Raphael (singer)
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Don Rafael Martos Sánchez, Ilustrísimo Señor de la Orden de Cisneros, Comendador de Isabel La Católica, and known worldwide as Raphael, is one of the best known singers from Spain. His wide-range voice, added to his flamboyant stage personna has entertained and engaged people worldwide for more than four decades. He is also a movie, stage and television actor. He is the father of Spanish movie director Jacobo Martos.
Raphael is known for acting each one of his songs while onstage, sometimes exaggerating his mannerisms for dramatic effect. It is not unusual for Raphael to ad lib lyrics as to localize a song depending on the venue he's singing at, wear Latin American peasant costumes and dance folk dances within a song, kicking and demolishing a mirror, or doing the moves of a flamenco dancer or a bullfighter onstage. He also possesses a wide vocal range, which he often used in the beginning of his career as to evoke a choirboy approach to some songs.
He was known once for being superstitious about never going onstage without at least a black shirt on (and, most often, dressed entirely in black, a la Johnny Cash). He has not been consistent with this, but he does go onstage dressed in black quite often.
Raphael's health faced a major setback in 2003, when his liver started failing due to a latent bout with Hepatitis C; he recovered successfully after a transplant. Since then he is an active organ donation promoter.
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[edit] Childhood
He was born in Linares (Jaén) on May 5, 1943. As a consequence, he is nicknamed both "El Alcaudón de Jaén" ("Jaen's Shrike") and "El Niño de Linares" ("The Boy from Linares"). His family moved to Madrid when he was very young. He started singing when he was just three years-old and joined a children's choir at age five; when he was 8, he was recognized as the best child voice in Europe at a contest in Salzburg, Austria.
[edit] Professional Career
When he was sixteen, he started his professional career as a singer by signing with Dutch record label Philips (To distinguish himself, he adopted the "ph" of the company's name and christened himself 'Raphael'). His first singles were "Te voy a contar mi vida" and "A pesar de todo", among others. Even when his style sounded to that of Salvatore Adamo (in fact some of his first singles were Spanish translations of Adamo's songs), Raphael adopts his own peculiar singing style from the beginning.
After winning first prize at the famous Benidorm International Song Festival in 1962 he switched labels to the Hispavox recording company, and begins a long relationship with Spanish songwriter Manuel Alejandro.
The year 1966 serves as a turning point in his career, Songs such as "Yo soy aquel" (his signature song), "Cuando tú no estás", "Mi gran noche", "Digan lo que digan", "Tema de amor", "Estuve enamorado" and "Desde aquel día" cemented his status as a major international singing star. He also films his first movie, "Cuando tú no estás" that year, which will be followed after by "Al ponerse el Sol", "Digan lo que digan" (filmed in Argentina), "El golfo" (filmed in México), "El ángel" and "Volveré a nacer", among others. In 1966 and 1967 he represented Spain at The Eurovision Song Contest with his hits Yo soy áquel and Hablemos del amor (occupied the 7th and 6th place).
[edit] Latin American Popularity
As he became a major attendance draw in Latin America (particularly in Mexico), he made a habit of recording Latin American folk standards. For instance, Mexican standards like "Huapango torero", "Sandunga" and "Llorona" were hits in Mexico and elsewhere. Soon after he starred in soap operas, starting with the Mexican production "Donde termina el camino", shown in the spring of 1978 and later on other countries like Peru and Chile.
After a break in the 1970s (when newer great singers like Camilo Sesto, Miguel Bosé and Pedro Marín were the rage in Spain), Raphael reestablished his popularity in the early 1980s with songs such as "¿Qué tal te va sin mí?", "Como yo te amo", "En carne viva" and "Estar enamorado". In 1984 he recorded his first production with songs written by José Luis Perales like "Ámame", "Yo sigo siendo aquel"(a follow-up to his signature song, "Yo soy aquél", "No sé si es cierto" and "Estoy llorando hoy por ti".
In 1984 a parody of "Yo soy aquél" was used in a radio spot in Puerto Rico's gubernatorial race. Then-governor Carlos Romero Barcelo used the parody (complete with a Raphael sound-alike) namely as a jab against opponent, Raphael's namesake, (and noted Spanophile), former governor Rafael Hernandez Colon. Raphael was surprised by the unauthorized use of the music, but was highly amused by the reference.
