At don Quijote, we usually recommend listening to music lyrics in Spanish, whether to practice the language, learn vocabulary, or even learn about other variants of the language of Cervantes. Today, we move to the rhythm of Spanish again to dance the most listened song of all times: "Despacito", by Luis Fonsi.

"Despacito" means "slowly" in Spanish, but the rise of the song to the top of charts worldwide has been all but slow. Only six months after its release date, Luis Fonsi's song made history for being the top streamed track ever, according to Universal Music Latin Entertainment. Although the Latin influence on pop culture is not new, the Spanish language hadn’t had such a large representation on the music scene since "Macarena" in 1996.

Continue reading this post in English or switch to the Spanish version.

“Despacito” is a song by Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi featuring Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yankee. The song was written by Fonsi, Erika Ender, and Daddy Yankee. But the remix version featuring Canadian singer Justin Bieber “helped to improve the song's chart performance in numerous countries, including various number-one positions”. Anyway, this song has managed to do what more traditional artists of Spanish music couldn’t: to reach more than 4,600 million reproductions across the main streaming platforms, according to the record label mentioned above. "Streaming is a connector for audiences around the world and has helped my music reach every corner of the planet," Fonsi said in a statement. "It's really an honor that “Despacito” is now the most streamed song in history." "Despacito" also leads Billboard's streaming song list with 65.4 million digital song transmissions and sales of 137,000 downloads.

Hence, "Despacito" is not only a musical success for the Spanish-speaking world. Both Latin pop and urban song have millions of international fans who sing songs in Spanish despite not being native speakers. In fact, some Twitter users, such as Madison Sims @madisoncarlei_h, have come to joke about the subject "pretty sure I learned more Spanish by looking up the lyrics to "Despacito" than I learned all year from my actual Spanish teacher ". But Luis Fonsi himself has a hard time explaining the success of this song. "I don't know the exact reason why this song in particular has connected with a worldwide audience, especially with those who don't understand Spanish." In turn, Daddy Yankee defines music as a universal language, a form of expression that brings people together independently of their culture or the color of their skin. "People are more receptive to learn, identify and exchange their opinions in the digital world and learn more from each other. "

Next, we can enjoy the lyrics of the different covers of the song:

1. Luis Fonsi ‒ Despacito (Lyrics / Lyric Video) ft. Daddy Yankee

[Letra de "Despacito" ft. Daddy Yankee]

[Intro: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee]

Ay, ¡Fonsi! ¡D.Y.!

Ohhh, oh, no, oh, no, oh

¡Hey, yeah!

Dididiri Daddy, go!

[Intro: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee]

Sí, sabes que ya llevo un rato mirándote

Tengo que bailar contigo hoy

(¡D.Y.!) Vi que tu mirada ya estaba llamándome

Muéstrame el camino que yo voy

[Verso 1: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee]

¡Oh!

Tú, tú eres el imán y yo soy el metal

Me voy acercando y voy armando el plan

Sólo con pensarlo se acelera el pulso (¡Oh, yeah!)

Ya, ya me está gustando más de lo normal

Todos mis sentidos van pidiendo más

Esto hay que tomarlo sin ningún apuro

[Estribillo: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee]

Despacito

Quiero respirar tu cuello despacito

Deja que te diga cosas al oído

Para que te acuerdes si no estás conmigo

Despacito

Quiero desnudarte a besos despacito

Firmar las paredes de tu laberinto

Y hacer de tu cuerpo todo un manuscrito

(Sube, sube, sube, sube, sube)

[Post-Estribillo: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee]

Quiero ver bailar tu pelo, quiero ser tu ritmo (Woah, woah)

Que le enseñes a mi boca (Woah, woah)

Tus lugares favoritos (Favorito, favorito, baby)

Déjame sobrepasar tus zonas de peligro (Woah, woah)

Hasta provocar tus gritos (Woah, woah)

Y que olvides tu apellido

[Verso 2: Daddy Yankee]

