Cecilia (songwriter) facts for kids

Evangelina Sobredo Galanes, known as Cecilia, was a Spanish singer and songwriter. She was born on 11 October 1948, in Madrid, Spain. Cecilia sadly passed away on 2 August 1976, in Castile and León, Spain. She chose her stage name "Cecilia" from a popular song by Simon & Garfunkel. She became very famous for her hit songs like Un ramito de violetas, Mi querida España, and Dama, dama. These songs were big hits in the 1970s.

About Cecilia's Life

Her Early Years

Cecilia was born in El Pardo, a part of Madrid, in 1948. Her father, José Ramón Sobredo, was a military officer and a diplomat. Because of his job, Cecilia lived in many different countries when she was a child. These included the United Kingdom, the United States, Portugal, Algeria, and Jordan. Living in these places helped her learn to speak English very well, in addition to her native Spanish language.

Her first few songs were actually in English. However, most of her later music was in Spanish. She also studied music at a convent school in the United States. There, a nun taught her how to play the guitar. When she returned to Spain, she started studying law. But she soon left her studies to follow her dream of working in the music industry.

Her Music Career

Cecilia started her career in music in 1966. But it took a few years for her to release her first album. This happened in 1970, and the album was called Expresión. It even had some songs in English, like Try Catch the Sun and Have You Ever Had a Blue Day.

After that, she released several other successful albums. These included Cecilia (in 1972), Cecilia 2 (in 1973), Un ramito de violetas (in 1975), and Amor de medianoche (also in 1975).

Dealing with Censorship

Like many other artists in Spain during her time, Cecilia faced censorship. This meant that the government at the time checked her songs and album covers. They would sometimes make her change or remove lyrics or photographs before her music could be released.

For example, if a song mentioned ideas about women's rights or the Spanish Civil War, it could cause problems. Her song "Un millón de muertos" ("A million dead") had to be changed to "Un millón de sueños" ("A million dreams"). Even then, it was not allowed to be played on the radio in Spain.

Also, her album Cecilia 2 was originally going to be called "Me quedaré soltera" ("I will remain single"). But this title was seen as too strong about women's independence, so it was changed. The original front cover of that album showed Cecilia looking pregnant. The record company quickly removed this image. Even her very popular song "Mi querida España" had some words removed from its final version. This was to reduce any mentions of the Civil War or the end of the government's rule. However, the original lyrics were still printed inside the album cover.

Her Tragic Death

On 2 August 1976, Cecilia was driving home after a concert in Vigo, Galicia. She was in a car accident on the C-620 highway (now called N-525) near a place called Colinas de Trasmonte. The accident happened early in the morning, around 5:40 AM. She died at the scene after her car was hit by a cattle truck.

Cecilia was buried in La Almudena's cemetery in Madrid.

Her Albums

LP Albums

• (1972) Cecilia
• (1973) Cecilia 2
• (1975) Un ramito de violetas
• (1975) Amor de medianoche (This was a collection of her songs)