Raphael

Rafael Martos, Raphael, nace en Linares (Jaén). Cuando cuenta con pocos meses de edad, su familia se traslada a Madrid.

A los cuatro años entra a formar parte de la escolanía de la Iglesia de San Antonio y, más tarde, de Jesús de Medinaceli. A los nueve años gana el premio a la mejor voz infantil de Europa en el Festival de Salzburgo, Austria.

Su carrera profesional comienza en 1962, ganando el primer premio en el Festival de Benidorm.

Su voz prodigiosa y su particular manera de interpretar han sido sus principales armas para poder permanecer, año tras año, como figura indiscutible entre los cantantes de habla hispana, con un sello genuino y muy personal, conquistando por derecho propio un lugar privilegiado en el panorama musical mundial.

Pionero absoluto de la música moderna en español, Raphael, incansable trabajador, ha llevado su arte y su idioma a casi todos los rincones de la Tierra.

Andaluz universal y profeta en su tierra, ha recorrido durante más de cuarenta años de carrera su España natal, América, Asia y Europa decenas de veces.

En la primera etapa de su carrera, Raphael participa dos años consecutivos en el Festival de Eurovisión, protagoniza varias películas dirigidas por Mario Camus, Vicente Escrivá, Javier Aguirre o Antonio Isasi, obtiene en la radio un gran éxito con su serie de programas "El Raphael Show" para la cadena SER, y en Televisión Española con la serie "El Mundo de Raphael".

De sus continuas e innumerables giras por España destacan su primer concierto en el Teatro de la Zarzuela de Madrid, las largas temporadas en el Palacio de la Música o en el Teatro Monumental, los recitales en el Palau de la Música de Barcelona, el Teatro Falla y el Auditorio José María Pemán de Cádiz, el Villamarta de Jerez, el Romea de Murcia, el San Fernando de Sevilla, el Palau de la Música de Valencia, el Teatro Gayarre de Pamplona, el Victoria Eugenia de San Sebastián, el Arriaga de Bilbao, el Campoamor de Oviedo, el Jovellanos de Gijón, el Teatro Real de Madrid... Cabe también destacar su inolvidable concierto en el Estadio Santiago Bernabeu con motivo de su XXV aniversario artístico.

Raphael ha paseado sus canciones por los más importantes escenarios del mundo: el Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall y Madison Square Garden de Nueva York, el Kennedy Center de Washington D.C., el Palladium y el Talk of the Town de Londres, el Shrine Auditorium, Greek Theater y Universal Amphitheater de Los Angeles, el Olimpia de Paris, el Bellas Artes de México, el Opera House de Sydney, el Teatro de la Opera de Buenos Aires, el Teresa Carreño de Caracas, el Bellas Artes de Puerto Rico, el Teatro Opera de Tokio, el Rossia de Moscú, el Oktabraskaya de San Petersburgo, el Festival de Viña del Mar en Chile, el Festival de Baden-Baden en Alemania...

Su historia discográfica es impresionante, como lo atestiguan sus 326 discos de Oro, 49 de Platino, y el único de Uranio entregado en el mundo por ventas de más de 50 millones de copias. Ha grabado más de 50 discos de larga duración en español, así como otros en italiano, francés, alemán, inglés y japonés.

Hace pocos años protagoniza durante siete meses en Madrid su más grande aventura artística, el doble papel del musical "Jekyll & Hyde", con el que obtiene un éxito grandioso.

Reside normalmente en una casa a las afueras de Madrid. Su familia es su gran inspiración. Hace 32 años se casa en Venecia con la escritora Natalia Figueroa. Tiene tres hijos: Jacobo, Alejandra y Manuel. "Ellos han sido mis mejores conciertos", dice siempre.

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Rafael Martos, a.k.a. Raphael, was born in Linares (Jaén, Spain). When he was only a few months old, his family moved to Madrid.

He was four when he entered the singing school of San Antonio Church, and later he did the same at the church of Jesús de Medinaceli. When he was nine, he won a prize for the Best European Children’s Singing Voice at Salzburg Music Festival in Austria.

He started his professional musical career in 1962, when he won the First Prize at Benidorm Music Festival in Spain.

His prodigious voice and his unique performing style have always been his best tools remain the same year after year, as an unarguable figure in the Spanish music scene, thanks to a genuine and very personal style, with which he reached, in his own right, a privileged status in the international music scene.

Considered an absolute pioneer of modern music performed in Spanish, Raphael, as a tireless professional, has always taken his artistic skills and Spanish language to every corner of the world.

This universal Andalusian who has also triumphed in his own country, has performed, in a career expanding over 40 years, tens of times in his native Spain, America, Asia and Europe.

During the first stage of his career, Raphael participated, for two years in a row, at Eurovision Song Contest. He also starred in several films directed by such filmmakers as Mario Camus, Vicente Escrivá, Javier Aguirre and Antonio Isasi. Additionally, he obtained great success on the Spanish radio, thanks to his own program, “The Raphael Show”, for Cadena SER. He also triumphed as a TV actor with his show "El Mundo de Raphael".

Among his most remarkable achievements related to his numerous concert tours in Spain we should remember his first concert at Teatro de la Zarzuela in Madrid, the extensive concert seasons at Palacio de la Música and Teatro Monumental in Madrid, the recitals he offered at Palau de la Música in Barcelona, Teatro Falla and José María Pemán Auditorium in Cádiz, Villamarta Theatre de Jerez, Romea in Murcia, San Fernando in Sevilla, Palau de la Música in Valencia, Gayarre Theatre in Pamplona, Victoria Eugenia Theatre in San Sebastian, Arriaga Theatre in Bilbao, Campoamor Theatre in Oviedo, Jovellanos Theatre in Gijón and Teatro Real in Madrid, among many other events and concerts. The unforgettable concert he offered at Santiago Bernabeu (Real Madrid) Stadium in Madrid, for his 25th anniversary as an artist became another highlight in his music career.

Raphael has played his songs in the most prestigious stages in the world, including Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden in New York, Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Palladium and Talk of the Town in London, Shrine Auditorium, Greek Theater and Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles, Olympia in Paris, Bellas Artes in Mexico, The Opera House in Sydney, Teatro de la Opera in Buenos Aires, Teresa Carreño Theatre in Caracas, Bellas Artes Theatre in Puerto Rico, Opera Theatre in Tokio, Rossia Hall in Moscow, Oktabraskaya in Saint Petersburg, Viña del Mar Music Festival in Chile and Baden-Baden Festival in Germany, among many other important locations.

Raphael’s discographic history is also amazing, as referenced by the 326 gold records he has obtained, 49 platinum records and the only Uranium record ever given in the world, to certificate sales of over 50 million records. He has recorded over 50 albums in Spanish, as well as a number of records in Italian, French, German, English and Japanese.

A few years ago, he starred in, for over seven months in Madrid, what many consider his most important artistic adventure, the double role he played in the musical "Jekyll & Hyde", with which he obtained a spectacular success.

He currently resides in his house on the outskirts of Madrid. His family has always been his source of inspiration. 32 years ago he married Spanish writer Natalia Figueroa in Venice, Italy. They have three sons, Jacobo, Alejandra and Manuel. "They have always been my best concerts ever”, Raphael usually says.