At the end of the summer of 1999, the radios began to play the single from the new album by Joaquin Sabina, who at that time already had a dozen excellent albums behind him. «Ours lasted as long as two ice fish in a güisqui on the rocks“, began the song, in which the man from Ubeta left behind the rock to which his followers were accustomed and immersed himself in his Andalusian roots with a rumba in which, from irony, he spoke of a tragic heartbreak. «I don’t ask for forgiveness. “Why, if you are going to forgive me because you no longer care?” is just one of the devastating and hopeless phrases that punctuate 19 days and 500 nights.
The hoarse and raw voice of the singer-songwriter also attracted a lot of attention, which in his previous albums had been subjected to all kinds of filters to make it more presentable. The decision of Alejo Stivel (Tequila), producer of the album, strip it of artifices It was proven over time to be one of the best discoveries in the history of Spanish music, as it marked once and for all the vocal seal that makes Sabina unique. After 19 days and 500 nights came the self-titled album, probably his best work, with hymns like At forty-ten, The Case of the Platinum Blonde o Closed due to demolition.
first time
“I remember perfectly the first time I heard that song,” he recalls. Troubadour Tom, veteran singer-songwriter based in Mallorca. «I was in Galicia, on the beach, and I freaked out. I had never heard anything like it, with a so round letter and such an expressive voice. Shortly after, I saw him live on an acoustic tour he did and I was impressed with the ability to transmit that he had with his voice. “It is a masterpiece,” he says.
“I heard the song on the radio and it changed my life,” says the Mallorcan singer-songwriter. Luis Cadenaswho was 17 years old when the album came out. «I didn’t realize it was Sabina until the chorus, because I had never heard her with that voice so harsh. The production caught my attention, totally opposite to the previous albums. At first the album was difficult for me, because it was less rock, with denser lyrics and a voice a priori worse, but I ended up understanding that it was much better. “It is one of the best albums of his career and of our history,” he emphasizes.
«19 days and 500 nights “It’s not one of my favorite Sabina albums,” he admits. Victoria Lermaactive island artist. «I followed him from previous albums, like Hotel, dulce hotel or Yo, mi, me, tú, which are his albums that have marked me the most. Now, Sabina is Sabina and on all her albums she has great songs from which it is impossible to escape unscathed, like the song that gives the album its title, which is a master ode to heartbreak, y Wedding nights, who sings with Chavela,” he says.
“It’s one of my favorite albums, and without a doubt Sabina’s best,” he says. Riki Lopez, with 30 years of musical career behind him. «In addition to all the songs being good, the design is amazing. I remember hearing him reading the gold letters on the booklet. Of course, what I liked the most was the voice, in very close-up and no effectswhich is the best Sabina. Even today, it is the album I listen to the most,” he says.
“I remember that the single didn’t catch my attention,” he admits. Alberto Vizcainosinger-songwriter with a long career currently leading Psiconautas. «However, the rest of the album has incredible songs and was for me a rediscovery of Sabina, of which I was not too much of a fan, even recognizing that she is one of the best song writerss we have had. Stivel’s production was key,” he analyzes.
