Alejandro Sanz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alejandro Sanz
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Sanz in 2023
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro |
| Born | 18 December 1968 Madrid, Spain |
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| Years active | 1988–present |
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Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro, known as Alejandro Sanz (born December 18, 1968), is a famous Spanish musician, singer, and composer. He has won many awards, including 22 Latin Grammy Awards and four Grammy Awards. He has won the Latin Grammy for Album of the Year three times. Sanz is well-known for his beautiful ballads that have a flamenco feel. He also likes to try out different music styles like pop, rock, funk, R&B, and jazz.
Born in Madrid, Spain, Alejandro Sanz started playing guitar when he was seven years old. His family had strong flamenco roots, which influenced him a lot. He released his first album when he was nineteen. But he became truly famous in Spain with his second album, Viviendo Deprisa (1991). His next albums, Si Tú Me Miras (1993) and 3 (1995), were also very popular. However, his 1997 album Más made him an international star. In 2000, El Alma al Aire sold over a million copies in its first week. In 2002, he became the first Spanish artist to record an MTV Unplugged album.
In 2005, he worked with Shakira on the song "La Tortura", which became a worldwide hit. He explored new music styles with albums like No Es lo Mismo (2003) and El Tren de los Momentos (2006). His 2009 album, Paraíso Express, brought him back to his classic sound. In 2011, Sanz joined Universal Music Group. He released his tenth studio album, La Música No Se Toca, in 2012, followed by Sirope in 2015.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Alejandro Sanz was born in Madrid, Spain, on December 18, 1968. He was the youngest son of María Pizarro and Jesús Sánchez. He grew up in the neighborhood of Moratalaz in eastern Madrid. Sanz remembers that kids often played outside. He was "a bit like the group troubadour," playing guitar and singing. This helped him stay out of trouble.
His father was a book salesman who also played guitar professionally. This inspired young Alejandro to learn the instrument at age seven. He loved playing so much that his mother once broke his guitar because his playing kept the family awake!
Every summer, Sanz would visit his parents' home in Andalusia, southern Spain. There, he learned about traditional flamenco music. At first, he wanted to be a flamenco performer. But he found the flamenco teachers very strict. He felt he couldn't keep up with other flamenco students. So, he decided to focus on creating pop music that still had flamenco influences. He saw flamenco as a "lifestyle" that suited others more.
Alejandro Sanz's Music Journey
First Albums and Rising Fame (1989–1996)
As a teenager, Alejandro Sanz performed in different places in his hometown. He met Miguel Ángel Arenas, a music executive. Arenas helped Sanz get a record deal with the Spanish label Hispavox. In 1989, Sanz released his first album, Los Chulos Son Pa' Cuidarlos, under the name Alejandro Magno. This album mixed techno and flamenco, but it wasn't very popular. Today, Sanz sees it as "insignificant," but it's now a collector's item.
After this, Sanz took a break from music to study business. He also worked at a recording studio, writing songs for other artists. He convinced Arenas to send his song demos to record companies. This led to him signing with Warner Music Latina. At this time, he started using his current stage name, Alejandro Sanz.
Sanz became famous in 1991 with his first album from Warner, Viviendo Deprisa. Songs like "Pisando Fuerte" and "Se le Apagó la Luz" helped him gain many fans in Spain. In 1993, he released Si Tú Me Miras, followed by a live album called Básico. That same year, he recorded "Mi Primera Canción" with flamenco legend Paco de Lucía, whom Sanz admired. His third studio album, 3, came out in 1995. 3 was also released in Italian and Portuguese. "La Fuerza del Corazón" was the first song from 3 to become popular internationally. All three albums were very successful, selling millions of copies in Spain.
International Success (1997–2002)
Sanz spent two years in Milan, Italy, working on his next album after 3. He wanted to mix many different sounds. He even started learning the saxophone and piano, in addition to guitar. In 1997, Sanz released his fifth studio album, Más. This album had ballads with strong flamenco, pop, and tropical influences.
Más was a huge hit, selling over two million copies in Spain. It became the best-selling album in Spanish history. Songs like "Corazón Partío", "Y, ¿Si Fuera Ella?", and "Amiga Mía" were very popular. "Corazón Partío" made Sanz an international star. After this success, Sanz started touring in the United States for the first time.
His fifth album, El Alma al Aire, came out on September 26, 2000. On this album, Sanz explored more music styles, including jazz, R&B, soul, and tango. In Spain, the album sold over one million copies in its first week. This broke his own record set by Más. At the 2001 Latin Grammy Awards, Sanz won four awards for El Alma al Aire. Later that year, a special edition of El Alma al Aire was released, featuring duets with the Irish band The Corrs. In October 2001, Sanz joined Michael Jackson and other artists on the Spanish version of the charity song "What More Can I Give" to help victims of the September 11 attacks.
In 2002, Sanz recorded MTV Unplugged in Miami, Florida. He was the first Spanish artist to record an MTV Unplugged album. Sanz said recording this album "changed the way I do my music." It helped him rediscover how to perform and record music with live musicians. He won three Latin Grammy Awards for MTV Unplugged. At the 2002 Grammy Awards, Sanz performed "Quisiera Ser" with Destiny's Child.
New Sounds and Collaborations (2003–2007)
On September 2, 2003, Sanz released his sixth studio album, No Es lo Mismo. On this album, Sanz included songs with more social messages. For example, "Sandy a Orilla do Mundo" talks about oil spills. The album won four awards at the 2004 Latin Grammy Awards. In 2004, he became the first Spanish musician to give a lecture at Harvard University, talking about Hispanic culture.
