There are many famous international bands and artists that are not Spanish, and that speak of our country in their songs. Throughout history, Spain has appeared in a multitude of books, films and, of course, songs. Today, this article by ShMadrid will tell you more about songs by foreign music artists that speak of Spain, either of a particular city or of other Spanish characteristics.
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Discover the best songs about Spain
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If there is one song that has spoken of a Spanish city with a thrilling solemnity, it is ‘Barcelona’ by Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé. Sadly, the artists that created and performed this wonderful piece in honour of the memorable Olympics held in Barcelona in 1992, have deceased. The composer of both the lyrics and the music of ‘Barcelona’, chose Caballé to accompany him for the interpretation, as she was one of the most important sopranos at that moment and actually from Barcelona. Another song about Spain by an international artist is ‘Te dejo Madrid’, by the Colombian singer Shakira. This international star sang this song on her album ‘Servicio de Lavandería’ back in 2002. ‘Te dejo Madrid’ was very successful, reaching #1 in several Latin American countries, such as Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Argentina and other countries. It did not, however, have the same success with Hispanic Americans, as it only reached #45 on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks list. It reached #18 In the Latin Tropical Airplay, and it reached #22 in the Latin Pop Airplay. ‘Holiday in Spain’, by the Counting Crows, is another song that is clearly about Spain, and this song has had more impact internationally. The American band had already paid a little tribute to our country with its well-known ‘Mr. Jones’. Unlike the latter, ‘Holiday in Spain’ speaks only of Spain.
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The Doors, a legendary American band from the 60s and 70s, released the song ‘Spanish Caravan‘ in 1968, taken from their album ‘Waiting for the Sun’. It is one of the most intriguing works from the band, composed at a creative moment by one of its members. It is basically based on popular flamenco music with a two-beat rhythm, known as “Granadinas”. The song is led by the brilliant Robby Krieger on his acoustic guitar. One last example is Ed Sheeran‘s song ‘Barcelona’, which, despite being full of clichés about Barcelona, is a sign of the artist’s love for the Catalan capital. It is on the ‘Divide’ album, but Sheeran included it as a bonus track. As you can see, there are many songs about our country, some even have the name ‘Spain’ in their title. In the great majority of the songs you can hear admiration and affection for our country, which doesn’t surprise us at all of course. So without a doubt, one can say that Spain inspires many singers and music artists from all over the world, whether it for its magnificent climate, its history or its gastronomy.
Do you know more songs about Spain by international artists?
