Pastora Soler facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pastora Soler
Pastora Soler (2009)
Background information
Birth name	María del Pilar Sánchez Luque
Born	(1978-09-28) 28 September 1978 (age 46) Coria del Río (Seville), Spain
Genres	Pop, flamenco
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	1994–2014 2017–present
Labels	Polygram (1994–1999) Emi-Odeón (1999–2005) Warner Music Spain (2005–present)

María del Pilar Sánchez Luque (born 28 September 1978), known as Pastora Soler, is a Spanish singer. She was born in Coria del Río, Seville. Pastora is also a songwriter. Her songs often mix traditional Spanish music styles like copla and flamenco with pop or electronic music.

Pastora Soler represented Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan. She sang the song "Quédate conmigo" and finished in 10th place.

Pastora Soler's Music Career

How Pastora Soler Started Singing

Pastora Soler began singing when she was a child. She performed traditional Spanish `coplas` and `flamenco` songs at many events. In 1994, she signed with Polygram, a record company. She released her first album, Nuestras coplas, which featured ten classic `copla` songs.

In 1996, she released her second album, El mundo que soñé. This album had more pop and commercial sounds. It was her last album with Polygram.

Success with New Albums (1999-2004)

In 1999, Pastora Soler joined Emi-Odeón. She released her third album, Fuente de luna. This album included her first big hit song, "Dámelo ya". It sold 120,000 copies in Spain and was also a number one hit in Turkey.

Her fourth album, Corazón congelado, came out in 2001. The song "Corazón congelado" was chosen as the official theme for the 2001 Vuelta a España, a famous bicycle race. This album sold very well and was certified platinum. Her fifth album, Deseo (2002), was also a platinum-selling album. It had more electronic music sounds.

Joining Warner Music (2005-2006)

In 2005, Pastora Soler moved to a new record company, Warner Music Spain. Her first album with Warner was called Pastora Soler. It was recorded in Madrid and Milan. This album had more mature music and themes. Her first song from this album, "Sólo tú", was a powerful ballad. The album quickly earned a gold certification for its sales. In the same year, she released her first collection of hit songs, Sus grandes éxitos.

Toda mi verdad Album (2007)

Her seventh album, Toda mi verdad, was released in 2007. It was recorded in Tarifa. This album mostly featured songs written by Antonio Martínez-Ares. For the first time, Pastora Soler included a song she wrote herself. The album reached number thirteen on the Spanish album chart. It also won the Premio de la Música (Spanish Music Award) for Best Copla Album. After the album, she went on tour and performed at the Cairo Opera House in Egypt.

Pastora Soler in concert

Bendita locura and 15 años (2009-2010)

In February 2009, Pastora Soler released her single "Bendita locura". This song was also the title of her new album. The album had thirteen new songs, including a duet with Manuel Carrasco. It also featured songs written by famous artists like David DeMaría and Alejandro Sanz. The album reached number eight on the Spanish album chart.

In September 2010, she released a special CD+DVD called 15 años. It was recorded live in Seville and celebrated her 15 years in music. The album included her biggest hits and duets with Malú, Miguel Poveda, and Manuel Carrasco. The song "La mala costumbre", dedicated to her father, was chosen to promote this album. 15 años also reached number eight on the Spanish album chart. It was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award and won the Premio de la Música for Best Copla Album in Spain.

Eurovision Song Contest (2011-2012)

Pastora in a concert in 2018

Her ninth album, Una mujer como yo, was released in October 2011. It had twelve new songs and debuted at number 3 on the Spanish album chart.

On 21 December 2011, Pastora Soler was chosen to represent Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. The contest was held in Baku, Azerbaijan. The song "Quédate conmigo" was selected for her to sing. On 26 May 2012, she finished 10th in the Eurovision final. The song "Quédate conmigo" was also a popular hit in Spain.

New Album Conóceme (2013)

In 2013, Pastora Soler became a judge on the Spanish TV talent show El Número Uno. She judged alongside other famous singers like David Bustamante and Mónica Naranjo.

On 10 September 2013, she released her tenth album, Conóceme. The first song from this album, "Te despertaré", came out in July 2013. It quickly reached number 17 on the Spanish Singles Chart. The album Conóceme debuted at number 2 on the Spanish Album Chart.

Break from Music (2014-2016)

On 1 December 2014, Pastora Soler announced she would take a break from her music career. She explained that she was having problems with stage fright, which is a fear of performing in front of people. She had fainted on stage during a concert in Seville in March 2014. She also had to cancel or postpone other shows. Her break was announced after she left a concert in Málaga suddenly in November 2014.

Around the same time, a special album called 20 was released on 9 December 2014. This album celebrated her 20 years as a recording artist. In October 2015, Pastora Soler appeared as a guest mentor on the TV show La Voz Kids (The Voice Kids).

Returning to Music (2017-Present)

On 1 February 2017, Pastora Soler announced that her break was over. She started recording a new album and planned a national tour across Spain. Her tour included famous venues like Madrid's Teatro Real and Seville's Auditorio Rocío Jurado. On 14 July 2017, she released "La tormenta", the first song from her new album. Her eleventh album, La calma, was released on 15 September 2017. It debuted at number 1 on the Spanish Album Chart. This was her first number one album with Warner Music.

On 18 October 2019, Pastora Soler released her twelfth album, Sentir. The song "Aunque me cueste la vida" was released to promote it. In December 2019, she had a TV special called Quédate conmigo to celebrate her 25th anniversary in music.

In 2020, Pastora Soler became a coach on the TV show La Voz Senior (The Voice Senior). She also took part in the TV show Mask Singer: Adivina quién canta as Pavo Real (Peacock).

Pastora Soler's Family Life

Pastora Soler married choreographer Francis Viñolo on 17 October 2009. They have two daughters. Their first daughter, Estrella, was born on 15 September 2015. Their second daughter, Vega, was born on 28 January 2020.

Pastora Soler's Albums

Studio Albums

Live Albums

Compilation Albums

EPs

Singles

See Also

In Spanish: Pastora Soler para niños