Rosalía

Rosalía

Rosalia Vila Tobella, known mononymously as Rosalía, is a Spanish singer, songwriter, producer, and actress. Born and raised on the outskirts of Barcelona, Rosalía has been hailed as an "atypical pop star" due to her boundary-pushing musical styles. Her musical journey began at age 14 when she discovered Spanish folk music, eventually leading her to study musicology at Catalonia College of Music while performing at various venues.
Rosalía gained widespread acclaim with her collaborative cover album with Raül Refree, titled "Los Ángeles" (2017), and her baccalaureate project "El mal querer" (2018). "El mal querer" reimagined flamenco by blending it with pop and hip hop influences, producing hit singles like "Malamente" and "Pienso en tu mirá." The album earned her the Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year and secured a spot on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.


In 2019, Rosalía delved into urbano music with tracks like "Con altura" and "Yo x ti, tú x mí," achieving international success. Her third studio album, "Motomami" (2022), saw her experimenting with reggaeton while departing from the new flamenco sound of her previous work. The album received critical acclaim and featured hit singles such as "La Fama," "Saoko," and "Despechá."
Throughout her career, Rosalía has amassed numerous accolades, including two Grammy Awards, twelve Latin Grammy Awards (including two Album of the Year wins), and multiple MTV Video Music Awards. She has been praised for her influence on mainstream music and was the first Spanish-speaking artist to be nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys. Rosalía is widely regarded as one of the most successful and influential Spanish singers of all time.


Rosalía was born on September 25, 1992, in Sant Cugat del Vallès and grew up in Sant Esteve Sesrovires, Baix Llobregat, Catalonia. Coming from a non-artistic Catalan-speaking family, she is the youngest daughter of María Pilar Tobella Aguilera, a businesswoman specializing in metalworks, and José Manuel Vila, who has roots in Galicia, Andalusia, and Cuba. Rosalía has an older sister, Pilar "Pili" Vila, who collaborates with her as a stylist and creative director.
From a young age, Rosalía showed a keen interest in the performing arts, particularly after discovering the music of Camarón de la Isla. She began her musical education at the Taller de Músics, later attending the Raval school and the Superior School of Music of Catalonia. During this time, she also worked independently as a singer at weddings and musical bars.
Despite facing vocal cord surgery at the age of 17 due to intense singing practices, Rosalía continued to pursue her passion for music. She joined the flamenco music group Kejaleo and collaborated with Juan "Chicuelo" Gómez on various projects. Rosalía gained further recognition through collaborations and performances at international events such as the Panama International Film Festival and the Association of Performing Arts Professionals Conference in New York.


In 2016, Rosalía gained attention for her collaboration with Spanish rapper C. Tangana on the song "Antes de morirme," which later became a sleeper hit and entered the Spanish Singles Chart in 2018. The collaboration received international recognition when it was featured on the soundtrack of the Spanish Netflix show "Élite."
Throughout her early career, Rosalía demonstrated versatility and dedication to her craft, laying the groundwork for her later success as a groundbreaking artist in the Spanish music industry.


In 2016, Rosalía had a pivotal performance at the Tablao del Carmen in Barcelona, where she caught the attention of Raül Refree, a musician and producer. Impressed by her talent, Refree and Rosalía began collaborating on two albums. Later that year, Rosalía signed with Universal Music and relocated to California.
Their collaboration resulted in the release of "Los Ángeles," Rosalía's debut album, in February 2017. The album, characterized by dark themes and aggressive guitar chords, offered reworks of flamenco classics and garnered critical acclaim. It received several accolades, including the "Album of the Year" award at the Time Out Awards and the Premio Ruido.
Despite her growing success, Rosalía declined an invitation to participate in the pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2017 due to scheduling conflicts with the promotion of her debut record.


Following the release of "Los Ángeles," Rosalía and Raül Refree embarked on the Los Ángeles Tour, which spanned from February 2017 to March 2018. During this time, Rosalía's talent caught the attention of renowned artists like Juanes, who became enamored with her work and enlisted his manager, Rebeca León, to work with her, recognizing her as a unique and exceptional talent.


The recording process for Rosalía's second studio album, "El mal querer," began in early 2017 as part of her baccalaureate project at the Catalonia College of Music. Collaborating with Spanish musician el Guincho, Rosalía developed the album's concept, drawing inspiration from the Romance of Flamenca, a medieval tale. Despite limited resources, Rosalía invested her own money to produce the album, which combined traditional flamenco with contemporary pop and urban influences.
In May 2018, Rosalía announced the title of the album in a homemade YouTube series. Around the same time, she collaborated with J Balvin on the track "Brillo," featured on his album "Vibras." The lead single from "El mal querer," titled "Malamente," was released later that month and garnered international attention, with its music video directed by Canada going viral on social media. The song received critical acclaim and earned multiple Latin Grammy nominations.


Following the success of "Malamente," Rosalía released the singles "Pienso en tu mirá" and "Di mi nombre," both of which contributed to the anticipation for the album's release. "El mal querer" debuted at number two on the PROMUSICAE chart upon its release on 2 November 2018. The album received widespread acclaim from music critics, with many praising its experimental and conceptual nature.
"El mal querer" went on to win several awards, including Latin Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock, Urban, or Alternative Album. It was also recognized by publications such as Rolling Stone, which listed it as one of the greatest albums of all time.
In addition to her music career, Rosalía ventured into acting, appearing in Pedro Almodóvar's film "Pain and Glory." She also embarked on her first global concert tour, the El Mal Querer Tour, in 2019, performing across South America, North America, Europe, and Africa to promote the album.

References

1.  "La verdadera edad de Rosalía, desvelada por ella misma" [The true age of Rosalía, revealed by herself]. HuffPost (in Spanish). 12 August 2021. Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
2. ^ "Rosalía Shares Her Favorite Karaoke Song And the Story of Her First Kiss". W Magazine on YouTube. 3 October 2019. Archived from the original on 6 February 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
3. ^ "Phonology – Case Studies: Catalan". www.laits.utexas.edu. Archived from the original on 5 February 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
4. ^ "Rosalia pronunciation: How to pronounce Rosalia in Latin, Catalan, Italian, German, Occitan, Spanish". Forvo.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
5. ^ Villanueva, Marc (30 October 2018). "Rosalía, la estrella catalana del flamenco, preguntada tres veces por el procés". En Blau (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
6. ^ Cervantes, Xavier (13 February 2017). "Rosalía, una veu per al passat i el futur del flamenc" [Rosalía, a Voice for the Past and the Future of Flamenco]. Ara (in Catalan). Barcelona. Archived from the original on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
7. ^ Sayre, Anamaria (24 April 2022). "Rosalía is unafraid to pull from every corner of the world". NPR. Archived from the original on 15 November 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022.