Sílvia Pérez Cruz (born in Palafrugell, 15 February 1983) is a Spanish singer and composer. In 2012, she recorded her first solo album, 11 de Novembre, which was nominated for album of the year in both Spain and France. A song performed by her, "No te puedo encontrar", received a Goya Award for Best Original Song for 2012. In 2014, she released her album Granada. Both releases have been in collaboration with Raül Fernández Miró. She received another Goya Award for best original song, for the song "Ai, ai, ai", composed and performed by her, for the film At Your Doorstep (2016). In 2022, the Spanish Government awarded her the "Premio Nacional de la Músicas Actuales" ("National Prize for contemporary music"). In her latest album, Toda la vida, un día (2023), Cruz "recreated her whole life in a single album, embarking on what would become a year-long work recorded in Barcelona, Pontós, Madrid, Jerez, Buenos Aires, Coatepec and Havana." On July 1, 2024, she performed on NPR's "Tiny Desk Concert."
Background Cruz's parents were both singers who sang together. Her mother, Glòria Cruz i Torrellas, taught her to play the saxophone and piano as well as how to dance and sculpt. Her father, Càstor Pérez Diz, was a self-taught guitarist. She has a daughter, Lola.
She went to Catalonia College of Music in Barcelona, where she received classical training studying the piano and saxophone and receiving a degree in vocal jazz. While she was at Catalonia College of Music, she and three other women founded a flamenco group called Las Migas. They combined their different musical approaches to create a new type of flamenco. It was not long after this that she became well known in the Spanish music scene.
Cruz told NPR that a song must have a story. She believes that her view of songs as stories comes from her mother who was a singer and storyteller. Her mother, she said, also viewed songs as stories.
11 de Novembre In 2012, Cruz released her album 11 de Novembre with Raül Refree. She met Miró in 2006 and they toured together in Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil. Miró was both guitarist and producer for the album. Their songs have been described as a blend of music genres including Fado, jazz improvisation, and flamenco. Cruz won a Goya Award, Spain's most prestigious film award, for best original song "No Te Puedo Encontrar" in the film Blancanieves. The album received a Gold Award disc.
Granada In 2014, Cruz released her second album Granada, again collaborating with Raül Refree. It reflects Cruz's practice of singing in multiple languages: French, German, English, and four Iberian languages. Included on the album is the song "El Cant Dells Ocells," a Catalan folk song previously made famous by Pablo Casals. Another song is "Gallo Rojo, Gallo Negro", a well-known song from the Spanish Civil War. Cruz first understood the story in the song when she was part of a concert honoring the remaining veterans of the International Brigades who fought against the Nationales in the civil war. Cruz told NPR that she saw tears in the veterans' eyes when they sang the song in their own language. She said, "These people have lived through so much. It's good that I can sing and help them remember." As journalist Betto Arcos concluded, this example illustrates how Cruz comes to understand the stories in the songs she sings.
Discography YearTitleNotesRelease and special editionsAs member of other groups2005LlamaWith Ravid Goldschmidt2006Unas vocesAs member of Las Migas2007ImmigrasonsWith Ernesto Snajer y Raül FernándezReissued in 20152008We sing Bill EvansWith Joan Díaz Trío2010Un sordo s'ho escoltavaAs member of XalupaReinas del matuteAs member of Las Migas2011En la imaginaciónWith Javier Colina TríoReissued in 2016Rompiendo aguasAs member of Llama with Ravid GoldschmidtSolo201211 de novembreSpecial edition in 2012 and Portuguese release in 2013.2014GranadaWith Raül Fernández MiróSpecial edition in 2014 2016DomusOriginal soundtrack of At Your DoorstepSpecial edition in 20162017Vestida de nitWith string quintet2018JoiaDouble compilation album released only in Japan2020MA. Live in TokyoWith Marco Mezquida, recorded live in Blue NoteFarsa (género imposible)Compilations of themes composed for movies, theater and dance.2023Toda la vida, un día2026Oral_Abisal
Awards and nominations AwardYear Category Nominated work Result Ref. Feroz Awards 2017 Best Original Score At Your Doorstep Gaudí Awards 2017 Best Actress Best Original Score Goya Awards 2017 Best New Actress Best Original Song "Ai, Ai, Ai" Latin Grammy Awards 2024 Song of the Year "313" Best Short Form Music Video Premios de la Academia de Música 2024 Artist of the Year Herself Album of the Year Toda la Vida, un Día Best Singer-Songwriter Album Best Recording Package Best Music Video "Toda la Vida, un Día" Best Catalan/Valencian/Aranese Song "Ell no vol que el món s'acabi" Premios Max 2018 Best Musical Composition for Stage Performance Grito Pelao
References
External links
Silvia Perez Cruz on Myspace Silvia Perez Cruz on Facebook