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Raphael | |
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_Premio_Ciudad_de_Alcal%25C3%25A1_de_las_Artes_y_las_Letras.png) Raphael in October 2023 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Raphaelito,El Divo de Linares,El Ruiseñor de Linares,El Niño |
| Born | Miguel Rafael Martos Sánchez (1943-05-05)5 May 1943 (age 82) |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actor |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1959–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | www |
Miguel Rafael Martos Sánchez (born 5 May 1943), known professionally asRaphael, is a Spanish singer and actor. He is widely recognized for his extensive vocal range and charismatic stage presence. His career has spanned more than six decades, leaving a lasting influence on Spanish-language popular music.[1]
Raphael rose to fame in the early 1960s after winning theBenidorm International Song Festival. He represented Spain in theEurovision Song Contest in 1966 and 1967 with the songs "Yo soy aquél" and "Hablemos del amor", finishing in seventh and sixth place, respectively. In 1967, he performed atMadison Square Garden in New York City before an audience of 48,000 people.[2][3] In 1982, he received auranium record for surpassing 50 million records sold, making him one of thebest-selling Latin music artists in history.[4]
He remains one of the most active performers among the so-calleddivos ofLatin ballads, regularly touring across the Americas and Europe.[5] His accolades include theBillboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022[6] and was namedPerson of the Year bythe Latin Recording Academy in 2025.[7]
Raphael was born Miguel Rafael Martos Sánchez inLinares (Jaén), Spain. As a consequence, he is nicknamed both"El Ruiseñor de Linares" ("Nightingale of Linares") and"El Divo de Linares" ("The Divo from Linares") but is also known as "El Niño". His family moved toMadrid when he was nine months old, and he started singing when he was just three years-old. He joined a children's choir at age four. When he was 9, he was recognized as the best child voice in Europe at a contest inSalzburg, Austria. His two idols, when he was growing up, and with whom he announced, on 6 October 2014, his plans to record posthumous duets with, were said to be US singerElvis Presley and French divaEdith Piaf.
Raphael began his professional career by singing with the Dutch record label Philips. To distinguish himself, he adopted the "ph" of the company's name and christened himself 'Raphael'. His first singles were "Te voy a contar mi vida" and "A pesar de todo", among others. Raphael adopted his own peculiar singing style from the beginning; he is known for acting each one of his songs while on stage, emphasizing his gestures with high dramatic effect. It is not unusual for Raphael to ad lib lyrics as to localize a song depending on the venue he's singing at, wear Latin American peasant costumes and dance folk dances within a song, kicking and demolishing a mirror, or doing the moves of aflamenco dancer or abullfighter onstage. He also possesses a wide vocal range, which he often used in the beginning of his career as to evoke achoirboy approach to some songs.
When he was nineteen, he won first, second, and third awards at the famousBenidorm International Song Festival, inBenidorm, in 1962 and 1963 with the songs: "Llevan", "Inmensidad", and "Tu Conciencia". After a brief relation with Barclay record label, who produced just an EP, he signed a contract withHispavox recording company, and began a long artistic relationship with the musical director of this label, the late, talented Argentinian orchestratorWaldo de los Ríos and intensify the partnership with outstanding Spanish songwriterManuel Alejandro.
Raphaelrepresented Spain at theEurovision Song Contest 1966 and1967 singing "Yo soy aquél" in Luxembourg, and "Hablemos del amor" inVienna, placing seventh and sixth, respectively. This marked Spain's strongest showing in the contest at the time, leaving the door open for victory the following year, which Spain achieved with "La, la, la" performed byMassiel. This served as a turning point in Raphael's career, making him an international star. He traveled and performed worldwide in Europe, Latin America, Puerto Rico, the United States, Russia and Japan. Songs such as "Que Tal Te Va Sin Mi", "Como Yo Te Amo", "En Carne Viva", "Digan Lo Que Digan", "Estar Enamorado", "Estuve Enamorado", and "Desde Aquel Día" cemented his status as a major international singing star.
Raphael also began a lucrative film career, appearing in,Cuando tú no estás (Mario Camus, 1966), which was followed byAl ponerse el Sol (Mario Camus, 1967),Digan lo que digan (Mario Camus, 1968, filmed in Argentina),El golfo (1969, filmed in Mexico),El ángel (1969),Sin Un Adiós (1970, partially filmed in England), andVolveré a nacer (1972).
As Raphael became a success in Latin America, he made a habit of recording Latin American folk standards including "Huapango torero", "Sandunga", and "Llorona"; they were hits in Mexico. In 1967 Raphael began a tour throughout America.
He appeared live onThe Ed Sullivan Show with great success on 25 October 1970, singing (in Spanish, English, and Italian) "Hallelujah" and "Hava Nagila". He appeared again on 27 December 1970, with the songs "Maybe" (Somos), "When my love is around" (Cuando llega mi amor) and "The sound of the trumpet" (Balada de la trompeta).
In 1975, Raphael began his own successful program on Spanish Television calledEl Mundo de Raphael, where he sang with international stars. He also had a radio program, where he and his wife spoke with and interviewed outstanding personalities, and he starred in soap operas, starting with the Mexican productionDonde termina el camino, shown in the spring of 1978 and later in other countries like Peru and Chile.
Raphael succeeded in the early 1980s with songs such as "¿Qué tal te va sin mí?", "Como yo te amo", "En carne viva" and "Estar enamorado".
In 1980 Raphael receives a Uranium disc, in recognition of his fifty million copies sold throughout his recording career.
During 1984 and 1985 he recorded two albums with songs written byJosé Luis Perales like "Ámame", "Yo sigo siendo aquel", "Dile que vuelva", "Y... Cómo es él" and "Estoy llorando hoy por ti".
In 1984 a parody of "Yo soy aquél" was used in a radio spot inPuerto Rico's gubernatorial race. Then-governorCarlos Romero Barceló used the parody (complete with a Raphael sound-alike) namely as a jab against opponent, Raphael's namesake, (and noted Spanophile), former governorRafael Hernández Colón. Raphael was surprised by the unauthorized use of the music, but was highly amused by the reference.
In 1987 he left Hispavox and signed a contract with Columbia (nowSony Music), where he again recorded songs written byRoberto Livi like "Toco madera" and "Maravilloso corazón". In 1991 he had a hit with "Escándalo" in Spain, Latin America, and in Japan, where it reached number one. At the end of the 1990s, after ending a contract withPolyGram, he went back toEMI. In 1998 the artist published the first part of his memoirs titled¿Y mañana qué?, from his childhood until his marriage in 1972.
Raphael took part in the 2000 Spanish version of the stage musicalJekyll & Hyde for seven months, with great success.
He married aristocrat, journalist and writer Natalia Figueroa, inVenice (Italy) on 14 July 1972. They have three children: Jacobo, Alejandra and Manuel.
Raphael's health faced a major setback in 2003, when hisliver started failing due to a latent bout withhepatitis B; he recovered successfully after atransplant. Since then he is an active organ donation promoter.
In December 2024, Raphael was diagnosed withprimary brain lymphoma while hospitalized inMadrid, Spain.[8]
Raphaelhas received numerous awards.
He was inducted into theInternational Latin Music Hall of Fame in 2003.[11]
Raphael received theLifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards.[12]
The Raphael Museum is located in El Pósito, a building in the centre of Linares. It houses more than 400 pieces and original documents from the artist.
| Preceded by | Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 1966 with "Yo soy aquél" 1967 with "Hablemos del amor" | Succeeded by |