Si te pido un beso, ven, dámelo, yo sé que estás pensándolo

Llevo tiempo intentándolo, mami, esto es dando y dándolo

Sabes que tu corazón conmigo te hace bang-bang

Sabes que esa beba está buscando de mi bang-bang

Ven, prueba de mi boca para ver cómo te sabe

Quiero, quiero, quiero ver cuánto amor a ti te cabe

Yo no tengo prisa, yo me quiero dar el viaje

Empezamos lento, después salvaje

[Pre-Estribillo: Daddy Yankee]

Pasito a pasito, suave suavecito

Nos vamos pegando, poquito a poquito

Cuando tú me besas con esa destreza

Veo que eres malicia con delicadeza

Pasito a pasito, suave suavecito

Nos vamos pegando, poquito a poquito

Y es que esa belleza es un rompecabezas

Pero pa' montarlo aquí tengo la pieza

¡Oye!

[Estribillo: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee]

Despacito

Quiero respirar tu cuello despacito

Deja que te diga cosas al oído

Para que te acuerdes si no estás conmigo

Despacito

Quiero desnudarte a besos despacito

Firmar las paredes de tu laberinto

Y hacer de tu cuerpo todo un manuscrito

(Sube, sube, sube, sube, sube)

[Post-Estribillo: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee]

Quiero ver bailar tu pelo, quiero ser tu ritmo (Woah, woah)

Que le enseñes a mi boca (Woah, woah)

Tus lugares favoritos (Favorito, favorito, baby)

Déjame sobrepasar tus zonas de peligro (Woah, woah)

Hasta provocar tus gritos (Woah, woah)

Y que olvides tu apellido

[Verso 3: Luis Fonsi]

Despacito

Vamo' a hacerlo en una playa en Puerto Rico

Hasta que las olas griten "¡Ay, Bendito!"

Para que mi sello se quede contigo

¡Báilalo!

[Outro: Daddy Yankee & Luis Fonsi]

Pasito a pasito, suave suavecito

Nos vamos pegando, poquito a poquito

Que le enseñes a mi boca

Tus lugares favoritos

(Favorito, favorito, baby)

Pasito a pasito, suave suavecito

Nos vamos pegando, poquito a poquito

Hasta provocar tus gritos (Fonsi)

Y que olvides tu apellido (D.Y.)

Despacito

2. Justin Bieber – Despacito (Lyrics) ft. Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee [Pop]

[Intro: Justin Bieber]

Comin' over in my direction

So thankful for that, it's such a blessin', yeah

Turn every situation into heaven, yeah

Oh-oh, you are

My sunrise on the darkest day

Got me feelin' some kind of way

Make me wanna savor every moment slowly, slowly

You fit me tailor-made, love how you put it on

Got the only key, know how to turn it on

The way you nibble on my ear, the only words I wanna hear

Baby, take it slow so we can last long

[Verso 1: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee]

¡Oh! Tú, tú eres el imán y yo soy el metal

Me voy acercando y voy armando el plan

Sólo con pensarlo se acelera el pulso (Oh, yeah)

Ya, ya me está gustando más de lo normal

Todos mis sentidos van pidiendo más

Esto hay que tomarlo sin ningún apuro

[Coro: Justin Bieber & Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee]

Despacito

Quiero respirar tu cuello despacito

Deja que te diga cosas al oído

Para que te acuerdes si no estás conmigo

Despacito

Quiero desnudarte a besos despacito

Firmo en las paredes de tu laberinto

Y hacer de tu cuerpo todo un manuscrito

(Sube, sube, sube

Sube, sube)

[Post-Coro: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee]

Quiero ver bailar tu pelo, quiero ser tu ritmo (Woah, woah)

Que le enseñes a mi boca (Woah, woah)

Tus lugares favoritos (Favorito, favorito, baby)

Déjame sobrepasar tus zonas de peligro (Woah, woah)

Hasta provocar tus gritos (Woah, woah)

Y que olvides tu apellido

[Verso 2: Daddy Yankee]

