That Francisco Franco was a real buzzkill, eh?
Not only was Spain's authoritarian dictator responsible for over 200,000 deaths in the first two years of his 39-year reign, the son of a bitch barred Joan Manuel Serrat from performing in 1968's Eurovision Song Contest and made sure that Joaquín Sabina couldn't spit his anti-fascist propaganda.
Of course, Serrat and Sabina got the last laugh when Franco died seven years later. Yeah, the despot was old as dirt, but dead is dead is dead.
Meanwhile, Joan and Joaquín went on to become two of the most celebrated Iberian singer-songwriters in history, though they didn't work together until 2007 collaborative record, Dos Pájaros de un Tiro.
Later this month, Serrat and Sabina will perform together again at the American Airlines Arena in support of their second album, La Orquesta Del Titanic.
"This work comes from the will of two people who get along well and know their commonalities and things that can lead to divergences," Sabina told reporters at a promotional press conference earlier this year. "There are unspoken rules between two people who love, respect, admire [each other]."
¡Viva Serrat y Sabina!
Serrat and Sabina. Friday, November 16. American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets cost $83 to $253 plus fees via ticketmaster.com. Call 786-777-1000 or visit aaarena.com.
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