including in the aforementioned album, his recreation of Theodorakis' song "Luna De Miel', as well as songs by Pareja Obregón, Mendo and Fuster (authors of other hits such as 'la Puerta de Alcalá'), Albertelli, Rosa Girón, K C Porter, Armando Manzanero, etc. There were two versions of this album, one for the American market where the song "Los Sueños Son Tan Grandes" and another for Spain, where said theme was replaced by "La Tragedia De Eva". It is followed by Vida from 1988; album that in Latin America was released without the song "Welcome to Paradise" and that in its CD format includes an extra song titled "Amor Diablo". It includes a version of the Pat Benatar classic "We Belong" ("My Passion), the Spanish theme from Les Miserables "On my Own" or a compendium of fragments of songs like "Bésame Mucho" "The Fool On The Hill", "Alfonsina y El Mar", "No te Mires en el Río", "Music"... brought together in a fantastic theme titled "Music" and in which the concern and admiration that the singer feels for such eclectic and varied music is shown.

90s

To celebrate his 15-year career in 1990, he simultaneously recorded and released two albums; Nobody like you for Latin America (of which the enormous success "Demasiado Herida" stands out) and Quiéreme siempre for Spain. Of the latter, review the song "Un Largo Camino" a duet with Cánovas, Rodrigo and Guzmán, as well as one of the best versions ever made of "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler. On March 3, 1991, she performed a duet concert with the tenor Plácido Domingo in Miami, which was released on video and LP and achieved multimillion-dollar sales and was, in the words of the performer herself, one of the most wonderful experiences of her life. In it he dares to sing songs from Zarzuela such as "la Revoltosa", from an operetta, such as "Vals de la Viuda Alegre", from the American musical, such as " The Phantom of the Opera" or "New York, New York", boleros, tango, Spanish-American song and, of course, his extraordinary interpretation of "No Llores por mí, Argentina", (from "Evita& #3. 4;).

Paloma continues her successes with productions such as De mil amores (1991), which included songs such as "Orí Oro", "No Quiero Arrepentirme", & #34;Of a Thousand Loves" or "A Great Love". This work came out at the same time as Paloma Mediterránea (1992), in which she recreated the theme & # 34; Mediterráneo & # 34; by Serrat and songs like "Apres Toi" by Vicky Leandros, "The Concert of Aranjuez" by Joaquín Rodrigo or "Hymn to Love" by Edith Piaf. The first was released for the American market only and the second for Spain. She also presented the OTI International Festival in 1992 and 1993. Later she released Al Este del Edén (1994), an album with songs by young, more unknown authors, and which is one of the favorite albums Of the singer. That same year she performed a duet concert with the tenor José Carreras before 20,000 people in Bogotá. Like a Dream (1995) she celebrates her 20th anniversary with music and with which she remains on tour for about twenty months. This concert was released on a double CD for Spain and in Latin America it was reduced to a single CD. It featured guests such as Estela Raval, Gloria Lasso, Cristina del Valle (vocalist of the duo Amistades Peligrosas), El Dúo Dinático, El Consorcio and Juan Pardo.

In 1997, Paloma sings the works of classical musicians such as Beethoven, Pachelbel or Massenet in her new work Classically yours, an album that in Latin America was released in early 1998 with another cover and with the song "Meditation" suppressed; and, in November 1997, she resumed acting after 17 years in a musical Man of La Mancha alongside José Sacristán, which broke box office records. This musical was also released on a double CD, and it remained on display for 2 years in Madrid, 1 month in Barcelona and 2 months in Buenos Aires.

In 1999 he presented Perlas, a pop-style album based on versions of Anglo-Saxon classics adapted to Spanish (You've got a friend, Un-break my heart, Immortality, Let the River run, Angel of mine, etc) in which for the first time Paloma sings with her daughter Ivana Vanessa Gómez the song "Calling you".

2000s

In 2000 Paloma left EMI (her longtime record label due to the purchase of Hispavox in 1984) and presented, in 2001, with Sony her bolero album titled Escorpio, produced by Bebu Silvetti and which was very well received throughout America. This album contained the first version in Spanish of the famous Michael Bolton song, "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You", as well as songs like "No Ha Pasado Nada" by Armando Manzanero and a Medley of Brazilian music songs (Voce Abusó, Aguas De Marzo, Mais que Nada).

