Ana Torroja facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ana Torroja
Torroja in 2010
Background information
Birth name	Ana Torroja Fungairiño
Born	(1959-12-28) 28 December 1959 (age 65) Madrid, Spain
Genres	Pop synth-pop post-punk new wave
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	1981–present

Ana Torroja Fungairiño (born December 28, 1959) is a famous singer from Spain. She was the main singer for the pop group Mecano. Mecano was one of the most popular pop bands from Spain in the 1980s and 1990s. After Mecano broke up in 1998, Ana started her own solo music career.

Ana Torroja's Early Life and Music Career

How Ana Torroja Joined Mecano

Ana Torroja met José María Cano when they were studying economics at university. They became good friends. José María then introduced Ana to his younger brother, Nacho Cano.

After hearing Ana sing José María's guitar songs, Nacho suggested they form a band. In 1981, when she was 22 years old, Ana became the singer for Mecano.

Taking a Break from Mecano

Mecano released seven albums and became very successful in Europe and Latin America. However, constantly touring became very tiring for the band. Ana especially felt the strain and started having problems with her voice.

She later shared that being so famous made her feel very exposed and vulnerable. She felt uncomfortable going outside because people would immediately recognize her. She said it felt like she was "some kind of freak," and she did not like that feeling.

In 1993, the band announced they would take a temporary break. While José and Nacho worked on their own music, Ana decided to travel the world. She visited places like Hawaii, Mumbai, and New York City. These were places she had sung about in Mecano's songs. She eventually stayed in New York and took dance classes.

Ana Torroja's Solo Career

Starting Her Solo Music Journey

By 1997, Ana felt ready to sing again. She moved to London to record her first solo album, Puntos Cardinales (which means Cardinal Points). This album was produced by Tony Mansfield.

It was a big change for Ana because her new songs were not written from a male point of view. Unlike Mecano's hits, which were written by the Cano brothers, she felt she could truly express herself as a woman for the first time. The first song from the album, A Contratiempo, was a Spanish version of an old Bette Midler song called "Bottomless." Both the album and the song became number one in Spain.

Mecano's Reunion and More Solo Success

In 1998, Mecano reunited for a special album called Ana, José, Nacho. This album was a collection of their greatest hits and also included seven new songs.

Ana's biggest solo success came in 1999 with her album, Pasajes de un Sueño (meaning Passages of a Dream). Critics praised this album. The first song, "Ya No Te Quiero" ("I Don't Love You Anymore"), became one of the best-selling songs in Spain that year. To promote this album, Ana went on the Girados tour with Miguel Bosé in May 2000. They toured throughout Spain, the United States, and parts of Latin America. The tour ended in early 2001.

Expanding Her Music to Other Countries

In 2001, Ana tried to connect with her French fans again. She recorded an album called Ana Torroja specifically for them. She also worked with Mexican artist Armando Manzanero on his album Duetos 2. They sang the song "Nada personal" ("Nothing Personal") together.

In 2003, she released her third album, Frágil (meaning Fragile). This album showed a more pure pop style. For the first time, she performed solo on stage during a short tour across America and Europe called the Gira Frágil (Fragile Tour). This album helped her become a successful solo artist. She also received many awards and nominations, including the Grammy Latino.

Collaborations and Recent Work

After Frágil, Ana took a short break from her music career. She appeared as a guest artist with others, like Mexican singer Aleks Syntek in 2004. They sang "Duele el Amor" ("Love Hurts") together, which was a huge hit. That same year, she sang a new song called "Bacio" ("Kiss") in Italian with Italian singer Gigi D'Alessio.

In 2006, Ana released a new album called Me Cuesta Tanto Olvidarte. This album featured new versions of old Mecano hits. The first song, "Los Amantes," reached number 2 on the Spanish music charts.

In 2008, Ana worked with the band Schiller, singing Por qué te vas. This song became number one on the album charts in Germany. On May 17, 2008, Ana Torroja was invited by Aleks Syntek to a big concert for Fundación ALAS. This concert helped children in Latin America. She sang several songs and joined other artists for "Te amaré."

On October 10, 2008, she was seriously injured in a car crash in Cádiz. However, she fully recovered from her injuries.

Ana's music has reached beyond France and Germany. In 2010, British singer Jack Lucien announced he had covered her song "Hoy ya no te quiero" for his album. In October 2010, Ana released Sonrisa (Spanish for smile), her fifth original album in Spanish. The album was produced by Venezuelan Andrés Levin. Its release was delayed because of her car accident in 2008. Sonrisa received good reviews.

In 2023, Ana competed in the Spanish version of The Masked Singer as "Ratita" (Little Mouse). She was declared a co-winner along with Fernando Morientes, who was "Gorila" (Gorilla).

Honours

• Cross of Merit, Order pro merito Melitensi

Discography

Studio albums

• Puntos cardinales (1997)
• Points Cardinaux (1997)
• Pasajes de un sueño (1999)
• Ana Torroja (2001)
• Frágil (2003)
• Me Cuesta Tanto Olvidarte (2006)
• Sonrisa (2010)
• Mil Razones (2021)

Live albums

• Girados en concierto – a collaboration with Miguel Bosé (2000)
• Conexión (2015)

Compilations

• Esencial (2004)

Covers and collaborations

• "A contratiempo" and "Les murs" (version en français) ("Bottomless" – Bette Midler) (1995)
• "Hold on" (duet with Jason Hart) (1997) (marketed in 2005)
• "Si fuera tú" (1997) (If It were you) – Jason Hart
• "No estás" (1999) (Don't fall) – Jason Hart
• "Media luna" (duet with Deep Forest) (1997)
• "Dulce pesadilla" (1999) (Sweet nightmare) – Jason Hart
• "Veinte mariposas" ("Hidden like a secret" – Josefina Sanner/Jimmy Wahisteen/Jorge Drexter) (2003)
• "Quien dice" ("I really don't think so" – Tina Harris/Marc Nelkin/Jamie Hartman) (2003)
• "Sólo por eso" ("Rien que pour ça" – Tristan Boccara/Nathaniel Brendel) (2003)
• "Cuatro días" ("Would you like to know" – Tina Harris/Mats Bernhoft/Anders Bagge) (2003)
• "Menos, más" ("Vers ta voix" – Tino Izzo/Diane Cadieux) (2003)
• "I wish you were here" ("Wish you were here" – Waters G.) (2003)
• "Sweet Lullaby" (duet with Deep Forest) (2003)
• "Duele el amor" (duet with Aleks Syntek)("Love breaks your heart") (2004)
• "Enfant de la lune" (duet with Psy 4 de la Rime, a French hip hop group) (2005)
• "Porque te vas" (duet with Schiller) (2008)
• "Hijo de la luna" (duet with Raphael) (2008)
• "Mujer contra mujer" (duet with Garson) (2012)
• "Mujer contra mujer" (duet with Ha*Ash) (2012)
• "Todo No Fue Suficiente" (duet with Ha*Ash) (2012)
• "La fuerza del destino" (duet with Ha*Ash) (2012)
• "A contratiempo" (duet with Benny Ibarra) (2012)
• "Reforma" (duet with Ximena Sariñana) (2016)
• "Cruz de Navajas" (duet with Álvaro López) (2016)
• "Mujer contra mujer" (duet with Nicole) (2016)
• "Duele el amor" (duet with Gepe) (2016)
• "Me cuesta tanto olvidarte" (duet with Luis Fonsi) (2016)

See also

In Spanish: Ana Torroja para niños

• Marquesado de Torroja