Pau Donés of Jarabe de Palo (1966 - 2020)

When a musician dies that I truly loved hearing and have followed for his whole career and thus a big chunk of my life, it affects me. Some more than others, but this one truly I notice. It is the second time that I get the news while having finished a review of the new album. David Bowie in 2016 and now Pau Donés in 2020. Donés is dead for ten days on writing. The news never reached me until I had finished my review of his new album, Tragas O Escupes.

Pau Donés was the singer-songwriter and rhythm guitarist of Jarabe de Palo, a band from Barcelona in Spain. After conquering Spain and Italy, the band never really was able to make the step to western Europe. Next Latin America and the Latin part of the U.S. fully fell for the band, making them big stars. Here only 'Bonito' made it to the radio. It still gets an occasional airplay. Unfortunately that was it. Perhaps the language barrier was too big, as it certainly could not have been the quality of the band's hit singles. At the shows I visited Spanish was the language mainly spoken around me. One of those moments making me realise how diverse my country has become where nationalities and languages are concerned. How colourful and brighter.

For me the ride started in two discotheques in Salamanca in Spain in the early summer of 1997 when a good friend from my student days married his Spanish love. After the marriage and two days in Madrid with another friend from the same home who emigrated to Spain we spend two days in Salamanca, five guys, disco time. That is where we got to know 'La Flaca', for me an introduction that stayed with me for 23 years almost to the day.

'Grita' of the 'La Flaca' album was played by my previous band for years on a Dutch lyric I wrote. Only last Saturday my son sang 'Grita' with me on guitar as part of the Social Distancing Tour 2020 my girlfriend and I hold in our front garden for the neighbours each weekend. If we had known, it would have been a tribute. Now an unbeknown one.

Since 1997 Jarabe de Palo took me on a musical trip. A trip full of great albums, beautiful songs and a joy of life in general. Despite I am unable to understand what Pau Donés sings (and too lazy to look it up), the music always brings joy. Read the review on the latest album that will be online in the coming days and that is just what it says. The music simply does something to me.

That journey through life together has come to an end. I will continue it and keep playing the albums while moving down life further. With Tragas O Escupes Jarabe de Palo has delivered a last, beautiful present and I wrote that before I found out and was shocked and saddened by the news. I never met Pau Donés but it feels like having lost a friend.

Wo.

Listen to our Spotify Playlist to find out what we are writing about:

https://open.spotify.com/user/glazu53/playlist/6R9FgPd2btrMuMaIrYeCh6?si=KI6LzLaAS5K-wsez5oSO2g