Also in 2001, he returned to the theater, establishing himself with My Fair Lady, again with José Sacristán. The musical remained on the billboard for 19 months at the Teatro Coliseum in Madrid, achieving with it the recognition deserved by a great artist within a genre as difficult as the musical, and receiving the title of «from the Spanish critics. the Queen of the Musical». A CD was released from that musical. Later in 2002 she recorded and edited for the company Ventura Discos S.L. an album with songs from musicals titled Eternally, great hits from great musicals, with songs from some of the musicals that she herself performed. A version of "Summertime" stands out from that work, as well as the Jesus Christ Superstar theme, "Es más que amor" (I don't know how to love him)", which Ángela Carrasco popularized in her day. This album, even having a very good concept since it brought together songs from musicals such as Evita, The Phantom of the Opera, Porgy and Bess, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats or Sunset Boulevard, did not obtain massive success among other things, and according to its own words the singer, because there was perhaps not much harmony with the producer: Christian de Walden, who had already produced other albums by performers such as Marta Sánchez.

On September 28, 2005, the musical Víctor Victoria premiered successfully at the Teatro Coliseum in Madrid. Success once again smiled upon Paloma in a difficult role like that of Victoria Grant, in which she played a man and a woman at the same time, giving rise to a funny misunderstanding. Her co-star was the great Paco Valladares. On November 1, 2006, Paloma received a Latin Grammy in New York, Award for Musical Excellence 2006 .

During 2006 he produced and recorded his production Invierno Sur, an intimate album that navigates smooth jazz with truly exquisite compositions by various authors such as Armando Manzanero or Amaury Gutiérrez. The album featured a song based on a composition by Hans Zimmer, who gave him the rights to "Nyah and Ethan", music that gave the title to the song and the album., "Southern Winter". It also included a version of the song "You live among shadows" ("Livin' in the shadows") from the musical Víctor Victoria. The album was released in Spain on January 29, 2007 and is co-produced with RLM. Once again, it was an innovative album due to its jazz bases and the intimate nature of many of its songs.

In 2008 she performed the Encantados tour, accompanied by maestro Luis Cobos, along with a symphony orchestra of more than 60 musicians. Tour from which a DVD of it came to light as well as a CD collecting the best moments, highlighting 'O Mio Babbino Caro', an operatic theme that Paloma defends with great ease. In Latin America the album was released without the DVD.

Then he embarked on the PSB (Piano, Saxo and Bass) tour. Tour that alternated simultaneously between several Spanish provinces and cities in Latin America. Achieving enormous success with both the public and critics. This tour began in early 2009 and lasted throughout 2010 and was a show in which she reviewed both her hits and international music songs, accompanied only by a piano, a bass and a sax.

2010s onwards

At the beginning of 2010 she was called to record the musical curtain of an Argentine telenovela starring the actress Soledad Silveyra ("Secretos de Amor", which was broadcast on the Argentine TELEFE signal), whose title song is "Love without age", composed by Eduardo Frigerio.

In March 2012 he published the album Amolap (means Dove backwards), whose first song released surprised and raised opposing opinions due to its techno music sound and its lyrics in English: " Love makes my world go round". The first single from the album is "Yo Quiero Volar", a pop ballad with a sophisticated sound comparable to Anglo-Saxon pop ballads. The album, in addition to having four unreleased songs, includes new versions of his old hits, such as "Por qué me abandaste", "My love", "Life" and the impeccable version of "Honeymoon". The distinctive feature of this work is the arrangements in electronic key. It is an album still unreleased in Latin America and whose launch in Spain revolutionized social networks, given its innovative nature and comparing Paloma with the singer Cher.

Likewise, in June 2012 she premiered the musical My Fair Lady, which took her on tour through several Spanish cities; This tour ended in Valencia on November 4. On November 22 of this same year she announced through the social network Twitter and Facebook that she would begin her last year of tour.

On January 6, 2014, he offered a concert at the Teatro Real in Madrid, a space intended for great operas and classical music, in which few light music singers have performed. She performed songs from musicals such as Mary Poppins, Cats or Evita and ended with & # 34; Los Nardos & # 34; from Las Leandras. The public applauded her enormously and her success was notable. In February of this same year she performed again at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival, obtaining all the awards given by the attending public.

