Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro, better known as Alejandro Sanz (; born 18 December 1968), is a Spanish musician, singer and composer. He has won 24 Latin Grammy Awards and 4 Grammy Awards. He has received the Latin Grammy for Album of the Year three times. The singer is notable for his flamenco-influenced ballads, and has also experimented with several other genres including pop, rock, funk, R&B and jazz.
Born in Madrid to parents from Andalusia, Sanz began playing guitar at age 7 taking influence from his family's flamenco roots. Sanz released his debut album at age nineteen, although he did not gain commercial success in Spain until his second release, Viviendo Deprisa (1991). His next two records, Si Tú Me Miras (1993) and 3 (1995) also fared well commercially, but it was his 1997 breakthrough album Más that garnered international success. El Alma al Aire followed in 2000, selling more than a million copies in its first week. In 2002, he became the first Spanish artist to record an MTV Unplugged album.
His collaboration with Shakira on the 2005 single "La Tortura" reached number one on several charts worldwide. He experimented with more diverse styles of music with the albums No Es lo Mismo (2003) He grew up in the neighborhood of Moratalaz in eastern Madrid. Sanz recalled that "Back then, kids grew up on the street...I was a bit like the group troubadour; the one who played the guitar and sang. That kept me out of a lot of trouble." He pursued the instrument with an intensity that eventually frustrated his mother, who broke his guitar one morning after his playing kept the family from sleeping.
Recording career
1989–1996: First four albums
As a teenager, Sanz performed in various venues in his hometown. He became acquainted with Miguel Ángel Arenas, a music industry executive who had signed several popular Spanish groups such as Mecano. In 1993, he released Si Tú Me Miras shortly followed by a live album, titled Básico. That same year, he recorded a song entitled "Mi Primera Canción" with flamenco pioneer Paco de Lucía, whom Sanz idolized as a child. He released his third studio album since changing his stage name, 3, in 1995. In addition to Spanish, 3 was also released in Italian and Portuguese. "La Fuerza del Corazón", the first single released from 3, was his first song to chart internationally. It is considered to be Sanz' breakthrough song, and "changed the course" of the singer's career. For the album, he wished to create a "true fusion" of many different sounds, and began studying the saxophone and piano in addition to guitar. Driven by the singles "Corazón Partío", "Y, ¿Si Fuera Ella?", "Amiga Mía", "Aquello Que Me Diste", and "Siempre Es de Noche", Más sold more than two million copies in Spain and was certified 22× Platinum in the country, making it the best-selling album in Spanish history. The album remained on the Billboard Latin Albums chart for 74 weeks, and one year after the record's release, Sanz was granted an Ondas Award for Best Song for "Corazón Partío". According to David Cazares of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the album "made Sanz an international star on the strength of the pop-salsa hit 'Corazón Partío', a song on the lips of fans from Spain to Cuba and the United States."
His fifth album, El Alma al Aire, released 26 September 2000, featured Sanz exploring a wider array of musical genres, including jazz, R&B, soul and tango. At the 2001 Latin Grammy Awards, Sanz walked away with four awards: Best Pop Male Vocal Album and Album of the Year for El Alma al Aire, and Record of the Year and Song of the Year for the title track from the album. Later that year, El Alma al Aire was released in a special edition including Sanz's duets with Irish band The Corrs. In October 2001, Sanz collaborated with Michael Jackson and various other artists on the Spanish version of the charity single "What More Can I Give", which benefited the victims of the September 11 attacks.
In 2002, Sanz recorded MTV Unplugged at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida. For Sanz, the recording of the album "changed the way I do my music. It was a rediscovery of how to perform, and also how to record, music with live musicians. That was the spirit of the music in its pure form, though [it is ironic] that the more people who are playing, the more simple it is." At the 2002 Grammy Awards, Sanz performed "Quisiera Ser" as a duet with Destiny's Child, with both Spanish lyrics and English lyric adaptation "I'd Like To Be Your Laughter".
2003–2007: No Es lo Mismo and El Tren de los Momentos
On 2 September 2003, Sanz released his sixth studio album, No Es lo Mismo. On this record, Sanz took a more political approach than he had on previous releases. The song "Sandy a Orilla do Mundo" discusses oil spills on the Spanish coast, while "Labana" tells the story of people fleeing from Cuba on makeshift rafts. The album won four awards at the 2004 Latin Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year. Sanz was unable to attend the event and his awards were accepted by presenters and colleagues.
thumb|Alejandro Sanz performing in [[Managua, Nicaragua on 1 November 2007.]]
