1 year ago

1966 - Spain
Performed by: Raphael
Music by: Manuel Alejandro
Lyrics by: Manuel Alejandro
Conductor: Rafael de Ibarbia Serra
Language: Spanish
Placing: 7th (9 points)
Other versions: French

The beginning of the song is cut due to Youtube's copyright policy. The entire song is here:

Miguel Rafael Martos Sánchez is one of the most successful Spanish singers in the world, having sold more than 70 million records worldwide in 7 languages. Currently he is considered one of the most active singers of the so-called "divos of the romantic ballad" touring throughout America and Europe, transmitting for 60 years of artistic career, a repertoire full of novelty, for which his oldest songs are being recorded again, thus remastering with modern sounds closer to today's youth.

His first singles were "Te voy a contar mi vida" and "A pesar de todo", among others. Raphael adopted his own peculiar singing style from the beginning; he is known for acting each one of his songs while on stage, emphasizing his gestures with high dramatic effect. It is not unusual for Raphael to ad lib lyrics as to localize a song depending on the venue he's singing at, wear Latin American peasant costumes and dance folk dances within a song, kicking and demolishing a mirror, or doing the moves of a flamenco dancer or a bullfighter onstage. He also possesses a wide vocal range, which he often used in the beginning of his career as to evoke a choirboy approach to some songs.

When he was nineteen, he won first, second and third awards at the famous Benidorm International Song Festival, Spain, in 1962 and 1963 with the songs: "Llevan", "Inmensidad" and "Tu Conciencia". Raphael represented Spain at the 1966 and 1967 Eurovision Song Contests singing "Yo soy aquél" in Luxembourg, and "Hablemos del amor" in Vienna, placing seventh and sixth, respectively. This marked Spain's strongest showing in the contest at the time, leaving the door open for victory the following year.
In 1975, Raphael began his own successful program on Spanish Television called El Mundo de Raphael, where he sang with international stars. He also had a radio program, where he and his wife spoke with and interviewed outstanding personalities, and he starred in soap operas, starting with the Mexican production Donde termina el camino, shown in the spring of 1978 and later in other countries like Peru and Chile.

In 1984 a parody of "Yo soy aquél" was used in a radio spot in Puerto Rico's gubernatorial race. Then-governor Carlos Romero Barceló used the parody (complete with a Raphael sound-alike) namely as a jab against opponent, Raphael's namesake, (and noted Spanophile), former governor Rafael Hernández Colón. Raphael was surprised by the unauthorized use of the music, but was highly amused by the reference.

Raphael took part in the 2000 Spanish version of the stage musical Jekyll & Hyde for seven months, with great success. He married aristocrat, journalist and writer Natalia Figueroa, in Venice (Italy) on 14 July 1972. They have three children: Jacobo, Alejandra and Manuel.

Raphael's health faced a major setback in 2003, when his liver started failing due to a latent bout with hepatitis B; he recovered successfully after a transplant. Since then he is an active organ donation promoter.

Lyrics:

Yo soy aquél

Yo soy aquél
Que cada noche te persigue
Yo soy aquél
Que por quererte ya no vive
El que te espera
El que te sueña
El que quisiera ser dueño de tu amor...
De tu amor

Yo soy aquél
Que por tenerte da la vida
Yo soy aquél
Que estando lejos, no te olvida
El que te espera
El que te sueña
Aquél que reza cada noche por tu amor

Y estoy aquí, aquí, para quererte
Estoy aquí, aquí, para adorarte
Yo estoy aquí, aquí, para decirte
Que como yo nadie te amó

Yo soy aquél
Que por tenerte da la vida
Yo soy aquél
Que estando lejos, no te olvida
El que te espera
El que te sueña
Aquél que reza cada noche por tu amor

Y estoy aquí, aquí, para quererte
Estoy aquí, aquí, para adorarte
Yo estoy aquí, aquí, para decirte
Amor, amor, amor, amor

ENGLISH:

I'm that one

I'm that one
Who chases after you every night
I'm that one
Who doesn't live anymore because he loves you
The one who waits for you
The one who dreams of you
The one who wants to be the owner of your love
Of your love

I'm that one
Who gives his life to have you
I'm that one
Who's far away and doesn't forget you
The one who waits for you
The one who dreams of you
That one who every night prays for your love

And I'm here, here, to love you
I'm here, here, to adore you
I'm here, here to tell you
That nobody loved you like I did

I'm that one
Who gives his life to have you
I'm that one
Who being far away doesn't forget you
The one who waits for you
The one who dreams of you
That one who every night prays for your love

And I'm here, here, to love you
I'm here, here, to adore you
I'm here, here to tell you
Love, love, love, love

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