In addition, she began her work as a writer with the publication of her memoirs, titled 'The Girl Who Danced in the Rain', after which she is writing a new book, this time a novel, with fictional characters and not based on personal experiences. He was a columnist for ABC for a year. She also began to & # 34; take up & # 34; her facet as a painter, which led her to hold several exhibitions. Clearly we are facing a multifaceted artist who plays various styles and, in all of them, comes out glorious. In 2016 she resumed her role as a writer and published her first fiction novel, titled & # 34; The ocean of memory ". She also returns to the musical stage with the play THE TENTH MUSE, in which she recreates fragments of musicals such as The Sound of Music, Sunset Boulevard, Beauty and the Beast, etc. The premiere takes place in the magical surroundings of the Roman amphitheater in Mérida and receives excellent reviews and reception from the public and specialized press.

On January 2, 2016, he premiered a concert with Los Chicos del Coro de Saint Marc titled Voices for the soul.

In 2017 he announced his leading role in the new musical directed by Jaime Azpilicueta SUNSET BOULEVARD, together with the Argentine singer Gerónimo Rauch, which premiered in the Tenerife auditorium at the end of 2017, also expecting a tour that would culminate in a large theater of Madrid, something that in the end is not achieved due to the complexity of the assembly. In it, she will play Norma Desmond, a role previously played by actresses such as Glenn Close, Patti LuPone, Petula Clark and Elaine Paige. This is a musical authored by Andrew Lloyd Webber and one that Paloma's followers have been demanding for years for her to star in. It is, truly, one of the greatest musicals, with titles like As if we never said goodbye, The perfect year or With one look. Paloma therefore returns to work with Jaime Azpilicueta, after her joint successes such as EVITA and MY FAIR LADY. It is, without a doubt, a return to the musical through the front door, given its authorship.

In November 2019, he returned to a recording studio for his new studio album, with piano, sax and bass as background instruments, he reworked two hits, "My Cariño" and ""Together". He also sings "I will find you" composed by her daughter, Ivana Gómez San Basilio. The album is titled "CLOSER". With him she began a tour of America and Spain that, due to the Covid 19 pandemic, she had to put on hold, but that she plans to resume when possible. She also records a new non-commercial version of JUNTOS with different lyrics and composed by herself, giving encouragement to so many people who suffer from the coronavirus. She also participates in the TVE program, COMO SAPIENS, presenting different culinary recipes with characters of the stature of Celia Villalobos, Elena Furiase, Etc.

On January 16, 2020, she performed for the first time at the Olmué Huaso Festival, where she received a standing ovation from the audience, who sang her greatest hits at the concert. On that occasion, Paloma San Basilio performed tribute to the Chilean Violeta Parra, singing the song "Thanks to Life" exciting the spectators of the contest.

Even having announced his retirement, he decides to continue and begins a tour of Ibero-America called TE LO DIGO CON MÚSICA in 2022/23 and in October 2023 he participates in the program Duos incredibles of La 1. He also plans to publish an album for celebrate his 50 years in music, probably with other singers.

Discography

Studio Albums

• Shadows (Feelings) (1975)
• Where you go... (1977)
• Beso a Beso...
• Now (1981)
• Lady (1983)
• Paloma (1984)
• The Fiesta Termino (1985)
• High Fly (1986)
• Great (1987)
• Life (1988)
• Always want me (1990)
• No one like You (1990)
• De Mil Amores (1991)
• Mediterranean (1992)
• East of Eden (1994)
• Basically Tuya (1997)
• Pearls (1999)
• Scorpio (2001)
• Southern Winter (2006)
• Amolap (2012)
• Voices for the Soul (2015)
• Closer (2019)

Collaborative Albums

• Pigeon For End Together! (Live) (Con Plácido Domingo)
• Charming (With Luis Cobos)

Live Albums

• Direct (1978)
• Live (1985)
• Like a Dream: 20 Years With Music (1995)

Literary works

• The girl who danced in the rain. Editorial Aguilar. Year 2014. ISBN 9788403014541
• The Ocean of Memory. Editorial Suma de letras. Year 2016. ISBN 978-84-8365-624-2