Celebrity Interview - Luz Casal - Comments

Luz Casal

Poster: Amparo De la Gama 07/11/2007

Galician singer Luz Casal has just overcome a serious battle with breast cancer and has been celebrating the renewal of her record contract by preparing for a new album. As Luz says, "Learning in life is a long journey, but with illness it is shortened." She achieved her greatest European success with her contribution to the soundtrack of Pedro Almodóvar's comic melodrama High Heels; and is highly respected as an artist who has been able to break down barriers with her voice. Her five sell-out concerts at the La Cigale Theatre in Paris last year were all sold out.

Expressing the respect and admiration that the French public have for Casal, journalist Annie Grandjanin wrote in Le Figaro: "Luz Casal is a true star in Spain and South America - on stage this lady carries exceptional charm and charisma." Now, having recovered from serious illness, she is getting ready to record her next album - the 11th studio album in an extraordinary career which continues to provide joy and fulfilment to all her fans.

Are you really as natural as you seem to be in your songs?
"I try to be, of course. Sometimes you need to adjust to the spirit each song or act arouses. Making music feels natural and current. When you write a good song all the hard work seems worthwhile."

The "hard work" you talk about... how has it changed your character?
(Laughs) "Before, I always wanted to be taller than the moon. That is to say, I always wanted to be great but in reality you never fully achieve what you set out to do - so you just have to settle with what you have. I would like to be better than I am. That's all."

Better? In Europe you are already a star... what do you give of yourself to make that happen?
"They tell me it is strength, passion, Spanish expressiveness. They must think I'm Carmen's successor - "La Cigarrera de Sevilla", a traditional street cigar seller from Sevilla. It's funny really: I'm from Galicia, and was raised in Asturias..."

Is it true that the inclusion of the song Piensa En Mi in Almodovar's film High Heels opened lots of doors for you in Europe?
"Without a doubt... People had a great impression from Almodovar's film but that was years ago and since then lots of albums have been sold and our concerts have become more and more popular. So there must be something else, I suppose!"

Then another one of your great songs came along, Negra Sombra, for the film Mar Adentro (The Sea Inside) - the story of the tetraplegic patient Ramón Sampedro who Alejandro Amenábar made an Oscar-winning film about... Did you feel comfortable working on this soundtrack?
"I wasn't involved much as I simply let them use the song. But I was surprised and flattered. I love the thought that a song from Galicia can be heard everywhere. I was delighted about it, as it was a re-released song. Fantastic."

When you first heard Negra Sombra what did you feel?
"Pure emotion. Juan Montes put music to the poem in the '20s when choirs performed the song. My version, as a soloist, symbolised something different for me personally as it was the first time I had sung in Galician."

Have the original performers of the songs you recorded for Almodóvar said anything about your versions? For example, Chavela Vargas?
"We bumped into each other in México and she told me she liked my version of Piensa En Mi. But we really didn't speak much."

Your fair skin attracts a fair bit of attention in contrast with those red lips...
"Painting my lips is like getting dressed; even if I'm not wearing makeup, I always paint them. I like painting them red like blood; it's as if everything flows around you..."

Your informal and Bohemian style always seems so perfect. Is this intentional or does it come to you naturally?
"I like fashion because I like to feel good, to surprise myself, to change my look... I spend quite a lot on clothes and I'm interested in what's being created out there."

I saw you at the Marrakech Film Festival as a strong representative of Spanish fashion...
"Well, I think there's a wide range of Spanish designers who should be promoted. From Juanjo Olivas to Petro Valverde... Or Kina Fernández, who I also like very much. From the new generation, for example, I find Jorge Vázquez extremely interesting. You also have people like Amaya Arzuaga, who gives it her all."

People shiver when they hear your songs... Is Luz Casal as equally respected outside Spain?
"Well yes, or maybe it's because I've been very lucky! I was invited by Jackson Browne to sing in Phoenix and L.A. Besides flowers, there was an enormous basket with all sorts of Spanish products when I arrived at the hotel - cheese, olives, chorizo, ham, wine from the Ribera del Duero region... But the best thing was that he brought me over there to launch me as a support act who was completely unknown at that point. Jackson Browne wrote an article which he handed out to everyone in the audience so they could get to know more about me. Well, that's not a bad idea - here in Spain you can spend 25 years on the scene recording LPs and each one feels like you are starting over again. You are only worth what your last record was worth. Musical memory hardly ever exists."

As a last thought, bearing in mind you are a raunchy rocker, how would you define rock?
"It's more of an attitude and a way of thinking; it's the backbone on which my music is created.

Luz Casal was born on 11 November 1958 in the village of Bolmorto, in Coruña, but grew up in Asturias. She sang in choirs and with singer-songwriter Juan Pardo on such songs as Como En Mi Guitarra or Conversaciones Conmigo Mismo. From 1977 she took part in different European song contests and in 1980 recorded a single, El Ascensor, which was never really promoted and therefore had little impact. Between 1980 and 1982 she worked with different musical groups and recorded the album No Aguanto Más with the collaboration of Ramoncín, Roque Narvaja and Miguel Rios.

In 1984 Luz released her second album, Los Ojos Del Gato, with the collaboration of Hilario Camacho and Carmen Santonja. In 1985 she recorded Luz in Germany and Belgium, and in 1987 recorded her fourth LP, Quiereme Aunque Te Duela. After the launch of Luz V in 1989 she became known as one of Spain's finest rock singers and a year later released A Contraluz - an album which included the songs she featured in Almodóvar's film Tacones Lejanos.

In June 1995 she presented her album La Flor Prometida, which she had worked on for four years; and after a four-year break made a comeback in October 1999 with the album Un Mar De Confianza, which was recorded in London and Madrid. At the same time she recorded a collection of her best songs for the French market.

Last September she presented Pequeños, Medianos y Grandes - a compilation of 30 songs, 17 of them previously unpublished. All which proved that Luz Casal certainly hadn't been overcome by success. Far from than living on memories, she is very much alive and enjoying the peak of her creativity.

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