“Recuérdame”, “Pasos de cero”, “La escalera”, “El Mundo”, “Tu enemigo”, “Sin saber por qué”, “Frenar enero” or “9 días”. It's hard to turn on the radio and not hear one of these songs. What do they all have in common? Recording artists such as Pablo Alborán, Pablo López and Vanesa Martín. All from Malaga.
There are few singers who can say that their first album was nominated for four Latin Grammys. One of these is Pablo Alborán (Malaga, 1989), who has become one of the most successful artists of the moment. Interested in music since childhood, he studied guitar and vocals alongside some of Malaga's best professional musicians and at the Manuel Estepa Cultural Centre in Arroyo de la Miel (Benalmádena).
He became famous on Youtube, his videos achieving more than two million views. Diana Navarro, also from Malaga, became his musical fairy godmother after hearing a demo of a young Alborán singing one of her songs, “Déjame de volverme loca”.
His namesake, Pablo López (Malaga, 1984) followed a similar path. He rose to fame in 2008 after appearing on Operación Triunfo, Spain’s version of ‘Fame Academy' (he came second in the competition). His first album, Once historias y un piano went gold, was nominated for the Latin Grammys and received rave reviews.
As well as the guitar, Pablo López also plays piano on some of his songs. One of the biggest hits from his latest album has been “Tu enemigo”, his duet with the Colombian artist, Juanes. This song set to define an era in the world of Latin pop rock.
The unique voice of Vanesa Martín
The Antequera region raised one of the sweetest voices ever heard in Spanish music: that of Vanesa Martín (Archidona, 1980). Malaga has watched her grow both as a person and an artist. Her love of music began when she was given a guitar aged six. She composed her first songs soon afterwards and by the time she was 17 her voice could be heard in Malaga's top venues and on radio and television programmes across the city.
Her charisma and her beautiful voice have led Vanesa Martín to collaborate with numerous artists from the national music scene, both live and in the studio. She achieved her first gold disc for her latest album, Crónica de un baile. In 2015 she performed on the soundtrack of the Spanish film, La novia, tipped to triumph at the Goyas.
Malaga's musical heritage
Pablo Alborán, Pablo López and Vanesa Martín are the main representatives for Malaga today in the world of music. However, the province has produced many artists, born or raised on the Costa del Sol, who, at one time or another, have been at the forefront of the national music scene: Chambao, Nuria Fergó, Danza Invisible, Fran Perea, Efecto Mariposa, Marisol, El Koala, the above mentioned Diana Navarro and Anni B Sweet, among others.
