Paloma San Basilio facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paloma San Basilio
San Basilio interviewed in 2016
Background information
Birth name	Paloma Cecilia San Basilio Martínez
Born	(1950-11-22) 22 November 1950 (age 74) Madrid, Spain
Genres	Latin pop
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	1970–present (singer)
Labels	Hispavox, Capitol, Epic, EMI Latin, Columbia, EMI International, Parlophone
Associated acts	Emilio José

Paloma Cecilia San Basilio Martínez (born 22 November 1950), known as Paloma San Basilio, is a famous Spanish singer. She has received the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for her important contributions to Latin music. She has sold over 16 million records during her career. Her music styles range from calm, melodic songs to pop.

Paloma San Basilio has also starred in many musicals. These include the Spanish version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita. She also performed in Man of La Mancha, My Fair Lady, Victor/Victoria, and Sunset Boulevard.

She announced her retirement from touring in 2013. Since then, she has performed in Europe and America. As of July 2025, she is doing a special symphonic tour in Colombia. This tour is one of her last big musical projects.

About Paloma San Basilio

Paloma San Basilio was born in Madrid, Spain. She spent her childhood in Seville and her teenage years in Lugo. Before becoming a singer in 1975, she studied Philosophy and Psychology. She attended the Complutense University of Madrid.

Paloma has a daughter named Ivana. She has been with her partner, Claudio Rey, for many years. Paloma likes to keep her personal life private. Journalists respect her for this. She even received an award called Premio Naranja in the 1980s. This award is given by journalists to public figures they get along with best.

Paloma's Music Journey

Paloma San Basilio started her artistic career in 1975. She had hosted a TV show called Siempre en domingo in the early 1970s. She also acted in a show called Divertido siglo.

Early Music Career

In 1975, Paloma recorded her first album, "Sombras". This album became a hit around the world. It included her own songs and classic tunes. Some of these were "The Way We Were" and "Feelings". Her next album, "Dónde vas" (1977), had more energetic songs. It also featured ballads like the title track. This song was considered for Spain's entry in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1977.

Paloma's music is influenced by many different artists. These include The Beatles, Sarah Vaughan, and Barbra Streisand. She also listened to Spanish artists like Lola Flores. This mix of influences makes it hard to put her music into just one category.

In 1978, she recorded her album "En Directo" in Madrid. This album features one of her most popular songs, "Beso a Beso… dulcemente". It also has her versions of famous songs by other female singers. These include "I Say a Little Prayer" and "People".

The album was re-released for fans in Latin America. It included Spanish versions of songs like "Ahora" and "Sobre el arcoiris" (from The Wizard of Oz). She also added her own song, "Atardecer". "Beso a beso... dulcemente" became one of her biggest hits. It is still a classic song in her performances today.

Evita and Eurovision

In December 1980, Paloma starred in the musical Evita. She performed it in many cities across Spain and Latin America. The show was a huge success. Paloma became very famous in all the countries she visited. Her amazing performance in Evita made her and the character very well-known.

The musical was released as a double album and a single album. Andrew Lloyd Webber, who wrote the play, praised Paloma's performance. He said she was one of the best to play Evita. Critics at the time said she brought something new to the character. Her powerful singing in songs like "Buenos Aires" was impressive.

While performing Evita, Paloma released two more studio albums. "Ahora" (1981) made her even more popular. It included famous songs like "Juntos" and "Recuerdos (Memory)". This album is one of her most loved. Her next album, "Dama" (1983), became known for songs like "Dama" and "El aire del sábado tarde".

Between 1983 and 1984, she toured Latin America. When she returned to Spain, she released "Paloma". This album was already a hit in Latin America. It featured synthesizers and other instruments popular at the time. Paloma also started writing some of her own songs.

In 1985, she represented Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest. She sang "La fiesta terminó". This song was also the name of her new album. Eurovision took place in Gothenburg, Sweden, that year. Even though she didn't get a high score, it was an important moment in her career.

Paloma also starred in TV musical series for Televisión Española. She performed in Las Leandras and La Cenicienta del Palace. She still often sings "Los Nardos" from Las Leandras in her concerts.

She hosted a show called "En vivo" in Madrid. A successful double album was released from this show. She also sang to help people affected by natural disasters in Mexico and Colombia in 1985. She hosted the OTI Festival with Emilio Aragón. Her songs like "Por culpa de una noche enamorada" were popular on the radio.

Paloma's tours and performances were always grand shows. She paid great attention to costumes, stage design, and lighting. This made her highly valued by critics and fans.

In 1986, she released "Vuela alto". This album included the hit song "Cariño mío". It became one of her best-selling albums. The "Vuela alto" world tour broke box-office records. In the following years, Paloma continued to release many records. "Grande" (1987) was a Platinum album. The tour for "Grande" lasted over six months.

Her album "Life" (1988) included a version of Pat Benatar's "We Belong". It also featured a mix of famous songs like "Bésame Mucho" and "Alfonsina y el mar". This showed her love for different kinds of music.

The 1990s

San Basilio in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1992

In 1990, to celebrate 15 years in music, Paloma released two albums. "Nadie como tú" was for Latin America. It featured the big hit "Demasiado herida". "Quiéreme Siempre" was for Spain. This album included a duet with CRAG called "Un largo camino". It also had a great version of "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler.

On 3 March 1991, she performed a duet concert with the famous tenor Plácido Domingo in Miami. This concert was released on video and album. It sold millions of copies. Paloma said it was one of the best experiences of her life. They sang songs from operas, musicals, and Latin American music.

