Joan Manuel Serrat: Biography, Music, and Legacy
Joan Manuel Serrat
The Life and Music of a Catalan Icon
Joan Manuel Serrat i Teresa (Barcelona, December 27, 1943) is a renowned Spanish singer, composer, interpreter, poet, and musician. He is a prominent figure in modern Spanish and Catalan songwriting.
Influences and Style
Serrat’s work is influenced by poets such as Mario Benedetti, Antonio Machado, Miguel Hernández, Rafael Alberti, and León Felipe, as well as various genres, including Catalan folk music, copla, tango, bolero, and Latin American popular songs. He has covered songs by artists like Violeta Parra and Víctor Jara. He is considered a pioneer of the Nova Cançó (New Song) movement in Catalan music. Serrat is also known by the nickname El noi del Poble-sec (The Boy from Poble Sec, his hometown) and el Nano in Argentina.
Early Life and Education
Childhood
Joan Manuel Serrat i Teresa was born on December 27, 1943, in the Poble Sec neighborhood of Barcelona, into a working-class family. His father, Josep Serrat, was a member of the Spanish anarchist CNT, and his mother, Àngela Teresa, was a housewife originally from Belchite (Zaragoza). His childhood and the street environment profoundly marked him, influencing many of his songs that narrate daily life in Catalonia after the Civil War (for example, characters like la Carmeta, la Drapaire, and other neighborhood archetypes).
Education and Early Career
At age 12, Serrat enrolled as an intern at the Technical College of Tarragona, where he obtained a higher education bachelor’s degree, specializing as an industrial miller turner. He later received a scholarship as a biologist and worked as a chicken sexer. While pursuing industrial expert studies, Serrat played the guitar as an amateur. In 1965, he graduated as an agronomist and appeared on Salvador Escamilla’s Radioscòpia program on Radio Barcelona, performing his first song. Shortly after, he was offered a contract and recorded his first album. His first concert took place at the L’Avenç theater in Esplugues de Llobregat.
Musical Career
Early Success
In 1965, he released his first EP, Una guitarra, with four songs. In 1966, his second EP, Ara que tinc vint anys, was released. In 1967, musician Francesc Burrull collaborated with Serrat, arranging the EP Cançó de matinades. In 1968, he released his first songs in Spanish, with several singles later compiled on the LP La paloma. That same year, he was announced as Spain’s representative in the Eurovision Song Contest, but his place was ultimately filled by Massiel. Also in 1968, he released a popular album of traditional Catalan songs (reissued in 1973).
International Recognition
In 1969, he released the LP Com ho fa el vent and his first child, Queco, was born. He also embarked on his first tour of South America. In 1970, he participated as a guest artist in the Viña del Mar International Song Festival and won the Rio de Janeiro Song Festival with Penélope, composed in collaboration with Augusto Algueró. That year also saw the release of Mi niñez. Two songs from this album were censored by the Franco regime. In the late 1970s, he sought refuge in the Monastery of Montserrat, where, according to some legends, he composed the song Mediterráneo.
Later Works and Legacy
Mediterráneo, one of his most important albums, was finally released in 1971. In 1972, he released the tribute album Miguel Hernández, dedicated to the renowned Spanish poet. In 1973, he released the LP Per al meu amic in Catalan. In 1974, he served as musical director and pianist until Ricard Miralles returned. The ban on his appearances on Spanish Television was lifted. In 1975, Serrat traveled to Mexico, touring with musicians on a bus called La Gordita. Serrat later confessed that it was a very difficult period in his life. In 1977, he released a tribute to the Catalan poet Joan Salvat-Papasseit, titled Res no és mesquí, arranged by musician Josep Maria Bardagí. In 1978, he married Candela Tiffon. Their daughter Maria was born a year later, and he recorded the album 1978. In 1980, he released the album Tal com raja. The death of his father, Josep Serrat, was a significant blow. In 1981, he released En tránsito, which topped the Spanish charts. He returned to television with a one-hour special. In 1983, he released Cada loco con su tema, an album with notable tracks, and a double live LP. An advertising campaign plagiarized one of his songs, leading to the album’s recall. In 1984, he released Fa vint anys. In 1985, he released El sur también existe. Bienaventurados, released in 1987, offered a critical view of Christian Churches. In 1989, he released [Sensitive material]. In 1991, he released the album Utopía. In 1994, he released Nadie es perfecto. In 1996, he released a double album in tribute to his fellow Nova Cançó artists, titled Banda sonora d’un temps d’un país, Serrat’s last album in LP format. That year, he joined Víctor Manuel, Ana Belén, and Miguel Ríos on a tour throughout Spain. The tour continued in several American countries in 1997 and was released on DVD. In 1998, he released Sombras de la China, with arrangements by Kitflus. In 2000, his official discography was digitized and released on CD. In 2002, he released Versos en la boca. In late 2003, he released Serrat sinfónico, in collaboration with the Barcelona Symphony and Catalonia National Orchestra. In 2004, he participated in the project Neruda en el corazón. Also in 2004, the Catalan newspaper El Periódico de Catalunya awarded him the Catalan of the Year award in honor of his 40-year musical career. During the Versos en la boca tour, he faced health challenges, undergoing surgery for bladder carcinoma. In 2005, he released the album Serrat 100×100. After his recovery, he toured with Ricard Miralles, performing 150 concerts, concluding in 2006. In 2006, he received an honorary doctorate from the Complutense University of Madrid for his contributions to Spanish and Catalan culture. Ten days later, he received the Gold Medal of Merit in Labour for his career achievements. In April 2006, he released a new album titled Mô, followed by a tour in Catalonia, Valencia, the Balearic Islands, and Madrid, ending in October 2006. In 2007, he was awarded the Medal of Honor of the Parliament of Catalonia in recognition of his work in defense of the Catalan language and culture as a member of Els Setze Jutges in the 1960s, and he was also made a Knight of the Legion of Honour of the French Republic. He toured with Joaquín Sabina on the Dos pájaros de un tiro tour, which began in June 2007 and ended in December 2007. The resulting album shared the tour’s name. In mid-2008, Serrat embarked on the intimate tour Serrat 100×100 with Ricard Miralles, performing in several American countries and Spain, with concerts scheduled through July 2009.