Si te pido un beso, ven, dámelo, yo sé que estás pensándolo

Llevo tiempo intentándolo, mami, esto es dando y dándolo

Sabes que tu corazón conmigo te hace bom, bom

Sabes que esa beba está buscando de mi bom, bom

Ven, prueba de mi boca para ver cómo te sabe

Quiero, quiero, quiero ver cuánto amor a ti te cabe

Yo no tengo prisa, yo me quiero dar el viaje

Empecemos lento, después salvaje

[Pre-Coro: Daddy Yankee & Justin Bieber, Daddy Yankee]

Pasito a pasito, suave suavecito

Nos vamos pegando, poquito a poquito

Cuando tú me besas con esa destreza

Veo que eres malicia con delicadeza

Pasito a pasito, suave suavecito

Nos vamos pegando, poquito a poquito

Y es que esa belleza es un rompecabezas

Pero pa' montarlo aquí tengo la pieza

¡Oye!

[Coro: Justin Bieber & Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee]

Despacito

Quiero respirar tu cuello despacito

Deja que te diga cosas al oído

Para que te acuerdes si no estás conmigo

Despacito

Quiero desnudarte a besos despacito

Firmo en las paredes de tu laberinto

Y hacer de tu cuerpo todo un manuscrito

(Sube, sube, sube

Sube, sube)

[Post-Coro: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee]

Quiero ver bailar tu pelo, quiero ser tu ritmo (Woah, woah)

Que le enseñes a mi boca (Woah, woah)

Tus lugares favoritos (Favorito, favorito, baby)

Déjame sobrepasar tus zonas de peligro (Woah, woah)

Hasta provocar tus gritos (Woah, woah)

Y que olvides tu apellido

[Puente: Luis Fonsi]

Despacito

This is how we do it down in Puerto Rico

I just wanna hear you screaming, "¡Ay, Bendito!"

I can move forever cuando esté contigo

¡Báilalo!

[Post-Coro: Daddy Yankee, Luis Fonsi & Justin Bieber]

Pasito a pasito, suave suavecito

Nos vamos pegando, poquito a poquito

Que le enseñes a mi boca

Tus lugares favoritos

(Favorito, favorito, baby)

Pasito a pasito, suave suavecito

Nos vamos pegando, poquito a poquito

Hasta provocar tus gritos (Fonsi)

Y que olvides tu apellido (D.Y.)

Despacito

3. Luis Fonsi ‒ Despacito (Lyrics) ft. Daddy Yankee  - English Translation

[Intro: Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee]

Yes, you know that I’ve been looking at you for a long time

I must dance with you today (DY)

(Daddy Yankee)

I saw that the look in your eyes was calling me

Show me the path that I will take (Oh)

(Luis Fonsi)

You, you’re the magnet and I’m the metal

I am getting closer and making a plan

Simply thinking about it makes my heart race (Oh yeah)

(Daddy Yankee)

Now, I’m already liking it more than usual

All of my senses are asking for more

We cannot do this in a rush

(Luis Fonsi)

Slowly

I want to breathe in your neck slowly

Let me murmur things in your ear

So that you remember if you’re not with me

Slowly

Iwant to undress you in kisses slowly

Firmly in the walls of your labyrinth

And of your body, I want to create a manuscript

Up, up

Up, up, up

I want to see your hair dance

I want to be your rhythm

Want you to show my mouth

Your favorite places (Favorite, favorite baby)

Let me trespass your danger zones

Until I make you scream

And you forget your last name

(Daddy Yankee)

If I ask for a kiss come, give it to me

I know that you’re thinking about it

I’ve been trying to do it for awhile

Mami this is giving and giving it to you

You know that with me your heart goes bom bom!

You know that from me that babe is looking for a bom bom!

