After almost five decades of infatuating the Hispanic world with his anthems, José Luis Perales wants to leave the stage and pursue the joys of life. Of course in a conversation with Efe in Buenos Aires, in which he defends reggaeton and divests of his eternal fearswarns the prolific Spanish artist: “As long as there are stories to be told, I’m in”.
“When the muses come and blow a new song in my ear, of course I listen to them. And when that happens, there has to be a record. But what I don’t think you can never say, ‘I won’t drink this water’, it’s those long concerts and tours again,” says the author of timeless songs like “And how is he” and “A sailboat called Freedom”.
Father of two adult children and grandfather of four grandchildren, Perales (Castejón, Cuenca, 1945), who, in addition to his successful singing career, can look back on a long career as a singer Composer of “Hits” for Raphael, Isabel Pantoja, Rocío Jurado or MocedadesHe believes that his present is to continue enjoying his “passion”, music, but otherwise to write in peace on the piece of land he loves so much.
“As a child, it influenced me a lot. I used to go there to pick cherries as a kid, and when I come back there I listen to the birds saying, ‘Let’s see what happens today, let’s see what you’re going to write about today,'” he says.
ETERNAL FEARS
Immersed in the tour “Farewell Ballads”which takes him to Argentina, Chile and Uruguay on his last stretch after crossing the United States, says goodbye to the stage – the last concert will be in Montevideo on April 24th – with the faculties intact –“strangely enough, after so many years, I sing much better”he assures – and with more applause than ever.
“I want to finish the way I started, but with fewer fears. And right now I’m only afraid of tomorrow when I’m singing because you don’t think my fears have gone away.”
Fear of failure that has persisted since the early 1970s as a master craftsman student who loved to compose songs, Producer Rafael Trabucchelli changed his life when it encouraged him to sing and not just write.
“He sort of discovers me when I show him a song for Jeanette, that “Because you’re leaving” (the most covered song of his career). And when he hears it, he says to me, ‘And why don’t you sing?’” he recalls.
But fate prompted this author, who did not want to become a singer, to release his first album in 1973, which was also included “Jealousy of My Guitar”.
“It exploded quickly, and that was first here in Argentina. Two or three weeks later, the company calls me and tells me that I have to pick up the gold record,” he recalls.
Of that first trip to Latin America, which he remembers fondly – Buenos Aires was lined with his photos – he left behind anecdotes such as his own flight to avoid meeting journalists: “I was looking for an excuse not to go there It’s really unbelievable what fears I had”.
“CONTANT” OF STORIES
The ‘Let the Children Sing’ composer has loved music since he was a child and tells of how his mother was a ‘true fan’ of his. “And when she heard me songs that I had sung and written, she said to me, ‘Oh my son, what a pity nobody knows her!'” he laughs.
With Latin America already surrendering at his feet, leaving his family for months to tour never did him any good. Until years ago, when he returned one day, a gesture from María, his little daughter, made him say stop and split his trips: “When I wanted to kiss him, he didn’t know me, and from that moment on me said ‘not that'”.
For him, writing lyrics that are felt by the singers for whom he composes is the true success of his profession. Even the Jurado wondered how he knew her so well. “Look, Rocío, because I studied with the Salesians in Seville for seven years and see if I know the Andalusian character. And what are you? Well, you are Andalusia,” he recalls.
“In what I’ve written for others, I at least try to imagine the singer singing it, I’ll even tell you a secret: I imitated her to see how you would do it,” he admits.
Always accompanied by his son Pablo, who has followed in his footsteps and dedicated himself to music production, Perales, who has even published novels in recent years, defines himself as a “storyteller”, an observer of things on the road and of people’s lives .
Although today, for example, he rules out writing reggaeton. “Because I don’t know how to do it for anything else,” he emphasizes, a style of music that “boys invented and have the right to sing and enjoy and make a living from because there are many.” and that has to be respected”.