Born on November 11th: Luz Casal, light of Spanish music

María Luz Casal Paz, her full name for civil status, was born in Boimorto (Galicia) in 1958.

Born into a modest family, Luz Casal grew up in the Asturias region and discovered music at a very young age. She quickly moved between piano, dance, and the essential solfège lessons. She lent her voice to a handful of local rock bands before moving to Madrid in the late 1970s to try her luck. After a few singles, notably "La Guipa" in 1977, she landed her first contract with Hispanovox, the most respected Iberian label.

Her first albums, "Luz" (1982) and "Los Ojos del Gato" (1984), allowed her to gradually build an enviable reputation in her native country. Tracks like "Loca," "Te dejé marchar," and "No me importa nada" even became classics of popular music. This last song, for example, was chosen by director Pedro Almodóvar for the soundtrack of the film "High Heels" in 1991. It was in this way that the singer exported her repertoire beyond the Pyrenees, first to France, then throughout Europe, and subsequently to Latin America.

Luz Casal thus blends pop, mellow rock, and Latin influences. She also readily adapts some essential standards of late 20th-century French song, such as "Duel au soleil" by Étienne Daho or "Jardin d'hiver" by Henri Salvador. In 2017, without hesitation, she even tackled the repertoire of an icon, Dalida. Under the title "A mi manera" (2017), she selected sixteen songs that particularly moved her. Her latest solo album, "La Vantanas de mi Alma," was released in 2023.

En concert:

January 10, 2026: Le Grand Rex - Paris (France)

April 9, 2026: Orchestre National - Lyon (France)

June 27, 2026: De Roma - Antwerp (Belgium)

(MH with Stéphane Soupart - Photo : © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Luz Casal on stage at the Cirque Royal in Brussels (Belgium) on September 13, 2024