Come try my mouth and see if you like its taste

I want to see how much love fits in you

I’m not in a rush I want to experience this trip

Let’s start slowly, then savagely

Step by step, soft then softly

We come up against each other, little by little

When you kiss me in that state of distress

I see that you are malice and delicacy

Step by step, soft then softly

We come up against each other, little by little

And it’s just that your beauty is a puzzle

But to finish it here I have the missing piece

(Luis Fonsi)

Slowly

I want to breathe in your neck slowly

Let me murmur things in your ear

So that you remember if you’re not with me

Slowly

I want to undress you in kisses slowly

Firmly in the walls of your labyrinth

And of your body, I want to create a manuscript

Up, up, up, up

I want to see your hair dance

I want to be your rhythm

Want you to show my mouth

Your favorite places (Favorite, favorite baby)

Let me trespass your danger zones

Until I make you scream

And you forget your last name

Slowly

We’re gonna do it on a beach in Puerto Rico

Until the waves scream Oh Lord

So that my seal stays with you

(Daddy Yankee)

Step by step, soft then softly

We come up against each other, little by little

(Luis Fonsi)

I want you to show my mouth

Your favorite places (Favorite, favorite baby)

(Daddy Yankee)

Step by step, soft then softly

We come up against each other, little by little

(Luis Fonsi)

Until I make you scream

And you forget your last name

Slowly

We hope you enjoy this post and, above all, that it helps you to continue learning things about the Spanish language and its culture.

Wanting more? Enjoy our video about the las decade’s top tracks in Spanish!

There are just a few days left for Hollywood's biggest night- Oscar Awards to commence, the most important ones in the film industry worldwide. The 92nd Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and, as marked by tradition, will be televised live on the ABC Television Network. However, after realizing last year that the ratings went back up after four years of drop in audience, there won’t be a master of ceremonies at the 2020 Oscars either. In this case, as it happened in the last edition, they will be the actors and actresses the ones who will go on stage to deliver the statuettes. Penelope Cruz will be, once again, the one presenting the Oscar for Best non-English-speaking Film. Hopefully, the ritual will bring luck to Pedro Almodóvar once again.

We already know what The Best Spanish Films of 2019 are according to the Spanish Film Academy, and also the Spanish-speaking films that have won an Oscar on previous editions, but ... What Spanish films are nominated for 2020 Oscars? Today, we roll the red carpet out again for you to come in and enjoy! We deal only with Spanish films because, unfortunately, there are no other Spanish-speaking countries in the shortlist.

Continue reading in English or click here to do so in Spanish.

"Pain and glory" (Pedro Almodóvar)

"Pain and glory" (“Dolor y gloria”) is a Spanish film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar and starring Antonio Banderas, Asier Etxeandia, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Nora Navas and Julieta Serrano, with the special collaboration of Penelope Cruz.

The film presents the most intimate and autobiographical vision of the Manchego director. Almodóvar uses the voice of the main character, called Salvador Mallo, to open himself up to the audience. Salvador is a film director who is not at his best. He goes through his whole life to tell us his story, from his childhood to his first contact with the world of cinema, going through his teenage life and first love experiences. Almodóvar uses this narrative pretext to undress himself before us as he had never done before, in a tremendously beautiful and sincere way.  This Oscar-nominated Spanish film is a very personal project, a project that not only deals with cinematographic and theatrical creation, but also with the impossibility of separating creative processes from personal life. Almodóvar himself has stated that "Pain and glory" closes a trilogy along with "The law of desire" (1987) and "Bad education" (2004). In all these films, the main male role is played by a character who is also a film director, being  “desire and fiction” the main themes in the plot.

