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 on 22 November 1950), known as Paloma San Basilio, is a very famous Spanish singer. She has won a special Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for her important contributions to Latin music.

Throughout her career, she has sold over 16 million records! Her music styles range from gentle, melodic songs to energetic pop. Paloma has also starred in many popular musicals. These include the Spanish version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita, Man of La Mancha, My Fair Lady, and Sunset Boulevard.

In 2013, she announced that she would be retiring from touring. She went on a big farewell tour across Europe and America. She is currently on a special symphonic tour in Colombia, which is one of her last 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 started studying Philosophy and Psychology at the Complutense University of Madrid. However, she did not finish these studies.

Paloma prefers to keep her personal life private. She rarely talks about her family or relationships. Journalists respect her privacy, and she has a good relationship with the press. In the 1980s, she even received an award called "Premio Naranja" from journalists. This award is given to public figures who are easy to work with.

Her Musical Journey

Starting Her Career

In the early 1970s, Paloma hosted a TV show called Siempre en domingo. She also acted in a musical show called Divertido siglo. In 1975, she released her first album, "Sombras." It became a big hit around the world. The album included her own songs and classic tunes like "The Way We Were" and "Feelings."

Her next album, "Dónde vas" (1977), featured more lively songs. It also had beautiful ballads, like the title track "Dónde vas." This song was even considered to represent Spain 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. This makes it hard to put her music into just one category.

In 1978, she recorded a live album called "En Directo" in Madrid. This album features one of her most famous songs, "Beso a Beso… dulcemente." It also included her versions of popular songs by other international female singers. Later that year, the album was re-released for her fans in Latin America. It included Spanish versions of songs like "Ahora" and "Sobre el arcoiris" (Over the Rainbow).

Starring in 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 everywhere she went. Paloma's amazing performance in Evita made her and the character very famous.

Even Andrew Lloyd Webber, one of the musical's creators, praised her. He said Paloma gave one of the best Evita performances ever. Critics at the time said she brought something new to the character. Her powerful voice shone in songs like "Buenos Aires" and "Vals para Eva y Ché."

While performing Evita, she released two more studio albums. "Ahora" (1981) made her even more popular with songs like "Juntos" and "Recuerdos (Memory)." Her album "Dama" (1983) became famous 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," which was already a hit there.

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

San Basilio in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1992

Paloma also starred in several TV musical series for Televisión Española. She hosted a live show at the Teatro Monumental in Madrid. In 1985, she sang for people affected by natural disasters in Mexico and Colombia. She also hosted the OTI Festival. Her tours and performances were always spectacular. She paid great attention to every detail, from costumes to lighting. This made her shows highly praised by both critics and the public.

In 1986, she released "Vuela alto," which became one of her best-selling albums. The title song also named her world tour, which broke box-office records. In the following years, Paloma continued to release many successful albums. These included "Grande" (1987) and "Life" (1988). These albums featured her own songs and versions of popular international hits.

The 1990s and Beyond

In 1990, to celebrate 15 years in music, Paloma released two albums at the same time. "Nadie como tú" was for Latin America, and "Quiéreme Siempre" was for Spain. On 3 March 1991, she performed a duet concert with the famous tenor Plácido Domingo in Miami. This concert was recorded and sold millions of copies. Paloma said it was one of the most wonderful experiences of her life.

Paloma continued her success with albums like "De mil amores" (1991) and "Paloma Mediterránea" (1992). In 1994, she released "Al Este del Edén," which was one of her favorite albums. That same year, she performed a duet concert with tenor José Carreras in Bogotá, Colombia, for 20,000 people.

In 1995, her album "Como un sueño" celebrated her 20-year career. She toured for about 20 months for this album. Many famous artists joined her in this concert, including Estela Raval and Juan Pardo.

In 1997, Paloma released "Clásicamente tuya," where she sang pieces by classical musicians. In November 1997, she returned to the musical El hombre de La Mancha after 17 years. She starred with José Sacristán, and the show was a huge success. In 1999, she released "Perlas," a pop album with Spanish versions of English classics. On this album, she sang with her daughter, Ivana Vanessa Gómez, for the first time.

The 2000s

In 2001, Paloma released "Escorpio," a bolero album that became very popular in America. It included the first Spanish version of Michael Bolton's famous song "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You."

Also in 2001, she returned to the stage in the musical My Fair Lady, again with José Sacristán. She performed for 19 months in Madrid and was called the "Queen of the Musical" by Spanish critics. In 2002, she released "Eternamente, grandes éxitos de grandes musicales." This album featured songs from musicals she had performed in, like Evita and The Phantom of the Opera.

On 28 September 2005, she successfully premiered the musical Victor/Victoria in Madrid. She played the challenging role of Victoria Grant, who pretends to be a man. On 1 November 2006, Paloma received a Latin Grammy Award in New York City. It was the 2006 Music Excellence Award, recognizing her amazing career.

In 2006, she produced "Invierno Sur," a calm album with smooth jazz music. It included songs by Armando Manzanero and a special song based on music by Hans Zimmer. In 2008, she went on the "Encantados tour" with a symphony orchestra of over 60 musicians. A DVD and CD were released from this tour. She then toured with the "PSB tour" (Piano, Sax and Bass) from 2009 to 2010. In this show, she sang her most successful songs with just a piano, bass, and saxophone.

The 2010s and Farewell

In 2010, Paloma recorded the theme song for an Argentinian TV show called "Secretos de Amor." The song was named "Amor sin edad." In March 2012, she released the album "Amolap" (which is Paloma spelled backward). The first song from this album, "Yo quiero volar," had a modern pop sound.

In June 2012, she also premiered the musical My Fair Lady again, touring several Spanish cities. On 22 November, she announced on social media that the following year would be her last year on tour.

On 6 January 2014, she gave a concert at the Teatro Real in Madrid. This is a very important venue where only a few singers perform. She sang songs from musicals like Mary Poppins and Cats. On 2 January 2016, she performed a concert with Los Chicos del Coro de Saint Marc, called "Voces para el alma."

Paloma San Basilio announced her retirement from the music scene after 40 years. To show her thanks, she started a farewell tour in Latin America in 2013. She participated in the Viña del Mar International Song Festival 2014 in Chile. There, she won several important awards, including the Silver and Gold Torch. She also worked on an album with Los Chicos Del Coro, which includes musical songs and classic covers.

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