Ana Torroja facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ana Torroja
Background information
Birth name	Ana Torroja Fungairiño
Born	(1959-12-28) 28 December 1959 (age 65) Madrid, Spain
Genres	Pop synthpop post-punk new wave
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter musician
Instruments	Vocalist
Years active	1981–present
Associated acts	Mecano

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

Ana Torroja's Story

Starting with Mecano

Ana Torroja met José María Cano when they were studying at university. They became good friends. José María then introduced her to his younger brother, Nacho Cano. Nacho heard Ana sing José María's songs and suggested they form a band together. In 1981, when she was 22, Ana became the singer for Mecano.

Life with Mecano

Mecano released seven albums and became very successful in Europe and Latin America. But constant touring started to make the band members tired. Ana especially had problems with her voice. She also felt very shy and exposed because of all the fame. She said it felt like she was "some kind of freak" because people would scream and want to touch her. This made her want to stay inside.

Taking a Break

In 1993, Mecano announced they would take a 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.

Starting a Solo Career

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 different for Ana. The songs were not written by the Cano brothers, so she felt she could 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. Both the album and the song became number one hits in Spain.

In 1998, Mecano got back together for a short time. They released a greatest hits album with seven new songs.

Solo Success

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

In 2001, Ana tried to reach her French fans again by recording an album called Ana Torroja.

More Albums and Collaborations

In 2003, she released her third album, Frágil (meaning Fragile). This album showed a more pop-focused style. She went on her first solo tour called Gira Frágil across America and Europe. This album helped her become a strong solo artist. She also received many awards and nominations, like the Grammy Latino.

After this, she took a short break. She sang with other artists, like Mexican singer Aleks Syntek in 2004. They sang "Duele el Amor" ("Love Hurts"), which was a big hit. She also sang with Italian singer Gigi D'Alessio.

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

In 2008, Ana worked with Schiller, singing Por qué te vas. This song became number one on the Sehnsucht album charts in Germany.

On May 17, 2008, Ana Torroja was invited to a big concert for Fundación ALAS. This concert helped children in Latin America. She sang several songs, including "Me cuesta tanto olvidarte" and "Duele el amor."

On October 10, 2008, she was seriously hurt in a car crash in Cádiz. Luckily, she fully recovered.

Recent Work

Ana's music has reached many countries. In 2010, British singer Jack Lucien covered her song "Hoy ya no te quiero."

In October 2010, Ana released Sonrisa (Spanish for "smile"). This was her fifth original album in Spanish. The album's 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 Rat). She was declared a co-winner!

See Also

In Spanish: Ana Torroja para niños

• Marquesado de Torroja

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)