Manuel Carrasco
Who is Manuel Carrasco?
Manuel Carrasco Galloso (Isla Cristina, Huelva, January 15, 1981) is a Spanish singer-songwriter with flamenco roots. The fourth of five siblings, he grew up in the fishing neighborhood of Punta del Caimán, close to the harbor, in a modest family deeply tied to the sea: his father spent long stretches at sea and was known around town as “el canario” and “el cantaor.” After finishing compulsory schooling he tried several trades, including waiting tables, before finding his calling as a house painter, a job he held for several years before devoting himself fully to music.
Career
His breakthrough came after reaching the final of the second season of “Operación Triunfo” in Spain. Shortly after, he represented Spain at the II Festival Mundial de la Canción, held at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he took first prize with his own composition “Dibujar tu olvido.” His album “Tercera parada” sold more than 50,000 copies and earned a gold record.
The most memorable moment of his career came with his fifth studio album, “Habla”: the record sold more than 30,000 copies in a single day in Spain, reaching gold-record status in barely 24 hours and becoming the best-selling album on iTunes, ahead of international releases of the time — a feat only a handful of artists, such as Amaral, had managed in their first week of sales.
Notable discography
Among his best-known songs are “Dibujar tu olvido,” “Buscando en las calles,” “Me sabe a poco” and “Montañas de sal,” the latter dedicated to his parents and to the longing for his homeland he feels while touring far from Isla Cristina.