Rosa López
Who is Rosa López?
Rosa María López Cortés was born on January 14, 1981, in Peñuelas (Granada), though her family came from Armilla. The daughter of Eduardo López and Francisca Cortés, she has three brothers. She started singing at 14 at weddings, baptisms, communions and village festivals around the province of Granada, accompanied by her younger brother on piano and her father driving the family van. She was part of several bands before forming Trío Roxa, her first serious steps in music alongside Pedro Molina.
Career
Her life changed on October 22, 2001, when, at age 20, she became one of sixteen contestants on the first season of “Operación Triunfo.” She won the competition on February 11, 2002, with 26.6% of the votes, in a final watched by more than 10.6 million viewers. The public then chose her to represent Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest, held in Tallinn, Estonia, on May 22, 2002, where she placed seventh with 81 points.
On April 25, 2002, she released her debut album, “Rosa,” a Latin pop record featuring songs by composers such as Armando Manzanero, Inma Serrano and José Luis Perales, plus a duet with Manu Tenorio, “La apuesta,” which reached number one. The album sold over 500,000 copies. After a first tour of 53 concerts, she released “Ahora” (2003), in a dance-pop style, whose single “La esencia de tu voz” also topped the charts. “Ojalá,” her third album, a Christmas-themed record, followed in 2004, and after a sabbatical year, “Me siento viva” arrived in 2006, marking a notable image change. In 2008 she released “Promesas,” her fifth studio album, on which she turned toward rock and ballads.
Notable discography
Besides her own albums, Rosa López recorded songs for film soundtracks, including “Buscando a Emma,” and took part in “Rosa en concierto,” recorded live at Barcelona’s Auditori in 2004. Her repertoire blends the Latin pop of her early years with covers and influences from international artists such as Michael Bolton and Whitesnake.