Mecano | |
---|---|
Origin | Madrid, Spain |
Genres | Synthpop New Wave Pop rock |
Years active | 1981–1992, 1998, 2012 |
Labels | CBS, Sony BMG |
Past members | |
Ana Torroja Nacho Cano José María Cano |
Mecano was a 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 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, rumba, bolero, paso doble, flamenco, bossanova, tango, dance and even reggae. They were considered by some to be avant-garde for their time.[1]
Mecano is still the best-selling Spanish band to this date, reaching over 25 million albums worldwide[2] . 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.
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The band started as a synth-pop ensemble (tecno pop in Spanish) by brothers Nacho and José María Cano, along with singer Ana Torroja, in 1981 in Madrid. In a period of cultural experimentation in the newly 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, self-titled 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 TVE selected another 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 («Une femme avec une femme»), English and Italian, giving Mecano their first truly global hit.
Aidalai (nonsense word meaning, "Oh, 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 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.[3] Other media such as the newspaper El País, confirmed the news and the world tour.[4]
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].
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.
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 pop 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 Rican 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 ("Πέφτει το φεγγάρι" - "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 German symphonic metal band Haggard made a cover for "Hijo de la Luna".
The Finnish symphonic metal band Katra made a cover in Finnish of "Hijo de la Luna" as "Kuunpoika" in their 2008 album Beast Within.
The 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.
Mecano was a pop music band from Madrid, Spain formed by Ana Torroja, Nacho Cano and José María Cano.
Mecano may also refer to:
"Mecano" is the debut album recorded by Spanish synthpop band Mecano in 1982. The album is better known in popular slang as the clock album due to the large clock that appears on the cover. The album produced the hits "Hoy No Me Puedo Levantar", "Me Cole En Una Fiesta", "Perdido En Mi Habitacion" and "Maquillaje". "Quiero Vivir En La Ciudad" is a bonus track which is featured in the 2005 re-issue.
Maquillaje has later been recorded by many singers and bands, among them:
The European Space Agency (ESA) is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, with 22 member states. Established in 1975 and headquartered in Paris, France, ESA has a staff of more than 2,000 with an annual budget of about €4.28 billion / US$5.51 billion (2013).
ESA's space flight programme includes human spaceflight, mainly through the participation in the International Space Station programme, the launch and operations of unmanned exploration missions to other planets and the Moon, Earth observation, science, telecommunication as well as maintaining a major spaceport, the Guiana Space Centre at Kourou, French Guiana, and designing launch vehicles. The main European launch vehicle Ariane 5 is operated through Arianespace with ESA sharing in the costs of launching and further developing this launch vehicle.
Its facilities are distributed among the following 5 research centres:
9950 ESA is an Amor asteroid. It orbits the Sun once every 3.81 years.
Discovered on November 8, 1990 by C. Pollas it was given the provisional designation "1990 VB". It was later renamed "ESA" after the European Space Agency.
The European System of Accounts (ESA) is the system of national accounts and regional accounts used by members of the European Union. It was most recently updated in 2010 (ESA 2010).
The ESA 95 is fully consistent with the United Nations System of National Accounts (1993 SNA) in definitions, accounting rules and classifications. However, it incorporates certain differences, particularly in its presentation, that are more in line with use within the European Union. The ESA 95 is undergoing a revision to meet the requirements of the update of the SNA 1993 launched in 2003 under the auspices of the United Nations.
LAS may stand for:
Las may refer to: