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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Mecano| image =| caption =| image_size = | background = group_or_band| alias =| origin = Madrid , Spain | genre = Synthpop New Wave music|New Wave Pop rock | years_active = 1981–1992, 1998, 2012| label = Columbia Records|CBS , Sony BMG | associated_acts =| website =| past_members = Ana Torroja Nacho Cano José María Cano Mecano was a Spain|Spanish pop band formed in the early 1980s, active until 1992, and which had a brief comeback in 1998.
The band's lineup was singer Ana Torroja and brothers Nacho Cano|Nacho and José María Cano , who worked alongside session musicians such as Arturo Terriza, Manolo Aguilar, Nacho Mañó, Javier Quílez, Ángel Celada and Óscar Astruga.
The trio's musical career spanned two distinct stages. The first, up to 1985, was essentially as a synthpop band; while on the second stage Mecano followed a more acoustic pop rock direction, with elements of ballad , salsa music|salsa , rumba , bolero , paso doble , flamenco , bossanova , tango (dance)|tango , dance and even reggae . They were considered by some to be avant-garde for their time.cite web|title=Billboard|url= http://www.billboard.com/artist/mecano/bio/25016#/artist/mecano/bio/25016|accessdate=15 May 2012
Mecano is still the best-selling Spanish band to this date, reaching over 25 million albums worldwidecite web|title=Grupo Mecano|url= http://www.grupomecano.com/historia.php|accessdate=15 May 2012 . The unprecedented success also hit Latin America . Also, thanks to adaptations to other languages ??of several of their songs, they had an impact on non-Spanish speaking countries such as Italy and France , as with their «Une femme avec une femme» . That foreign song remains to this date the one which has been for the most weeks has been at the top of the French charts.
History
The band started as a synth-pop ensemble ( tecno pop in Spanish) by brothers Nacho Cano|Nacho and José María Cano , along with singer Ana Torroja , in 1981 in Madrid . In a period of cultural experimentation in the newly Modern Spain|democratic Spain , Mecano achieved its initial popularity with their debut single, «Hoy no me puedo levantar» (''«I Can't Get Up Today» ), a song about youth boredom and hangovers . Their first, List of eponymous albums|self-titled Mecano (album)|album became a collection of classics that would later represent Spanish 1980s pop music.
At the same time, Nacho Cano branched out into producing other bands, and both brothers started writing songs for other pop up-and-comers. Although those secondary acts wouldn't achieve the level of success Mecano gained, they turned out to be new testing grounds for Mecano.
Having achieved another huge hit in 1986 with «Me cuesta tanto olvidarte» (''«It's So Hard to Forget You» ), the band reformed its musical approach with the album Entre el cielo y el suelo ( Between Heaven and Earth ). Their new style emphasized pop over techno. It also facilitated the export of their music to Latin America. This new versatility was evidenced by « Hijo de la Luna » ( «Son of the Moon» ). This song was also submitted by the band as a potential Eurovision Song Contest contestant that year, but Televisión Española|TVE selected another band, Cadillac (band)|Cadillac .
Their follow-up album, Descanso dominical ( Sunday Rest ), produced two of their most popular singles: «La fuerza del destino» ( «The force of fate» ) and «Mujer contra mujer» ( «Woman against woman» ). The latter is about a lesbian relationship, seen through the eyes of a friend, who only later realizes what is going on. It was recorded in French language|French ( « Une femme avec une femme » ), English language|English and Italian language|Italian , giving Mecano their first truly global hit.
Aidalai ( nonsense word meaning, "Oh, Tenzing Gyatso|Dalai (Lama) "), their following album, was published in 1991 and was as successful as their previous two works. In 1993 the band announced a "temporary hiatus" .
The songs La fuerza del destino and «El 7 de septiembre» ( «September 7» ) were dedicated to Coloma Fernández Armero, who was Nacho Cano's girlfriend for several years. Actress Penélope Cruz debuted in the video clip for La fuerza del destino . She later had a relationship with Nacho Cano for several years.
In 1998 the band released the album Ana, Jose, Nacho , which mixed new songs with greatest hits. The band separated later that year and all three members went on to have solo careers, though only Ana found success as a singer. In 2005 keyboardist Nacho Cano wrote a musical based on 32 Mecano songs, named after their first single.
In 2005, the members of Mecano released a double-CD/DVD package commemorating the 25th anniversary of the creation of the band. The new CD/DVD, Mecanografia (Mecano-graphy), includes a compilation of all their singles, never-before released songs, and a DVD with videos and early concert appearances.
The Cano brothers were innovative musicians in the use of technology, and Nacho was one of the first Spanish musicians to own a Fairlight keyboard. (Its screen can be seen in the back cover of their only live album). Jose Maria also commented that he often locked at himself in a room with a dictionary and books to write his songs, while Nacho has said that to compose he started off with a rhythm machine, then added the melody, and the lyrics came in last.
In November 2009 the band reunited with a new song to be released later that month.
On November 25, 2011 the journalist José Antonio Abellán announces their reunion in ABC Punto Radio for a world tour in 2012.cite web |url= http://www.abc.es/20111124/cultura-musica/abci-vuelve-mecano-201111242334.html|title= Vuelve Mecano Other media such as the newspaper El País , confirmed the news and the world tour.cite web|title=Mecano regresa con una gira mundial la próxima primavera|url= http://www.elpais.com/articulo/cultura/Mecano/regresa/gira/mundial/proxima/primavera/elpepucul/20111125elpepucul_1/Tes|accessdate=25 November 2011|author=www.elpais.com|date=25 November 2011
Discography
Main|Mecano discography
Albums
1982: Mecano (album)|Mecano
1983: Donde esta el pais de las hadas? |¿Dónde Está El País De Las Hadas? ( Where is fairyland? )
1984: Ya Viene el Sol ( Here comes the sun )
1985: Mecano: En Concierto ( Mecano Live )
1986: Lo Último de Mecano (''Mecano's latest ) (Un-official album released by Columbia Records|CBS Records . Album with four unreleased studio songs: three from 1982 and one from 1984; and four live ones from the Tour at "Frontón De Segovia" in 1985)
1986: Greenpeace, Salvemos Al Mediterráneo (album)|Greenpeace, Salvemos Al Mediterráneo (''Greenpeace, Let's Save the Mediterranean Sea ) (Unofficial album released by RCA - Ariola . Only one song by Mecano: "Canción cortita para antes que nos abandone el mar" ( Short Song for time before the Sea Abandons Us'') - just 57 seconds' runtime.)
1986: Entre el cielo y el suelo ( Between the Heaven and Earth ) ( Spain edition, 12 songs)
1986: Entre el cielo y el suelo ( USA & Latin-America|Latin American edition, 10 songs)
1986: Entre el cielo y el suelo ( France|French edition, 14 songs)
1989: Descanso Dominical#Italy edition|Figlio Della Luna ( Italy|Italian edition, 9 songs in Italian + 1 instrumental)
1990: Descanso Dominical#France edition|Descanso Dominical (French edition, 1 song in French + 11 songs in Spanish)
1991: Aidalai (Edition in Spanish, 12 songs + 1 instrumental)
1991: Aidalai#Italy Edition|Aidalai (Italy edition, 6 songs in Italian language|Italian )
1991: Aidalai#France Edition|Aidalai (France edition, 7 songs in French language|French ).
1998: Ana Jose Nacho|Ana/Jose/Nacho (Compilation double-album in Spanish: 6 "new" songs + 1 New Version + 23 old hits)
1998: Ana Jose Nacho#French edition|Ana/Jose/Nacho (French edition, compilation unique-disc: 3 new songs in French + some of 7 "new" songs in Spanish and old songs in French)
Other releases
Mecano: Obras Completas - 2005 (collection, released in a limited and numbered edition. The CD s inside the box are in digipack format. The box contains 8 original-CDs of their official discography in Spanish, yet it doesn't include albums in Italian or French. The box contains: 6 studio-albums + 1 live-album + 1 "CD Bonus" with previously unreleased songs)
Tripack: Mecano: Grandes Éxitos - 2005 (a pack in the shape of 3- gatefold that contains 2 audio-CDs (15 songs each one, Single (music)|single s and non-singles) + 1 DVD with 20 official videoclips)
Digipack: Mecanografía (La Historia En Imágenes) - 2006 (Luxury digipack with 4 DVDs, it contains presentations of Mecano in Televisión Española (TVE) + extra unpublished songs)
Mecano contributed the song "Canción Cortita Para Antes que Nos Abandone el Mar" to the compilation album "Greenpeace, Salvemos al Mediterráneo" (1985).
Foreign language recordings
Mecano recorded some of their songs in English, one of which was released as a single: "The Uninvited Guest", which is the English version of "Me Colé en una Fiesta" ("I crashed a party"). Other songs recorded in English by Mecano are: Hawaii-Bombay and You , but these were never published on official discs.
Mecano also recorded many of their songs in Italian, such as: Figlio Della Luna (Hijo De La Luna), Croce Di Lame Cruz de Navajas ("Cross of Knives"), Un Anno Di Più Un Año Más ("One More Year (is gone)"), Uno Di Quegli Amanti Los Amantes ("The Lovers"), Per Lei Contro Di Lei Mujer Contra Mujer, Il Cinema El Cine, Vado A Nuova York No Hay Marcha En Nueva York ("Though Luck in New York"), Fermati A Madrid Quédate En Madrid ("Stay in Madrid"), Mi Costa Tanto di Scordarti Me Cuesta Tanto Olvidarte, Responso Positivo El Fallo Positivo ("Positive Sentence"), Anna e Miguel Naturaleza Muerta ("Still Life"), Una Rosa e Una Rosa Una Rosa es Una Rosa ("A Rose is a Rose"), Tu ("You") (Italian version), "Dalai Lama" (Italian version), Il 7 Di Settembre El 7 De Septiembre and "La Forza Del Destino" La Fuerza del Destino.
