Raphael
Who is Raphael?
Rafael Miguel Martos Sánchez, known artistically as Raphael, was born in Linares (Jaén) on May 5, 1945, into a humble family: his father was a construction rebar worker, and his mother, Rafaela, sang with a very special voice that left its mark on him as a child. When he was only nine months old, the family moved to Madrid, where he grew up nicknamed “Falín.”
His talent showed early: at five he became lead voice in the choir of the Capuchin Fathers’ school of San Antonio in Madrid, and at nine he took part in a festival in Salzburg, Austria, where he was recognized as a child prodigy and won the prize for best child voice in Europe. Shortly after, he began training at the Francisco Gordillo Music Academy, with the family that would prove key to launching his artistic career.
Career
At seventeen he won several prizes at the 4th Spanish Song Festival of Benidorm, including best performer. After a brief stint with the French label Barclay, he signed exclusively with Hispavox, the label with which he truly took off. It was at this point that he adopted the stage name Raphael, adding the “ph” as a tribute to his first record contract.
In 1966 he released his first film as a lead actor, “Cuando tú no estás,” directed by Mario Camus, followed by several more with notable international success. That same year he launched, at Madrid’s Teatro de la Zarzuela, his signature solo recital format — sessions lasting more than two hours in which he gave himself entirely to the audience, a personal trademark he kept throughout his career. He represented Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1966 and 1967 with “Yo soy aquel” and “Hablemos del amor,” finishing seventh and sixth respectively, which boosted his international launch. On October 25, 1970, he performed live on the legendary “Ed Sullivan Show” on US network CBS, singing in Spanish, French and Italian.
In 1972 he founded his own production company, and in the following years combined music with film and television, hosting his own shows such as “El mundo de Raphael” and his Christmas Eve specials, which became a television tradition. He married journalist and writer Natalia Figueroa, with whom he had three children: Jacobo, Alejandra and Manuel. Since 1985 he suffered from a liver condition, resolved in 2003 through a liver transplant, which made him a committed advocate for organ donation ever since. In 2006 he released the album “Cerca de ti,” which earned a gold record in Spain, and the following year he embarked on a world tour performing accompanied only by a piano.
Notable discography
With composer Manuel Alejandro he wrote some of his greatest hits, such as “Yo soy aquel,” “Digan lo que digan,” “Mi gran noche” and “Cierro los ojos.” These sit alongside classics like “Te voy a contar mi vida,” “Llevan,” “Qué sabe nadie” and the Mexican-origin song “Llorona.” In 1984 he recorded compositions by José Luis Perales such as “Ámame,” and later, during his time at CBS Columbia (now Sony Music), he worked with composer Roberto Livi.
Recognition
In 1982 Hispavox awarded him the rare “Uranium Disc” for surpassing 50 million records sold, a figure that has since translated into more than 300 gold records and dozens of platinum records worldwide. In his hometown of Linares, a house-museum was inaugurated dedicated to his artistic career — an unusual honor for an artist still active.