Alejandro Sanz Concerts Setlist

Born in Madrid, Spain, Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro, also known by his stage name, Alejandro Sanz, is a very known singer within the flamenco with pop, and rock genres. To this day, he has won 22 Latin Grammy Awards and four Grammy Awards, with three wins for Album of the Year. His rise to success started with the release of the 1997 album "Más," followed by successful albums like "El Alma al Aire" and "Paraíso Express." Collaborating with Shakira on "La Tortura" in 2005 marked a global hit.

Inspired by his father, a guitarist, he started playing guitar at age seven, despite his mother's initial resistance. The life in Spain exposed Alejandro to flamenco, but its strict teachings led him to pursue pop music with flamenco undertones instead. Alejandro found flamenco's rigorous demands daunting yet educational, shaping his musical direction away from its traditional roots towards a broader audience-friendly style.

As a teenager, Alejandro performed locally and met Miguel Ángel Arenas, a music executive who helped him secure a record deal with Hispavox. His debut album, "Los Chulos Son Pa' Cuidarlos," released in 1989 under the name Alejandro Magno, blended techno and flamenco genres. The album is now considered to be a collector's item. Alejandro briefly promoted it in strip clubs before taking a break from music to study business administration and work at a recording studio.

Alejandro Sanz spent two years in Milan, Italy working on a follow-up to "3". For the album, he aimed to fuse various musical styles, learning saxophone and piano alongside guitar. In 1997, he released his fifth studio album, "Más", featuring flamenco-inspired ballads and tropical rhythms. It included hits like "Corazón Partío", "Y, ¿Si Fuera Ella?", and "Amiga Mía", selling over two million copies in Spain.

In 2002, Alejandro recorded MTV Unplugged at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, USA. He became the first Spanish artist to release an MTV Unplugged album, which he described as a transformative experience in his approach to performing and recording music with live musicians.

In 2005, Alejandro Sanz collaborated with Shakira on "La Tortura," a song he co-wrote that became a global hit. The track set a record for the most weeks at number one on the Hot Latin Songs chart. This widened Alejandro's audience and built anticipation for his next album, "El Tren de los Momentos." The album's first single, "A la Primera Persona," marked his debut on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 100. It also featured guest appearances by Shakira, Juanes, Alex González, and others.

In 2013, Alejandro got an honorary music doctorate from Berklee College. He called it a big honor from a top music school. In 2015, he released his album "Sirope" with a mix of flamenco and R&B. The album's lead song "A Que No Me Dejas" was used in a soap opera. In 2017, he was named Person of the Year by the Latin Recording Academy.

Besides his huge success in the music industry, the singer had some problems in his personal life. Alejandro married Jaydy Michel in Bali, Indonesia in 99, but their marriage wasn't legally recognized. He believed their commitment didn't require official validation: "She's my wife, and I'm her husband." They had a daughter, Manuela, in 2001, and separated in 2005. Alejandro later had a son named Alexander with Valeria Rivera.

In 2012, he married Raquel Perera in a small ceremony in Barcelona, and they had two children: Dylan, born in 2011, and Alma, born in 2014. They separated in 2019. Besides music, Sanz enjoys painting, which influences his songwriting. He's vocal about supporting efforts against violence towards women and expressed solidarity by wearing makeup in 2016.