Raimon facts for kids
Ramon Pelegero Sanchis, known by his stage name Raimon, is a Spanish singer. He is famous for his music style called Nova Cançó and for singing in the Catalan language.
Contents
About Raimon's Life
His Early Years
Raimon was born in Xàtiva, a town in Spain, on December 2, 1940. He grew up on a street he mentions in some of his songs. When he was young, he worked as a radio announcer in his hometown. He listened to many different artists like Juliette Gréco and The Platters.
At 21, Raimon moved to Valencia to study history. There, he learned a lot about Catalan culture. He read books by famous writers such as Ausiàs March and Joan Fuster. Even before this, he had already written his first song, Al vent (meaning "To the wind").
In 1962, Raimon sang in public for the first time. Later, he met a group called Els Setze Jutges (The Sixteen Judges). Josep Maria Espinàs was very impressed by Raimon's singing. He invited Raimon to Barcelona. Raimon quickly became very popular. His songs were different. They talked about feeling rebellious and were not like the songs of other musicians from Barcelona. His first music record, called an EP, came out in 1963. It had songs like Al vent and was a big hit.
Singing During a Difficult Time
During this time, Raimon was asked to sing at a big music festival. He was hesitant at first but agreed to help his country and language. He sang a love song called Se'n va anar with another singer, Salomé. The audience loved it, and the song won first prize.
After this, Catalan songs started to get attention from the government's censors. This was during the time of Franco's rule, when the government controlled what people could say or sing. Many of Raimon's songs were banned. He released another EP with Se'n va anar and other songs. One song, Ahir, was later known as Diguem no (Let's say no). It had a strong message that was often changed to make it less political. Raimon later said he put these two songs together so they would both be banned if the record was.
In 1964, Raimon released more EPs and his first full album. In 1965, he sang alone in Barcelona for the first time. He also started performing in other countries like Belgium. He released an EP with four love songs for the woman he would marry.
That same year, Raimon performed outdoors at a college, which was a very big event for Catalan music. He also sang in Paris and Germany. His album Cançons de la roda del temps came out with a painting by Joan Miró on the cover. The songs were based on poems by Salvador Espriu.
In France, he released a live album that won an award. It included songs that were not allowed in Spain. In 1967, he performed at a famous theater in Barcelona. He also sang in Cuba and Switzerland. A live album from his concert in Barcelona was released.
In 1968, Raimon released more music and had important concerts in Madrid. He also performed in Mexico and other countries. He went back to Paris in 1969.
In 1970, he released the album Per destruir aquell qui l'ha desert. It had songs based on poems from the 15th century and some of his own songs. In 1971, he released another album and toured in Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina. He continued to release international albums and perform many shows. In 1973, he published a book of his poems and songs.
In 1974, he released A Victor Jara, an album dedicated to Victor Jara, a Chilean singer who was killed by the government. This album included songs based on old poems. Two more albums came out that year. One, T'adores, amic, had songs banned in Spain. The other, Campus de Bellaterra, was recorded live at a university. Many of its songs had strong social and political messages.
In 1975, Raimon sang at a big sports arena in Barcelona. He introduced a new classic song, Jo vinc d'un silenci.
The Time of Democracy
In 1976, as Spain was moving towards democracy, Raimon sang at a sports arena in Madrid. This concert was recorded and released as a double album. He also performed at a large music festival in Canet de Mar, where over sixty thousand people watched. During his performance, a huge Catalan flag was raised.
After this, Raimon tried to make sure his music was still important, not just seen as "resistance art." He started to perform with other musicians, like a double bass player, instead of just his guitar.
Before touring Japan in 1977, he released the album Lliurament del cant. It had songs based on poems and some of his own new songs.
In 1979, a new album called Quan l'aigua es queixa came out. It was recorded from six concerts. This album showed how his songwriting had grown.
In 1981, Raimon re-recorded all his songs with new music. This resulted in ten albums, grouped by themes. One album even included a Japanese choir singing Al vent.
In 1983, he released Les hores guanyades, which shared his thoughts on politics and being an artist. After this, Raimon performed and recorded less often. He released Entre la nota i el so in 1984.
His next album, Presències i oblit (1987), experimented with electronic music. The songs on this album were very personal. For the first time, Raimon performed without his guitar during a concert.
Raimon took ten years to record a new album of songs, but he was still busy. He formed a band and performed with them, as well as solo. In 1992, he toured Japan and the United States. He also appeared on a TV show about literature.
In 1993, a huge concert took place in Barcelona to celebrate 30 years since Al vent was released. About eighteen thousand people watched Raimon sing. Many other artists from different countries also performed with him.
That same year, a new collection of all his songs was released on CD. It won an award in France.
In 1997, a new album called Cançons de mai came out. It had songs based on poems by Ausiàs March and some of his own. He also received a special award from the government of Catalonia. He toured in Britain and performed in Madrid. During a concert in Madrid, some people criticized him for singing in Catalan. He responded by singing in his Valencian dialect of Catalan.
At the end of 1997, a live CD was released. In 1999, he published a collection of all his love songs. In 2000, a new complete collection of his works came out. It included songs he had never released before and the only two songs he recorded that were written by other people.
Raimon's Albums
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See also
In Spanish: Raimon para niños
