As you may have already read, Miguel Bosé is a living legend. "A living freakin' legend," no less. And you don't necessarily need to know your Paty Cantu from your Pimpinella to recognize that fact. If you're of Hispanic descent, this legendary performer's music is part of your life's soundtrack, one way or another.
The man has spent that past 30 years dominating the Latin pop world, captivating audiences, and filling stadiums around the globe to capacity.
Artists of all walks of life, from Ricky Martin to Julieta Iglesias, Alejandro Sanz to Laura Pausini, Paulina Rubio to Juanes, and Shakira to Ivete Sangalo count him as an influence, as evidenced by the epic collaborations that comprise his last record Papito, a collection of hits turned to duets with a who's who of Latin music's biggest names.
But the showman isn't satisfied to soak in success or bask in the glow of countless golden accolades. Instead, he followed up the release with another in Cardio, and the three-year tour that ensued as a result with an even bigger spectacle in support of this album. The very busy Mr. Bosé recently spoke with Crossfade before his upcoming show in Miami this Sunday.
New Times: For starters, let's talk a little bit about your new tour, Cardio.
Miguel Bosé: Cardio is a spectacle. [Laughs] I don't know. My explanation of it is fatal. But when you see it, everything I'm trying to explain is going to pale in comparison. The scenography [for the tour] consists of three moving blocks, immense components with two screens that go up and down and form a great circle. Like a mobile sculpture, really, of impressive beauty.
All of that is carried by a repertoire that is 80 percent comprised of those things the public wants to hear from all my career, you know? The best of the best ... Songs like "Nada de Nada," "Morena Mia," "Bandido," "Sevilla," "Si Tu No Vuelves," "Nada Particular," etc., etc., blah-blah-blah, blah-blah-blah. The best part of Cardio, the new album. And then some surprises that the fans have come asking for throughout the course of all these years, that for some reason or other, hadn't found a place in past tours, but now they did.
The band is also very powerful. But you've really got to see it for yourself, because I explain it very poorly. [Laughs] People have said this is the best tour I've done.
I read that Papito, which preceded this project, was something you viewed as the end of one era and the marking of a new one. Why is that?
More than that, I think I viewed Papito as a celebration of my 30-year career, which I did with an album that I fabricated out of parts of my greatest hits from throughout my career, which each of my featured guests selected. And it took me on a huge tour that lasted three long years. It was like the end of a cycle, though. And with Cardio, it's like the continuation of that, and the beginning of a new era. Because after the celebration, life goes on. But it's not necessarily that Papito marks the end of one stage and Cardio the beginning of another. I think that would be oversimplifying things.
Is there ever any pressure created by the expectations of your fan base over the course of such a long and storied career? Or is that in some way a sort of motivation to keep going?
No, I can't work with that mentality. If not, I'd live in a perpetual state of tension that wouldn't allow me to work. When you set to work at composing and writing, your only focus is on translating and expressing your emotions and your feelings, relating the things you want to tell in the best way possible, and nothing more. At no time am I attempting to do anything else. At no point does it enter my mind whether or not a song is something the people are going to like. You compose to bring what you have inside out, and present what you need to present. Sometimes they connect, and other times not. But the most important thing is to go to bed each night with a sense of peace, knowing that this was what you set out to convey and this was how I wanted to do it. And if it's a success, phenomenal. And the public has always respected that.
What do you think is the most important lesson you've learned throughout the course of these 30 years?
I think being honest. I always find that when you're honest, the people get it. There's never a reason to lie to them. Never. If not, you fall into an irreversible trap.
Finally, with everything you've achieved, is there any goal left for you to reach? Is there anything that you wish to accomplish that you haven't?
Well, in music, I think there are still a great many paths to follow. It's part of my nature that once I've done something, I don't want to repeat that. So immediately I begin exploring to go beyond that. My creativity permits that, and my creativity demands it. So there's a lot left to do that I hope to explore.
That's musically speaking. There are other arts left for me to explore, and that's a whole other story.
Miguel Bosé. Sunday, November 7. James L. Knight Center, 400 SE 2nd Ave., Miami. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets cost $71 to $114. Visit ticketmaster.com.