In 2005, Sanz worked with Shakira on her song "La Tortura". Sanz helped write the song, and it became a huge international hit. It broke records for staying at number one on the Hot Latin Songs chart for many weeks. This song introduced Sanz to even more listeners. The first song from his next album, El Tren de los Momentos, called "A la Primera Persona", became his first song to enter the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This album also featured other famous artists like Shakira, Juanes, and Residente from Calle 13.
In 2007, Sanz took a break from his world tour for two months. This was because of stress from personal challenges, including his father's passing and his separation from his wife. He said this time helped him "recuperate completely" and gave him "more power" to perform.
New Labels and Awards (2008–Present)
To promote his new album, Paraíso Express, Sanz started a campaign where fans could create videos about their idea of paradise. Other artists like Shakira and Alicia Keys also joined in. On November 10, 2009, Sanz released Paraíso Express. This album was seen as a return to his classic style, focusing more on melodies. He said it was "more of a rock album" with "more elegant and positive lyrics." The song "Looking for Paradise" with Alicia Keys reached number one on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. The album and its songs received nominations at the 2010 Latin Grammy Awards.
On February 15, 2011, Sanz announced he was signing with Universal Music Group after 20 years with Warner. That same year, he received the ASCAP Latin Heritage Award for his contributions to Latin music. On September 2, 2012, he showed the cover art for his ninth studio album, La Música No Se Toca. This album was released on September 25, 2012, and included the song "No Me Compares". In 2013, Sanz was named the Pop Male Artist of the Year and received the Lo Nuestro Excellence Award for his achievements in music.
On November 6, 2013, Sanz received an honorary music degree from Berklee College of Music. He said it was a "great honor" and promised to keep working hard. Sanz released his eleventh studio album, Sirope, on May 4, 2015. This album had an "eclectic sound," mixing flamenco, R&B, and folk music. In November 2017, Alejandro Sanz was honored as the Latin Recording Academy's Person of the Year.
In April 2019, he released his album ElDisco. This album was recorded in Miami and featured collaborations with Camila Cabello, Nicky Jam, and Residente. In May 2020, Sanz announced new dates for his La Gira tour, which was moved to June 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2021, he sang "Imagine" as part of the 2020 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, representing Europe. In October 2020, Sanz appeared with Argentine singer TINI on the song "Un Beso en Madrid."
In October 2021, Sanz received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his music achievements.
Musical Style
When Alejandro Sanz first started his career, his music was mostly romantic ballads. But in the late 1990s, working with other artists helped him explore many new music styles. On No Es lo Mismo, he experimented with rock, salsa, and hip hop. He said that guest artists would "contaminate it with their rhythms...in a good way." El Tren de los Momentos continued this trend, featuring different genres like funk, jazz, and country. Even with these changes, his main strength remained romantic songs, often ballads, with a flamenco touch, sung with his unique voice.
Sanz is known for his special raspy voice. He says this comes from his flamenco background and credits singer Camarón de la Isla as a big influence. He even has a song called "Sí, He Cantado Mal" (Yes, I Have Sung Badly) where he jokes about his voice. Growing up, Sanz was also influenced by English heavy metal bands like Iron Maiden and Dio. He feels that living in the city of Cadiz also had a big impact on his music. In Cadiz, "Any 7-year-old kid you find knows how to play guitar, play the cajón, knows how to sing."
Personal Life
Alejandro Sanz married Mexican fashion model and actress Jaydy Mitchel in Bali in 1999. Their daughter, Manuela Sánchez Michel, was born in 2001. The couple separated in 2005. Sanz later had a son named Alexander with Valeria Rivera, a Puerto Rican fashion designer.
Sanz married his former assistant, Raquel Perera, in 2012. They have two children: a son, Dylan, born in 2011, and a daughter, Alma, born in 2014. The couple separated in 2019.
The famous Flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía was the godfather of Sanz's son. Sanz and his wife are godparents to David Bisbal's daughter.
Besides music, Sanz enjoys painting. He often paints when he's looking for ideas for new songs. He says painting "teaches you that taking risks rarely leads to failure."
In 2016, Sanz spoke out against violence against women, saying that a man who "beats a woman, beats the whole humanity." He also wore make-up to show his support for women.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Celebridade | Musical Guest |
| 2015 | A que no me dejas | Musical Guest |
| 2018 | Lo Que Fui es Lo Que Soy | Documental |
Discography
Studio albums
- 1989: Los Chulos Son Pa' Cuidarlos
- 1991: Viviendo Deprisa
- 1993: Si Tú Me Miras
- 1994: Básico
- 1995: 3
- 1997: Más
- 2000: El Alma al Aire
- 2003: No Es lo Mismo
- 2006: El Tren de los Momentos
- 2009: Paraíso Express
- 2012: La Música No Se Toca
- 2015: Sirope
- 2019: #ElDisco
- 2021: Sanz
Tours
- (1990–1992) Viviendo Deprisa Tour
- (1993–1994) Si Tú Me Miras Tour
- (1995–1996) 3 Tour
- (1998) Más Tour
- (2001–2002) El Alma Al Aire Tour
- (2004) No Es Lo Mismo Tour
- (2007–2008) El Tren De Los Momentos Tour
- (2009–2011) Paraiso Tour
- (2012–2014) La Música No Se Toca Tour
- (2015) Sirope Tour
- (2019–2022) ESP
- (2023) Sanz En Vivo 2023
See Also
In Spanish: Alejandro Sanz para niños
- List of best-selling Latin music artists