Mecano recorded some songs in French including: Une Femme Avec Une Femme Mujer Contra Mujer, ''Dis-Moi Lune D'Argent Hijo De La Luna, "Une Histoire À Trois" El Uno, El Dos, El Tres ("The One, The Two, and The Three"), Nature Morte Naturaleza Muerta, Le Paradis Artificiel El Lago Artificial ("The Artificial Lake"), Toi Tú, "J.C." (French version) and "Le 7 Septembre" El 7 de Septiembre.
Unreleased Songs
Some unreleased Mecano songs are Me Non Parle Vous Français ("I Don't Speak French"), Me he declarado en guerra ("I've Declared Myself At War"), Cristóbal Colón ("Christopher Columbus"), El Caballo de Espartero ("The Weaver's Horse"), Solo ("Alone"), Lía , El Pez ("The Fish"), El Romance de la Niña María Luz ("The Romance of the Girl María Luz"), Arlequín ("Harlequin"), Al Alba ("At Dawn"), ¿Qué Haces Tú en el Mundo? ("What Do you Do in the World? "), among others.
Covers by other artists
Due to the popularity of their songs, Mecano has been covered by other artists in the Spanish-speaking as well as in the non-Spanish-speaking world. Songs from Entre el cielo y el suelo have been covered by Montserrat Caballé and Celia Cruz . Also, the unpublished song Lía was sung by Ana Belén . The Euro-dance-band Loona covered the song "Hijo de la luna" in 1998 and achieved a major hit with it. Laura Branigan recorded a version of "Mujer Contra Mujer" on her 1993 album Over My Heart . In 2008, Mexican singer Daniela Romo included the song in her album, Sueños de Cabaret.
In 2004, Mexican people|Mexican pop singer Fey (singer)|Fey recorded the album La Fuerza Del Destino , an album consisting of 12 Mecano covers. This album was nominated for the Latin Grammy Awards in 2005. Costa Rica n Latin grammy winners, Editus covered the song "Hijo De La Luna" in their album Siempre... .
Non-Spanish covers include Sarah Brightman , who sang the songs "Tú", "Hijo de la luna", "Naturaleza Muerta". Mario Frangoulis covered "Hijo de la luna" and "Naturaleza Muerta." The Belgian-Spanish Belle Perez did the same. Greek singer Eleni Dimou covered "Hijo de la luna" translating it in Greek ("??fte? t? fe?????" - "Moon is falling").
The Spanish heavy metal band Stravaganzza covered the song "Hijo de la luna" in their most recent studio work: an EP called Hijo del Miedo (Son of Fear).
Recently the crossover soprano Geraldine Larrosa covered a French/Spanish version of "Naturaleza Muerta".
In their 2008 album, Tales of Ithiria , the Germany|German symphonic metal band Haggard (band)|Haggard made a cover for "Hijo de la Luna".
The Finland|Finnish symphonic metal band Katra (band)|Katra made a cover in Finnish of "Hijo de la Luna" as "Kuunpoika" in their 2008 album Beast Within .
The Italy|Italian extreme gothic metal band Theatres des Vampires made a cover of "Hijo de la Luna" in their 2011 album Moonlight Waltz .
In 2009 the Mexican singer Gloria Trevi , sang a live cover of the song "Hijo de la Luna" on the Mexican television show, El Show de los Sueños .
Bibliography of Mecano
# Book: " Mecano: La explosión del pop español (book)|Mecano: La Explosión Del Pop Español ", Author: Joan Singla , editions: "Martínez Roca", 144 pages, 20 × 13& nbsp;cm., ISBN 84-270-0871-6. # Book: " Mecano, el libro (book)|Mecano (El Libro) ", several authors, editions: "Luca", 128 pages, 24 × 20& nbsp;cm., ISBN : 84-87491-05-7. Includes a CD -PROMO with two Sound recording and reproduction|Audio -tracks, "track 1" sung in Italian; "track 2" sung in French. Date of publication: August 1, 1992. # Book: " Mecano: La fuerza del destino (book)|Mecano: La Fuerza Del Destino ", authors: Carlos Del Amo and Javier Adrados http://www.popadrados.com/ PopAdrados, publishing house(editorial): "La Esfera De Los Libros", edition: 1st: 436 pages, ISBN 84-9734-177-5. Date of publication: April 20, 2004.
References
reflist
External links
http://www.zonamecano.com Zona Mecano Official site
http://mecanohi.hi5.com Mecanohi Official hi5 site
http://www.anatorroja.info Ana Torroja Official Ana Torroja site
Category:Spanish musical groups Category:Spanish pop music groups