In 1987 he leaves Hispavox and signs a contract with Columbia (now Sony Music), where he kept recording songs written by Roberto Livi like "Toco madera", "Maravilloso corazón" or "Escándalo". In the end of the 90s, after the end of a contract with Polygram, he went back to EMI. In 1998 he published the first part of his memories "¿Y mañana qué?", that starts in his childhood until he was 25.
[edit] Theater
In the year 2000 Raphael made shows in Spanish theaters with the play "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde".
[edit] Awards and Accomplishments
Raphael can be singled out as one of the most important singers in the Spanish language for the second half of the Twentieth century, along with Joan Manuel Serrat, Julio Iglesias, Rocío Dúrcal, Karina, Marisol and Rocío Jurado.
Some of his most important awards are:
- 3 Grammy nominationss (USA)
- 326 Golden discs worldwide
- 48 Platinum Discs worldwide
- Prize "Friend of Spanish Music" honoring his artistic career.
- Golden medal from the Círculo de Bellas Artes (Spain).
- Named "Most Illustrious Lord of the Order of Cisneros" (Raphael is therefore a marquess within Spanish nobility)
- Named "Commendator of the Order of Isabel the Catholic" (granted by H.R.H. King Juan Carlos I of Spain).
- Elected 4 times as "Popular" (artist) by the readers of Diario Pueblo, (Madrid).
- 3 times Super Popular, Diario Pueblo, (Madrid).
- 4 "Aplauso" awards.
- 7 "Ole of the Song" awards, (Barcelona).
- 3 Heraldos de Mexico (Highest award given to singers in Mexico).
- Rafael Guinad Award (Venezuela).
- Hoja de Plata Award (Madrid).
- 2 Quijote de Oro awards from Spanish television.
- Golden medal from the Círculo de Escritores de Madrid.
- 6 times Campeón Super-Ventas de discos.
- 4 prizes ACE to the best concert of the year, given by la Asociación de Críticos de Espectaculos, in Nueva York.
- 2 prizes El Sol Azteca (Mexico).
- Golden disc to the best singer in Midem (Cannes, Francia).
- 4 Guaicaipuro de Oro awards (Venezuela).
- Prize to the best pop singer in Spanish.
- Prize Sindicato Nacional del Espectáculo.
- Golden medal and Diamonds del Departamento de Turismo (Mexico).
- 5 Silver torches, 2 Golden torches and 1 Silver Gull at the Viña del Mar Festival of Song and Music (Chile).
- Named as favorite son of: Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela and Peru.
- Awarded the key to the city in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami (5 times).
- Named Español Universal by the Cámara de Comercio Española in Miami.
- Named Andaluz Universal by the Magazine "Andalucia en el Mundo".
- Gold medal to the Merit in the Work (España).
- Star with his name in Hall of Fame Avenue (Los Angeles).
- 2 streets with his name, one in Linares (Jaén) and the other in Estepona (Málaga), Both in Spain.
- Prize 'Golden Star' granted by the Club of Means in recognition its long one and consolidated professional trajectory.
- Prize of Honor of the Academy of the Music by 4 decades of success in the world.
- Special Prize Shangay.
- Prize “Hipódromo de la Américas" to his international artistic trajectory (Mexico).
- Prize Júbilo 2005.
- Prize al Jiennense 2004
- Prize Linarense 2004
- The first color television broadcast in Puerto Rico, aired in 1969, was a live concert by Raphael.
[edit] Uranium Disc Award
Raphael's success in the music industry is also marked by one unusual award: a uranium disc. It was granted to him by Hispavox, after the massive worldwide sale of more than 50 million copies of its best hits LP "Ayer, Hoy, Siempre". Sales of audio recordings in Spain over 40,000 copies grant the performer with a gold disc, while sales of 170,000 units deserve platinum disc status. Therefore, the uranium disc granted to Raphael is equivalent to 1,250 golden discs or 300 platinum discs. Hispavox, undestanding the complexity of delivering so many golden discs, preferred to grant Raphael a uranium one.
