Melendi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melendi
Melendi in February 2017
Background information
Birth name	Ramón Melendi Espina
Also known as	Melendi
Born	(1979-01-21) 21 January 1979 (age 46) Oviedo, Spain
Genres	Pop rumba pop rock
Labels	Carlito EMI

Ramón Melendi Espina (born January 21, 1979), known as Melendi, is a popular Spanish singer and songwriter. He is famous for his music, which often blends pop, rock, and traditional Spanish rumba styles. Melendi has released many successful albums and is known for his unique voice and storytelling in his songs.

Early Life and First Steps in Music

Melendi was born in Oviedo, a city in Asturias, Spain. When he was young, he went to school with Fernando Alonso, a famous Formula One race car driver. Melendi even wrote a song called "Magic Alonso" for him!

Melendi tried racing for a short time, but he quickly realized it wasn't for him. He was also good at football and played for a team called Astur CF. After that, he worked as a waiter. These experiences later gave him ideas for his song lyrics.

In 2001, Melendi joined a music group called "El bosque de Sherwood." Soon after, he recorded a demo with three songs: "Sin noticias de Holanda," "El informe del forense," and "Vuelvo a traficar."

Melendi's Music Journey

Starting His Career: 2003–2006

In February 2003, Melendi released his first solo album, Sin noticias de Holanda. It had twelve songs. Later that year, he added two new songs, "Asturias" and "Moratalá." He became very well-known when his song "Con la luna llena" was chosen as the official theme for the 2004 Vuelta a España, a big bicycle race. In May 2004, he went on a small tour in Spain. His album sold 50,000 copies, earning him a gold album award.

Melendi performing in Valladolid

In 2005, Melendi released his second album, Que el cielo espere sentao. This album sold over 200,000 copies! He later added three new songs to this album: "El Nano," "La dama y el vagabundo," and "Carlota." He also included a live concert DVD. That same year, he became a father and won an Onda award for "Best Song of the Year" for "Caminando por la vida." By November 2005, he had received seven Platinum Discs for his first two albums, showing how popular his music was.

In 2006, Melendi was part of the PSP game Gangs of London. He played a character named Mr. Big and even wrote a song for the game. His album Mientras no cueste trabajo came out on November 13, 2006. It was available in two versions: a regular CD with 12 songs and a special edition with 16 songs and a DVD.

New Albums and Challenges: 2007–2010

In 2007, Melendi won the "Best Tour" award at the Premios de la Música ceremony. He also created an advertising campaign for Canal+ Spain called "Me gusta el fútbol" (I Like Football), for which he wrote a song.

Melendi also started his own company, Blue Donkey Music, to help new singers begin their careers. He signed contracts with several groups, including Rasel and La Dama.

On August 9, 2008, he released his new song, "Un violinista en tu tejado," from his album Curiosa la cara de tu padre. The album was released on September 16, 2008, and won an award from Los 40 Principales radio station. In December 2009, he released a special double CD version of this album with nine new songs.

Continued Success: 2011–2015

In 2011, Melendi recorded a song in Catalan called "Ulls dolços," which was a cover of "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper. This was for a special TV show called La Marató that raises money for charity.

On November 13, 2012, he released a new album called Lágrimas desordenadas. He then went on a tour across Spain and Latin America to celebrate 10 years since his first solo album.

His album Un alumno más was released on November 25, 2014. Before the album came out, he released two songs from it, including "Tocado y hundido."

Recent Works: 2016–Present

In 2016, Melendi released Quítate las gafas, which included a collaboration with ChocQuibTown. The first song from this album was "Desde Que Estamos Juntos," released on September 23, 2016. Other popular songs from the album included "La Casa No Es Igual" and "Destino o Casualidad." On June 2, 2017, he released a new version of "Destino o Casualidad" with the American duo Ha*Ash.

In October 2019, Melendi became a coach on the Mexican TV show La Voz Kids, helping young singers. On November 29, 2019, he released his album 10:20:40, which featured a collaboration with Cali y El Dandee.

Melendi's Personal Life

In his early career, there were false rumors about Melendi, including untrue stories about his death or being involved in illegal activities. These were just myths, and Melendi even joked about them in a concert in 2004. In November 2007, he was arrested after causing a disturbance on a flight from Madrid to Mexico. The plane had to return to Madrid, and he was released after giving his statement.

Melendi became a father for the first time in 2005 to a daughter named Carlota. In 2014, he met Julia Nakamatsu, an Argentine actress and dancer. She later appeared in his music video for "La promesa." Melendi has five children: Carlota, Marco, Lola, Abril, and Dakota. In 2023, Melendi shared that his grandfather was from Camaguey, Cuba.

Melendi's Artistic Style

Musical Influences and Evolution

Melendi did not have formal music lessons. He started singing and playing guitar when he was 16. His music is inspired by Spanish culture and traditional styles like flamenco and rumba. Some of his biggest inspirations are famous Spanish and Cuban musicians like Joaquín Sabina, Jose Manuel Serrat, and Pablo Milanés.

When he first started, Melendi focused on popular Spanish styles like flamenco and pop rock, which you can hear on his first album, "Sin noticias de Holanda." Over time, his music has changed. He has moved from flamenco rhythms to more polished pop-rock songs that sometimes include orchestral sounds. Melendi himself has said that it's hard for him to listen to his first albums now because his style has evolved so much. He believes each album shows a different time in his life, especially his third album, which came out when he had his first child.

Melendi says that many of his musical ideas come from the music his parents listened to. He enjoys learning about where other artists' music comes from. He sees himself as a creative person who understands how to create songs. He often researches and asks for different opinions before he starts writing.

Discography

Studio Albums

Melendi on November 13, 2008

Live Albums

Compilation Albums

Extended Plays

Singles

Collaborations with Other Artists

Tours

• Un Alumno Más (2015)
• Directo a Septiembre (2016)
• Quitate las Gafas (2017)
• Ahora (2018)
• Mi Cubo de Rubik (2019)
• 20 Años Sin Noticias (2024-2025)

See also

In Spanish: Melendi para niños