Rosendo
Who is Rosendo?
Rosendo Mercado Ruiz, known artistically as Rosendo, is a rock singer and guitarist born in Madrid on February 23, 1954, and raised in the Carabanchel district. He trained as an engineer before devoting himself fully to music, and from the mid-1970s became one of the most influential guitarists in Spanish urban rock, shaped by British and American bands such as Rory Gallagher, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath.
Career
In 1977 he founded Leño, a band in which, alongside the guitar, he also took on lead vocals, together with Chiqui Mariscal and Ramiro Peñas. The group released its self-titled album in 1979, followed by “Más madera” (1980) and “En vivo” (1981), an album that includes “Maneras de vivir,” one of the most iconic songs in Spanish rock. Leño broke up in 1983, at the height of its success, after taking part in the “Rock de una noche de verano” tour organised by Miguel Ríos.
Rosendo then launched his solo career with “Loco por incordiar” (1985), his most commercially successful record, followed by albums such as “A las lombrices” (1987) and “Jugar al gua” (1988). In the 1990s he signed with the DRO label, releasing albums such as “La tortuga” (1992) and “Para mal o para bien” (1994). In 2006 he received the Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts, and in 2010 his album “A veces cuesta llegar al estribillo” won Best Rock Album of the year.
Notable discography
Among his best-known songs are “Maneras de vivir,” “Agradecido,” “Flores en la azotea” and “Madre,” anthems that defined much of the sound of Spanish urban rock from the late 1970s to today. In 2008, together with Barricada and Aurora Beltrán, he embarked on the “Otra noche sin dormir” tour, which crossed Spain for months and ended at the Las Ventas bullring in Madrid.
Legacy
With more than four decades of career spanning Leño and his solo work, Rosendo is regarded as one of the essential figures of Spanish rock, admired both for his guitar playing and for lyrics that are direct and deeply tied to life in Madrid’s working-class neighbourhoods.