*Awards:

• 2019: Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Foreign Film & Actr (Banderas)
• 2019: Golden Globes: Nomin. for Best Actor (Banderas) & Foreign Language Film
• 2019: BAFTA Awards: Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film
• 2019: Goya Awards: 7 Awards including Best Film, Director, Actor & Screenplay
• 2019: Cannes Film Festival: Best Actor (Antonio Banderas)
• 2019: New York Film Critics Circle: Best Actor (Antonio Banderas)
• 2019: European Film Awards: Best Actor (Banderas) & Production Design
• 2019: National Board of Review (NBR): Top Foreign Films
• 2019: Los Angeles Film Critics Association: Best Foreign Film & Actor (Banderas)
• 2019: Critics Choice Awards: Nominated for Best Foreign Film & Actor (Banderas)
• 2019: Chicago Film Critic’s Awards: Nom. for Best Actor (Banderas) & Best Foreign Film
• 2019: San Francisco Film Critics Circle: Best Actor (Antonio Banderas). 2 Nominations
• 2019: Satellite Awards: 5 Nominations, including Best Director, Actor & Screenplay
• 2019: César Awards: Nominated for Best Foreign Film
• 2019: Forque Awards: Best Actor (Antonio Banderas). 2 Nominations
• 2019: Feroz Awards: 6 Awards, including Best Film Drama & Director
• 2019: Gaudí Awards: Best Sound. 5 Nominations

*Critics' reviews:

"The result is a mature work of meticulously tuned metafiction, erupting with so many of the director’s signature touches (...) [It rejects] broad melodrama in pursuit of a subtler, more direct form of authenticity" Peter Debruge: Variety

"'Pain and Glory' can be achingly sad, but its pleasures, rainbow hues and humor keep it (and you) aloft." Manohla Dargis: The New York Times

"Pedro Almodóvar Delivers His ‘8 ½’ (...) You can feel his passion for cinema in every frame. Pain and Glory is not just his most personal film. It’s also one of his greatest” Peter Travers: Rolling Stone

“Klaus” (Sergio Pablos)

"Klaus" is a Spanish animated film directed and written by Sergio Pablos. It is a Spanish/UK co-production with Atresmedia Cine and The SPA Studios. Distributed worldwide by Netflix.

Klaus tells the story of a postman named Jesper who is sent to Smeerensburg - an icy island beyond the Arctic Circle – as a punishment for his poor grades and bad behavior at the postal school. There, Jesper finds a hostile environment, a city whose inhabitants are people of few words and fewer letters. But everything changes with the entrance of Alva, the fishmonger and former teacher of the town, and Klaus, a mysterious carpenter who lives in a humble cabin in the woods, a lodge full of toys made by himself. These peculiar friendships not only change Jesper's life, but also bring joy back to Smeerensburg, giving way to a new stage full of magical legends and kind and generous neighbors.

Klaus is a film that, after a time of experimentation and breakthrough technologies in the sector, returns animation to the most classical procedures, incorporating also the theme of customs and traditions directly into the plot. The film represents a kind of story about the origin of Santa Claus, examining the ways in which traditions are built on and deconstructed. All this through a beautiful and fresh aesthetic that is as innovative as aware of its own story. In the end, the message of the film tells us to move forward, since nonsense routines and customs only prevents us from progressing.

*Awards:

• 2019: Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film
• 2019: BAFTA Awards: Best Animated Film
• 2019: Goya Awards: Nominated for Best Animated Film & Song
• 2019: Annie Awards: 7 Awards including Best Animated Feature & Directing
• 2019: San Francisco Film Critics Circle: Nominated for Best Animated Film

*Critics' reviews:

"An unexpected charmer (...) it contains echoes of other seasonal favorites (...) while standing completely on its own (...) [Its story] is perfectly complimented by its visual style" John DeFore: The Hollywood Reporter

“Klaus' essentially becomes a metaphor for its unique and refreshing mode of expression”. Steven Scaife: Slant

"[It] has storybook charm, and the wonder lands even if the jokes don’t (...) 'Klaus' gets the sentimentality just right" Alonso Duralde: The Wrap

At don Quijote, we hope that you all enjoy this post, and, above all, that it serves you as a good excuse to learn a little more about the Spanish language and culture.

Goya Awards 2020

Last weekend, 3.6 million people watched the 34th Goya Awards ceremony, honoring the top Spanish movies of 2019. This is the Spanish film industry’s main event, equivalent to Hollywood’s Oscars. It is organized by the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences and this edition was held in the city of Malaga.

