Born February 1949 as Joaquin Ramon Martinez Sabina, Joaquin Sabina is a poet, songwriter, and singer from Spain. His musical career began in 1978 and he has since released a total of 14 studio albums and 2 live albums. His records have been released by several labels over the years, including CBS, BMG Ariola Spain, Sony Music, and Movieplay.
Joaquin has led a diverse career and won several awards as a solo artist as well as a band member in the group La Mandragora. He was known not only for his but also for his strong political views and his participation in various programs and movements, such as the anti-NATO movement.
Before The Music
Joaquin first began to experiment with poetry and music as a young child. At only 14, he performed with a small band that imitated the style of popular America musicians Little Richard and Elvis Presley. However, it would be a long time afterward before he would begin taking music seriously and playing for crowds.
His father was a well-known police offer in his hometown. He had hoped that Joaquin would eventually take over the mantle and become a police offer himself. Instead, Joaquin made it known that he wanted to pursue a career in music.
His next step was to enroll in university. He spent a great deal of time studying poetry and reading the works of great poets from his part of the world. It was at this time that he found himself involved with anti-fascist groups in the area.
He eventually threw a molotov cocktail into a building. Joaquin’s father was given an arrest warrant for Sabina, but Sabina was able to leave the country and move to London using a false passport. He would stay there for at least five years until the Franco dictatorship came to an end.
The Music Of Sabina
It was while in London that Sabina began to write music. He also began singing songs at local bars. Three years after returning from London he released his first album with the label Movieplay. The album was not a great success, but his second album, released with CBS labeled, performed much better. It contained Sabina’s first hit single and his first taste of fame.
The third album wasn’t released until 1984 and was entitled Ruleta Rusa. His sound had continually changed over all three albums. By the time of the third album, his music featured electric guitars and more sounds commonly associated with hard rock music. His fans clearly enjoyed the evolving style because his album was a large success.
In the following year, he would change labels again and team up with Viceversa. Once again, his sounds were changing. His music now included more electronic sounds like a synthesizer. And, yet again, the album was a huge success with the public
His fifth studio album sold more than 400,000 copies in Spain. It was titled Hotel, Dulce Hotel. The song Asi estoy yo sin ti was the most popular song on the album and was his first song to have a music video. The huge success of this album was more than enough to push him to release the sixth album shortly afterward. Following that, he would go on tour.
Later Years
Joaquin suffered from a stroke in 2001 that left him unable to perform for nearly a year. In 2002, he released another album before taking a hiatus from music. Seven years later he received an award from the Mayor of Madrid for being such an influential figure and giving the city a good image. He also released his 15th album that year, which immediately topped the charts.
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