Mastretta (musician) facts for kids

Mastretta (center) and his band in 2007

Mastretta is the stage name of Ignacio Mastretta Rodríguez, a talented Spanish musician, composer, and record producer. He was born in Barcelona on May 9, 1964.

About Mastretta

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Even though Ignacio Mastretta was born in Barcelona, many people think of him as a musician from Cantabria. This is because he moved to Santander when he was very young. There, he studied piano at the Conservatorio Jesús de Monasterio.

His first music group was called Las Manos de Orlac, which he started in 1987. This band played pop and Caribbean music. Ignacio sang and played many instruments in the band. They released two albums: La Furia in 1988 and Salud y Pesetas in 1989. Later, in 1991, he moved to Madrid. From 1992 to 1999, he worked as a sound technician at the famous El Sol studio. He also worked at Sala Maravillas, helping many different bands, both local and international, during a time when alternative rock was growing.

Creating His Own Sound

Around the same time, Ignacio Mastretta started creating his own unique style of instrumental music. Big record companies weren't sure about it at first. But then, Subterfuge Records, an independent music label from Madrid, decided to support his style. They even created a new music section just for him!

In the summer of 1998, they released an instrumental song called "Highballito" under the name Música para un Guateque Sideral. "Highballito" is actually the name of a Mexican drink mentioned in a book by Ernest Hemingway. This song was a big hit with music critics. In December 1998, he released his first album, Melodías de Rayos-X. This album took instrumental music to a new level, even featuring the voice of Ana Belén. Even though Melodías de Rayos-X was not an electronic music album, the editors of El País newspaper chose it as "The best electronic album of the '90s."

In 1998, Mastretta also became the official composer for the fashion shows of Spanish designer Jesús del Pozo. In 1999, he released an EP (a shorter album) called Música para el Desfile de la Colección de Otoño-Invierno 1999–2000 de Jesús del Pozo. By this time, his music was also used in commercials for Volkswagen Polo cars and Bitter Kas drinks.

Collaborations and Film Music

In January 2000, Mastretta released his second album, Luna de Miel (which means "Honeymoon"). This album was special because 10 different female singers added their voices to his music. Interestingly, Mastretta wrote the lyrics himself, with help from his brother Fernando. The women who sang on the album came from many different countries, including Julieta Venegas and Alaska from Mexico, Rubi from Argentina, Beatrice from Italy, Gemma Corredera from Cuba, Rasha from Sudan, and several Spanish singers like Raquel Pascual, Irantzu Valencia from the band La Buena Vida, Cristina Lliso, Ana Belén, and Ajo from Mil Dolores Pequeños. The songs on Luna de Miel explored themes of irony and sadness that women might feel in their daily lives. Because so many different artists were involved, there were only two live shows for the album, held in Madrid in May 2000.

In February 2000, he released the soundtrack for Asphalt, a movie directed by Daniel Calparsoro. This soundtrack was nominated for a Goya Award (a major film award in Spain) for Best Original Music that same year. In May, he released the soundtrack for a short film called En Malas Compañías by Antonio Hens.

For the XI Semana de Cine Fantástico y de Terror de San Sebastián (a fantasy and horror film festival) in 2000, he released Bascombe. This CD single was inspired by Sci Fi movies and included his own versions of music from Star Wars and Mars Attacks!.

In 2001, Mastretta toured across the American continent with Julieta Venegas. He also composed music for the movie El Sueño del Caimán by Beto Gómez and the short film Desaliñada by Gustavo Salmerón. In November, he released Música de Automóvil, an instrumental album that showed off his unique sound, but with a new, slightly unusual twist.

Mastretta has performed at many international music festivals, such as Pop Komm in Germany, Arezzo Wave in Italy, and Sónar in Barcelona, as well as in Mexico and the United States.

Working as a Producer

As a record producer, Mastretta has helped other artists create their music. He has worked with bands and singers like Liquits, Tonino Carotone, Peret, and Josele Santiago. He has also remixed songs for Fangoria and Titán. Plus, he has collaborated with many other groups and artists, including Renato Carossone, Peret, Los Enemigos, Los Planetas, Mercromina, and Pauline en la Playa.

Mastretta's Music Albums

Studio Albums

Singles and EPs

See also

In Spanish: Nacho Mastretta para niños