If you’re looking for a fun different way of learning Spanish or you’re just a moviegoer, keep on reading to find out which were the top 2019 Spanish movies according to the Academy. Or, if you prefer, click here to switch to the Spanish version of this post.

Almodovar Movies Keep Winning

Pedro Almodovar, Penelope Cruz, Antonio Banderas… these are all names that sound familiar to you, right? Well, imagine all three together in one production. Dolor y Gloria (Pain and Glory) is the undisputed winner of the ceremony and probably one of the best Spanish movies in 2019.

This biographical story, which is also nominated for the 92^nd Oscar Awards as Best International Feature Film, has been chosen Best Film of the Year by Time magazine. On Saturday night, this movie was awarded with several Goya prizes, including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Best Director for Pedro Almodovar. Good luck at the Oscars!

Most-Awarded Spanish Movies

After Pain and Glory, with 7 awards, the second most-awarded movie was While at War (Mientras dure la Guerra), which got 5 prizes, including Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design and Best Makeup. This historical drama was directed by Alejandro Amenabar (The Others, The Sea Inside, Regression) and it shows how Miguel de Unamuno, a popular Spanish writer, lived the beginning of the Spanish Civil War.

Fire Will Come (Lo que arde) is a movie shot in Galician language which was awarded with Best New Actress and Best Cinematography, so if you’re a photography lover, you know what’s next on your watchlist. And, by the way, this is one of those Spanish movies on Netflix. There’s no excuse!

Another movie awarded with two Goya Prizes is The Endless Trench (La trinchera infinita), which has not one but three directors! The film won Best Actress and Best Sound.

Best Spanish Actors and Actresses

Some other major prizes in this Goya Awards ceremony include Best Actor for Antonio Banderas in Pain and Glory and Best Actress for Belén Cuesta in The Endless Trench (La trinchera infinita). The protagonist of The Mask of Zorro played the role of a film director in his decline, who remembers his early life through flashbacks. Belén Cuesta tells the story of a woman who lives a forbidden romance during the Spanish Civil War.

Goya Winners 2020

To sum up, these are some of the Spanish movies you can’t miss according to the Goya 2020 Awards:

We have already talked about the presence of the Spanish language in the world, even in some remote countries we could not imagine. The spread began in 1492 with the Spanish conquest of the Americas, and, today, it is the second language most used by native speakers worldwide. Its relevance due to the great number of speakers in some countries such as the United States (according to CNN, there are an estimated 58.9 million Hispanic people in the US, comprising 18% of the population) has forced different industries to localize and translate their products in order to reach the Spanish-speaking audience.

Continue reading this post in Spanish and improve your reading skills!

This is the case of the music industry, a business that moves billions of euros every year. There have been many Latin artists who have achieved fame by singing tracks in Spanish, even reaching the top positions in charts and rankings all over the world. At don Quijote, we once again claim music as an instrument for teaching Spanish as a foreign language. For today’s blog post, we’ve selected 10 international artists who managed to succeed with songs performed in Spanish.

1. Jennifer Lopez

The North American singer of Puerto Rican origin has an entire album recorded in Spanish. It is entitled Como Ama una Mujer (2007). She has also a Spanish version of her song Dance Again (2012).

2. Christina Aguilera

The North American artist released an entire album in Spanish: Mi Reflejo (2000). This album was nominated as "Record of the Year" for the Latin Grammy Awards of 2001.

3. Beyoncé

Irremplazable (2007) was the singer's third single in the United States. It was recorded in Spanish as part of the `Luxury edition’ of the album B'Day (2006) and was the first crossover of the artist to the Latin market.

4. Tiziano Ferro

The Italian artist recorded his first single Perdona (2001) in Spanish. The song belongs to the album Rojo Relativo, which was a gold record in sales.

5. BSB (Backstreet Boys)

The first song that the Orlando boys recorded in Spanish was Nunca Te Hare Llorar (1997). Never Break Your Heart (the original track) was the second single from the first Backstreet Boys album.