In 2005, Sanz collaborated with Shakira on her song "La Tortura". Co-written by Sanz, the song became an international hit, breaking the record for the most weeks at the number one spot on the Hot Latin Songs chart. The song exposed Sanz to a more diverse audience, and helped build anticipation for his next release. The record was also noted for its guest appearances, which featured Shakira, Juanes, Alex González of Maná, and Residente of Calle 13. He commented on the situation, saying "You have to put things in perspective. It was stress, something that had never affected me, but this time, yes, it did. So I had to pay. A doctor told me to stop for a couple of months to recuperate completely." Sanz further stated "If they gave me 3 million signatures to stop singing, I would stop singing immediately." Artists such as Shakira, Laura Pausini and Paulina Rubio also participated. He commented that "On this album, I first composed the melody and then the lyrics. It is more of a rock album than my past releases, with more elegant and positive lyrics and a happier and more rhythmic spirit." The bilingual single "Looking for Paradise" featuring Alicia Keys reached number one on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. At the 2010 Latin Grammy Awards, the album was nominated Album of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Album, while the single "Desde Cuándo" received both Record and Song of the Year nominations.
On 15 February 2011, Sanz announced that he would be signing with Universal Music Group after twenty years with Warner. In the same year, Sanz received the Latin Heritage Award by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) in recognition of his contributions to Latin music. On 2 September 2012, the singer unveiled the official artwork of his upcoming ninth studio album, La Música No Se Toca on his official site. Sanz released La Música No Se Toca, featuring the single "No Me Compares" and based on the opening theme song in the telenovela Amores Verdaderos, on 25 September 2012. On 21 August 2012, Sanz released his new single "Irrepetível (Me Sumerjo)", a duet with Brazilian singer-songwriter Ana Carolina. The song is a Portuguese-Spanish song and it's only available in Brazil's iTunes. On 17 September, he released the album's second single, "Se Vende". In 2013, Sanz was recognized as the Pop Male Artist of the Year and was the recipient of the Excellence Award at the 26th Lo Nuestro Awards for his achievements in the music industry.
2013–2017: Sirope and #ElDisco
On 6 November 2013, Sanz received an honorary doctor of music degree from Berklee College of Music. "It is a great honor for me to receive this doctorate degree from one of the most prestigious music schools in the world," Sanz said of the Berklee recognition. "I will continue to work every day of my life to deserve this honor."
Sanz released his eleventh studio album, Sirope, featuring the single "A Que No Me Dejas", a collaboration with Alejandro Fernandez and used as the opening theme song in the telenovela A Que No Me Dejas, on 4 May 2015. The album took a year and one month to record, and features an "eclectic sound" in Sanz's words, containing elements of flamenco, R&B, and folk music.
In May 2020, Sanz announced the new dates for his La Gira tour, which was originally slated to begin in June 2020 but was rescheduled to June 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour will begin on 12 June 2021, in Valencia.
2024–present: ¿Y Ahora Qué?
On 15 September 2024, Sanz announced the release of a Netflix docuseries about his current and future plans.
In 14 October, Sanz received the Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award.
On 17 May 2025, Sanz announced a new EP titled ¿Y Ahora Qué?. The EP was released on 23 May and features six songs, including collaborations with Manuel Turizo, Grupo Frontera and Shakira. On the day of release, the Shakira and Alejandro Sanz duet "Bésame", their third collaboration, was released as a single.
Musical style
Early in his career, Sanz' music generally consisted of romantic ballads. However, in the late 1990s, his collaborations with other artists greatly expanded his musical style. Despite this, Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic described his musical evolution by saying "Even as Sanz broadened his style over the years, he never ventured far from his strength: romantic songs, generally ballads, tinged with flamenco and sung wholeheartedly with his distinct voice." His song "Sí, He Cantado Mal" (Yes, I Have Sung Badly) from No Es lo Mismo references this, with Sanz saying "I'm laughing a little at myself so that I can laugh at other things. Sometimes, I'm harder on myself than any music critic can be. I'm laughing at that." Their daughter, Manuela Sánchez Michel, was born on 28 July 2001. The couple separated in 2005.
Sanz married his former assistant, Raquel Perera, on 23 May 2012, in a private ceremony held in Sabadell, Barcelona. They have two children: a son, Dylan, born in 2011 in New York, and a daughter, Alma, born in 2014 in Madrid. The couple separated in July 2019.
The late Flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucía was the godfather of Sanz's son, and Sanz and his wife are godparents to David Bisbal's daughter, Ella.
