Amaral (band)
Amaral | |
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Amaral and Aguirre performing in Barcelona (2008) | |
Background information | |
Origin | Zaragoza, Spain |
Genres | Pop rock, folk rock,[1] rock, Spanish rock |
Years active | 1992-present |
Labels | EMI International, Virgin Records, Capitol, Gatorama, Antártida |
Website | www.amaral.es |
Members |
Eva Amaral Juan Aguirre |
Amaral is a music group from Zaragoza, Spain that has sold more than four million albums worldwide. The band consists of Eva Amaral (vocalist) and Juan Aguirre (guitarist), who write their songs together. Eva Amaral started out as a drummer in another group until she set out with Aguirre to perform her own material in 1997. They then moved to Madrid and signed a major deal with EMI. Amaral's musical style is often called pop rock, but it is often fused with Latin beats, folk rock,[2] synthesizers, complex poetic lyrics and in particular, traditional Spanish folk music. Their distinctive style was described by Juan as folk, "and the person who has heard a lot of folk and traditional music will listen and understand, but I think our attitude to life is rather that of a rock group."[3]
Juan Aguirre was born in San Sebastián (also known as Donostia) in the Guipúzcoa province of Spain. He spent his childhood in the town of Gros and currently resides in Zaragoza, while Eva originates from Zaragoza. The inspirations for their songs include cinema, friends and literature.[4] Amaral have won numerous awards including the MTV Europe Music Award for their 2002 album Estrella de mar which was nominated for 5 other categories, and are one of the best-selling Spanish groups of all time.[5] As of 2017, it has released seven studio albums, one (double) live album and two live DVDs. According to Eva they are "a libertarian group that doesn’t think of music as a conquest or a competition... We chose music as a way to break a lifestyle that we didn’t like and a society that we don’t understand."[6]
Collaborations
Amaral has collaborated with many well-known artists in the music industry:
- Tony Beard (Mike Oldfield, Mick Jagger), on drums
- Peter Buck, on the song Doce palabras, from the album Gato Negro Dragón Rojo
- Chetes, on the song Si Tú No Vuelves, from the album Pajaros en la Cabeza
- Beto Cuevas, on the song Te Necesito
- Danny Cummings (Mark Knopfler, Bryan Adams), on percussion
- Melvin Duffyel (Robbie Williams, Sting), on pedal steel guitar
- Echo String Quartet, on strings.
- Antonio Escobar, programming on the album Hacia lo salvaje
- Russell Milton (The Waterboys), on bass
- Moby, on the single Escapar ("Slipping Away")
- Danny Shogger (George Michael, Paul McCartney), on keyboards
Discography
Studio albums:
- 1998 Amaral
- 2000 Una pequeña parte del mundo
- 2002 Estrella de mar
- 2005 Pájaros en la cabeza
- 2008 Gato negro dragón rojo (double album)
- 2011 Hacia lo salvaje
- 2015 Nocturnal
Live albums:
Special editions:
EPs:
- 2009 Granada (EP)
DVDs & Blu-rays:
References
- ↑ "Amaral va de viaje “Hacia Lo Salvaje”".
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3269897/bio?ref_=nm_ql_dyk_2#trivia
- ↑ "Amaral Boleristas Con Alma “Punkie”".
- ↑ "Spain's Amaral Continues to Shine".
- ↑ http://www.allmusic.com/artist/amaral-p512674 Amaral, Biography, by Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide, "Amaral is a Spanish pop/rock band who began topping the national charts with remarkable frequency after the turn of the century.", allmusic.com, section: artist, sub-section: Amaral, Rovi Corporation, Accessed: 18 August 2011
- ↑ "SOUND CHECK: GETTING TO KNOW SPAIN’S AMARAL".
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Amaral. |
- Official Website in Spanish