6. Madonna

The Queen of Pop also crossed language barriers and took the plunge and popped out in Spanish. Madonna introduced some phrases in Spanish in two of her hits of the 80s: Who's that Girl (1987) and La Isla Bonita (1986).

7. Mariah Carey

This vocal goddess recorded the ever memorable ’90s hit My All in Spanish, renaming it Mi Todo (1997). Whoever translated the song did not a great job and Spanish speakers criticized this new version.

8. Nelly Furtado

Almost a decade after she came to fame in 2000 with the single, I'm Like a Bird, this Portuguese-origin singer recorded an entire album in Spanish: Mi Plan (2009). The presentation single of her album, entitled Manos al Aire, made history as it marked the first time a North American artist reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart with a song that was originally written in Spanish.

9. Bon Jovi

Spanish is not the strong point of. Cama de Rosas (1992) was a Spanish version of his song Bed of Roses. If we listen to the track, it is quite clear that the artist would need a Spanish course to be able to express himself more clearly.

10. Demi Lovato

She tried it along with Pablo Alborán at the Latin Grammy Awards of 2011. The song performed was Solamente Tú and was very well received by the Spanish public.

As Colombian artist J. Balvin said some time ago in an interview for ABC "By Singing in Spanish you can go as far as in English." The great reggaeton star also explained that his intention "is not to make music for Latinos, but for human beings", and the truth is that half of the audience that attends their concerts does not speak Spanish. Can we say then that music in Spanish is increasingly popular even for an audience that doesn't speak it?

Want to learn more Spanish through music? Enjoy our video about last decade’s top tracks in Spanish!

As the 2010s come to an end, don Quijote wants to take the opportunity to pay tribute to this last decade’s top tracks in Spanish. Because the end of a decade is almost the end of an era, especially when we talk about artistic movements such as music.

Switch to the Spanish version to improve your reading skills.

As a Stevie Wonder song says: "Music is a world within itself, it is a language we all understand." Although it is true that the language of music is universal, understanding the lyrics helps a lot when making the most of the them. In fact, music can be an effective and fun way to learn a language. For this reason and for all those who are studying Spanish as a foreign language, we have selected a playlist with last decade’s top tracks in Spanish. We are sure that you’ll learn some very useful expressions while enjoying these dance floors’ greatest hits.

2010 Enrique Iglesias & Juan Luis Guerra: Cuando me enamoro

Cuando me enamoro is a Latin pop and bachata song performed by pop singer-songwriter Enrique Iglesias (Spain) and featuring singer-songwriter Juan Luis Guerra (Santo Domingo). It was released as the first single from Iglesias ninth album on 26 April 2010. The song is the main-theme of soap opera very popular in Mexico and became a contender for Latin Grammy Award in 2010.The single has sold around a million digital downloads worldwide.

2011 Don Omar & Lucenzo: Danza Kuduro

Danza Kuduro is a bilingual song (Spanish-Portuguese), performed by Puerto Rican singer Don Omar and Portuguese–French reggaeton recording artist Lucenzo. It was released on August 11, 2010. In 2011, a remake was included in the soundtrack of the movie Fast Five, in which Don Omar plays a role. Danza Kuduro was the Top song in Spanish in 2010 and the music video has received over 1 billion views on YouTube.

2012 Juan Magán, Pit Bull & El Cata: Bailando por el mundo

Bailando por el mundo is a song by the Spanish artist Juan Magan, featuring vocals from American rapper Pitbull and El Cata. It was launched in October 2011 and became Top track on Latin music lists in several countries. Currently, the music video has more than two million views on YouTube.

2013 Marc Anthony: Vivir mi vida

This is a Spanish cover of the original song C'est la vie, by the Algerian artist Khaled. It was the first single from the 3.0 album, by Dominican artist Marc Anthony, and was released on April 15, 2013. It has sold more than 300,000 units worldwide.

