To some she is merely the trophy girlfriend of footballer Iker Casillas. But when the British press accused her of distracting goalkeeper Casillas in the 2010 World Cup, and thus causing Spain’s shock first-round defeat to Switzerland, the response was overwhelming. Spanish newspapers, commentators and fans of every political stripe defended the sports journalist in a rare case of Spanish unity. And the Spanish wife of British deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Miriam González Durántez, sent a stinging letter to The Times in which she called on it to “treat women for who they are, and not simply for what their male partners do.” … [Read more...] about Sara Carbonero
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José Tomás
Bullfighting may be suffering an unstoppable crisis, with attendance down and a ban coming into effect in Catalonia, but Tomás is its great hope. With a hair-raising disregard for his own safety, the torero from Galapagar apparently sees getting nearly gored to death as just another day at the office; one particularly angry bull nearly killed him in Mexico in 2010. The enigmatic Tomás stays out of the media spotlight, avoiding the b-list celebrity merry-go-round that so many of his fellow bullfighters revel in. … [Read more...] about José Tomás
Patxi López
The Basque Country’s Socialist premier isn’t the most attention-grabbing politician in Spain. But he could make a case for being the most effective in difficult circumstances. When he formed a regional government in 2009 and broke the three-decade rule of the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), few expected his administration to last. Given that the Socialist Party’s partner in government was its traditional foe the conservative Popular Party (PP), it looked more like a suicide pact. But despite their differences and nationalist hostility, the pragmatic López and PP moderate Antonio Basagoiti have stayed together long enough, at least, to see ETA declare the end of its terror campaign, and to … [Read more...] about Patxi López
Ferran Adrià
The most famous chef in the world is more than a chef. He authors books, supervises “workshops” and even takes part in artistic events such as the 2007 Kassel show in Germany. Adrià, head chef of the now-closed El Bulli never seemed to be trying to make cooking look easy – just look at some of his recipes, such as Carrot Air or Kellogg’s Paella. But the emperor of molecular gastronomy has made people conscious of how unearthly and challenging food can be. He says: “The most important thing is to make people happy, but the second is to give them something to think about.” Keep cooking, Ferran. … [Read more...] about Ferran Adrià
King Juan Carlos
The boyish grin, the Bourbon nose, the endless joshing: even if he wasn’t the king of Spain, you could spot Juan Carlos a mile off. But despite the down-to-earth bonhomie, he has a livelier CV than most living monarchs. Juan Carlos accidentally shot his brother dead with a hunting gun as a child. He then became the protégé of dictator Franco, expected to ensure the country stayed “old school”. But Juan Carlos proved he was more than a tyrant’s puppet by steering Spain into democracy and then foiling a 1981 attempted coup with a now-historic television address to his people. All by the age of 43. Who can blame him for enjoying the high life since? … [Read more...] about King Juan Carlos
Joan Manuel Serrat
A controversial choice, given that the Barcelona-born Serrat is more of a folk singer than a rocker; a Catalan Leonard Cohen, perhaps. But when it comes to Spanish popular music, he is the godfather, and his influence on several generations of musicians and songwriters is hard to overstate. His career started in the sixties and he was lionised as much for his dissident political stance during the Franco years as for his finely crafted songs. Also, kudos to a man who managed to upset Catalans for not singing enough in Catalan and who also angered Spaniards for not singing enough in Spanish. … [Read more...] about Joan Manuel Serrat
The Sunday Drivers
Singing in English is a brave gambit when it’s not your native language, but Toledo’s folk rockers “los Sunday” pulled off the feat impressively. With a low-key stage act, much of their appeal rested on the shoulders of singer-guitarist Jero Romero, whose voice gave us such unforgettable lyrics as: “People talk to people / Go and make them shush / Can you stand them talking / Superficial guff?” They deserved an Oscar for modesty (or honesty), when, on opening for Wilco in Madrid in 2005, Romero told the audience: “This is the first time in my life I’ve been desperate to get off the stage just so I can listen to the next act”. Sadly, they broke up in 2010. … [Read more...] about The Sunday Drivers
Manu Chao
Chao was born of Galician parents but grew up in Paris, where he formed anarcho-rock outfit Mano Negra. A multi-lingual rabble who toured Europe and Latin America to great acclaim, Mano Negra’s energy made up for a lack of songcraft. Chao struck out on his own with success, releasing the unique and mesmerising Clandestino in 1998. Such inspiration seemed unrepeatable; until Chao himself released an album that sounded exactly the same as the first one, called Próxima Estación: Esperanza in 2001. A revolutionary maestro to some, a vertically challenged fool in a silly hat to others. … [Read more...] about Manu Chao
Manolo García
His band, El Último de la Fila, were easy to snigger at, perhaps because they looked so un-rock ‘n’ roll, but you can’t argue with their commercial and critical success, which led some critics to label them “the Spanish REM”. However, García’s solo career has been more interesting than that of his former band. His voice is that of a broody, backwoods troubadour and it can make the most ordinary pop song sound like a heartbreaking lament (just listen to Pájaros de barro if you’re still not convinced). … [Read more...] about Manolo García
Los Rodríguez
Strictly speaking, it could be argued they weren’t “Spanish”, given that two founder members were Argentinean, but Los Rodríguez were seen as a Spanish band, given their Madrid base and their sound, which mixed Latin music, such as flamenco, with guitar rock. Hits such as Palabras más palabras menos showed they could rock, but more melancholic numbers such as Para no olvidar consolidated their unique sound and put them in a generation’s hearts. Front man Andrés Calamaro and fellow Argentine Ariel Rot are still forging acclaimed solo careers. … [Read more...] about Los Rodríguez