Paloma continued her success with albums like "De mil amores" (1991). This album included songs like "Orí Oro". She also released "Paloma Mediterránea" (1992). In this album, she sang her versions of songs like "Mediterráneo" by Serrat.

Two years later, she released "Al Este del Edén" (1994). This album featured songs by new, young writers. That same year, she performed a duet concert with tenor José Carreras in Bogotá. 20,000 people attended.

"Como un sueño" (1995) celebrated her 20-year career. She toured for about 20 months for this album. The concert was released as a double CD in Spain. Many famous artists joined her, including Estela Raval and Juan Pardo.

In 1997, Paloma sang pieces by classical musicians like Beethoven. These were on her album "Clásicamente tuya". In November 1997, she returned to the musical El hombre de La Mancha. She performed with José Sacristán. This musical was very popular and broke box-office records. It played for two years in Madrid.

In 1999, she released "Perlas". This pop album featured Spanish versions of English classics. These included "You've Got a Friend" and "Un-break my heart". On this album, Paloma sang with her daughter, Ivana Vanessa Gómez, for the first time. They sang "Calling you".

The 2000s

In 2000, Paloma left EMI, her long-time record label. In 2001, she released "Escorpio" with Sony. This album of bolero songs became very popular in America. It included the first Spanish version of Michael Bolton's "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You".

In 2001, she also returned to musicals. She starred in My Fair Lady again with José Sacristán. The musical played for 19 months in Madrid. She earned the title "Queen of the Musical" from Spanish critics. A CD was released from this musical.

In 2002, she recorded "Eternamente, grandes éxitos de grandes musicales". This album featured songs from musicals she had performed. It included a great version of "Summertime". It also had "Es más que amor" from Jesus Christ Superstar.

On 28 September 2005, she premiered the musical Victor/Victoria in Madrid. Her role as Victoria Grant was a big success. She played both a man and a woman in the show. Her co-star was Paco Valladares. On 1 November 2006, Paloma received a Latin Grammy Award in New York City. It was the 2006 Music Excellence Award.

In 2006, she produced "Invierno Sur". This album had a smooth jazz style. It featured beautiful songs by writers like Armando Manzanero. The album included a song based on music by Hans Zimmer. "Invierno Sur" was released in Spain on 29 January 2007. It was a new and fresh album with its jazz sound.

In 2008, she went on the "Encantados tour". She performed with maestro Luis Cobos and a symphony orchestra. A DVD and CD were released from this tour. The CD highlighted her performance of the opera song "O Mio Babbino Caro".

She then toured with the "PSB tour" (Piano, Sax and Bass). This tour visited many cities in Spain and Latin America. It was very successful. The show featured her most popular songs and international hits. She performed with only a piano, bass, and saxophone. This tour started in 2009 and ended in 2010.

The 2010s

In early 2010, Paloma was asked to record the theme song for an Argentinian TV show. The song was called "Amor sin edad".

In March 2012, she released the album "Amolap". This is "Paloma" spelled backward. The first song, "Love makes my world go round", had a techno sound. The first single from the album was "Yo quiero volar". It was a sophisticated pop ballad.

In June 2012, she also premiered the musical My Fair Lady. It toured several Spanish cities. On 22 November, she announced that the next year would be her last year of touring.

On 6 January 2014, she gave a concert at the Teatro Real in Madrid. This theater is known for opera and classical music. She sang songs from musicals like Mary Poppins and Cats. She ended with "Los Nardos", which was a big hit.

On 2 January 2016, she performed a concert with Los Chicos del Coro de Saint Marc. It was called "Voces para el alma".

Farewell Tour and New Music

Paloma San Basilio announced her plan to step back from the music scene after 40 years. In 2013, she started a farewell tour. She began in Latin America to thank her fans there. She participated in the Viña del Mar International Song Festival 2014 in Chile. There, she won several awards, including the Silver and Gold Torch.

She also worked on an album with Los Chicos Del Coro. This album includes songs from musicals and classic tunes. Some of these are "I Say A Little Prayer" and "Amazing Grace".

Discography

• Sombras (1975)
• Dónde vas/ El color del mar (1977, single)
• Beso a beso... dulcemente (1978)
• En directo (1978)
• Evita (musical) (1980)
• Ahora (1981)
• Dama (1983)
• Paloma (1984)
• La Cenicienta del Palace (1985)
• Las Leandras (1985)
• El sobre verde (1985)
• La Fiesta Terminó (1985)
• En vivo (1985)
• Vuela alto (1986)
• Grande (1987)
• La sinfonía de los tres tiempos de América (1988)
• Vida (1988)
• Nadie como tú (1990)
• Quiéreme siempre (1990)
• Plácido, Paloma por fin juntos! [Live] (1991)
• De mil amores (1991)
• Paloma mediterránea (1992)
• Al este del edén (1994)
• Como un sueño (1995)
• Clásicamente tuya (1997)
• El hombre de La Mancha (musical) (1997)
• Perlas (1999)
• Escorpio (2001)
• My Fair Lady (musical) (2001)
• Eternamente, grandes éxitos de grandes musicales (2002)
• La música es mi vida (compilation) (2003)
• Víctor Victoria (musical) (2005)
• Diva (compilation) (2006)
• Invierno Sur (2006)
• Encantados (2008)
• Amolap (2012)
• Las canciones de mi vida (2015)

See also

In Spanish: Paloma San Basilio para niños

• List of best-selling Latin music artists