In addition to music, Sanz enjoys painting, which he often does while trying to create ideas for new songs. He explains that painting "teaches you that taking risks rarely leads to failure. In fact, from the moment you assume a risk, you have succeeded."
In January 2019, Sanz expressed support for Juan Guaidó during the Venezuelan presidential crisis during a livestreamed Instagram interview. During the interview, Sanz recognized Guaidó as interim President of Venezuela.
In October 2021, Sanz had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame inaugurated corresponding to the Recording category. The ceremony took place at 1750 Vine Street, in front of the Capitol Records building. He was accompanied by his partner, Cuban artist Rachel Valdés, who he mentioned in his speech: "To Rachel, a woman whose hands hold the dreams of my heart. I love you very much".
Awards and nominations
Grammy Awards
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Category
!Nominated Work
!Result
|-
|2001
| rowspan="7" |Best Latin Pop Album
|El Alma Al Aire
|
|-
|2004
|No Es Lo Mismo
|
|-
|2008
|El Tren De Los Momentos
|
|-
|2011
|Paraiso Express
|
|-
|2016
|Sirope
|
|-
|2020
|#Eldisco
|
|-
|2026
|¿Y ahora qué?
|
|}
Latin Grammy Awards
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Category
!Nominated Work
!Result
|-
| rowspan="5" |2001
|Album of the Year
| rowspan="2" |El Alma Al Aire
|
|-
|Best Male Pop Vocal Album
|
|-
|Record of the Year
| rowspan="2" |"El Alma Al Aire"
|
|-
|Song of the Year
|
|-
|Best Music Video
|"Cuando Nadie Me Ve"
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |2002
|Album of the Year
|MTV Unplugged
|
|-
|Record of the Year
| rowspan="2" |"Y Solo Se Me Ocurre Amarte"
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |Song of the Year
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |2004
| rowspan="2" |"No Es Lo Mismo"
|
|-
|Record of the Year
|
|-
|Album of the Year
| rowspan="2" |No Es Lo Mismo
|
|-
|Best Male Pop Vocal Album
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2005
|Song of the Year
| rowspan="2" |"Tu No Tienes Alma"
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |Record of the Year
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2006
| rowspan="2" |"La Tortura" (with Shakira)
|
|-
|Best Short Form Music Video
|
|-
|2007
| rowspan="2" |Album of the Year
|El Tren De Los Momentos
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |2010
| rowspan="2" |Paraíso Express
|
|-
|Best Male Pop Vocal Album
|
|-
|Record of the Year
| rowspan="2" |"Desde Cuando"
|
|-
|Song of the Year
|
|-
|2011
|Best Long Form Music Video
|Canciones Para Un Paraíso - En Vivo
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2012
|Record of the Year
| rowspan="2" |"No Me Compares"
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |Song of the Year
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |2013
| rowspan="2" |"Mi Marciana"
|
|-
|Record of the Year
|
|-
|Album of the Year
| rowspan="2" |La Música No Se Toca
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |2015
| rowspan="2" |Sirope
|
|-
|Album of the Year
|
|-
|Record of the Year
| rowspan="2" |"Un Zombie a la Intemperie"
|
|-
|Song of the Year
|
|-
|2016
| rowspan="2" |Best Long Form Music Video
|Sirope Vivo
|
|-
| rowspan="8" |2019
|Lo Que Fui Es Lo Que Soy
|
|-
|Album of the Year
| rowspan="2" |#Eldisco
|
|-
|Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album
|
|-
|Record of the Year
| rowspan="2" |"No Tengo Nada"
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |Song of the Year
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |"Mi Persona Favorita" (with Camila Cabello)
|
|-
|Best Pop Song
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |Record of the Year
|
|-
| rowspan="3" |2020
|"Contigo"
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |Song of the Year
|"For Sale" (with Carlos Vives)
|
|-
|"#ElMundoFuera (Improvisación)"
|
|-
|2022
|Album of the Year
|Sanz
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |2023
|Song of the Year
|"NASA"
|
|-
| rowspan="2" |Record of the Year
|"Correcaminos"
|
|-
| rowspan="4" |2025
| rowspan="2" |"Palmeras en el Jardín"
|
|-
|Song of the Year
|
|-
|Best Contemporary Pop Album
| rowspan="2" |¿Y ahora qué?
|
|-
|Album of the Year
|
|}
Filmography
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year !! Title !! Notes
|-
| 2003 || Celebridade||Musical Guest
|-
| 2015 || A que no me dejas||Musical Guest
|-
| 2018 || Lo Que Fui es Lo Que Soy||Documental