2014 Enrique Iglesias, Descember Bueno & Gente de Zona: Bailando

Bailando is a song by Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias, Cuban artists Descemer Bueno and Gente de Zona. The song was written by all of them and produced by Carlos Paucar. It was released by Universal Republic Records as the sixth single from the record.

The original Spanish version served as the theme song of the soap opera Reina de Corazones. Bailando was the tenth best-selling song in 2014 with 8 million units.

2015 Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias: El perdón

El Perdón is a song by American singer Nicky Jam and Spanish artist Enrique Iglesias. On 10 July 2015, an English-language version of the song, titled Forgiveness, was released.

2016 Nicky Jam: Hasta el amanecer

"Hasta el Amanecer" is a song by American singer Nicky Jam. It won the Billboard Music Award for Top Latin Song and the Urban Song of the Year in 2017. It was also nominated for Single of the Year at Lo Nuestro Awards in the same year.

2017 Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee: Despacito

Despacito is a song by Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi featuring Puerto Rican rapper Daddy Yanke.  It was released by Universal Music Latin in January 2017. It has been ranked among the best Latin songs of all-time as well as the most successful Spanish-language tracks in pop music history.

2018 Nicky Jam & J Balvin: X

X is a song by American singer Nicky Jam and Colombian singer J Balvin. It was released by Sony Music Latin on March 2, 2018. A Spanglish version of the song was released on April 27, 2018. The music video has more than 1.7 billion views on YouTube up to now.

2019 Bad Bunny & Drake: Mía

Mía is a song by Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny featuring vocals from Canadian rapper Drake. The song was released by Rimas Entertainment Records on October 11, 2018 as the second single from his debut studio album. The song topped the charts in Spain, and reached the top 10 in Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Greece, Portugal, Romania, Switzerland and Venezuela.

Here you have the video of our YouTube channel for you to enjoy!

Grabbing your remote control and turning on the television is probably one of the activities you perform most frequently at home.

However, do you know how much work is actually behind this simple move? Keep on reading in Spanish to find out.

A Little Bit of History

Before television appeared as we know it today, many technological advancements took place. Some of those experiments led to the emergence of the modern TV.

Back in 1884, people managed to project the light objects issue using a metal disk and a light. However, it wasn’t until 1925 when they used these disks together to make up a real image. One of the disks worked as an issuer and the other one as a receptor.

Little by little, they kept on increasing the distance between both disks and repeating the same experiment, but through a telephone wire.

Five years after that test, in 1930, it took place the first simultaneous broadcasting: image plus audio. But what we know today as TV was still far from being achieved.

This broadcasting was the first of many of them, but they were all irregular and not scheduled.

In 1936, England started broadcasting with a consistent programming, and the United States began doing so in 1939. During the middle of the 20th Century, television started to spread throughout the world.

And What About Color Television?

During all this time there were a lot of scientists trying to achieve color images. But it wasn’t until 1970 when we finally got screens that could show the real color of objects.

Over the years and with a little help from the technological advancements, TV improved its quality and reached more and more houses.

The use of satellites helped broadcasting get faster. This way, TV got faster as well and reached more places around the world. Besides, satellites helped giving access to foreign TV shows.

And if you think that’s already a big improvement, wait to see what happened in the 80s. With digitalization, video production and broadcasting reached a whole different level of quality and speed rates.

As a consequence, TV started replacing the radio as the most popular medium for information.

However, these advancements didn’t arrive at the same time to all countries.

Television in Spain

While England’s first broadcasts took place around 1936, in Spain we had to wait 20 years more for that. The ordinary broadcasts at the time were mass ceremonies, official speeches, classic music concerts, etc. 

In 1959 it took place the very first TV broadcast in Spain: a soccer match. It was Real Madrid playing against Barcelona, causing TV sales to increase significantly before the game.

Until that point, all TV screens sold in Spain were imported. In 1960 they started being produced in the country and, as a consequence, they became cheaper. By the end of the decade, there was a television in almost 40% of the Spanish households.

The first color broadcasting that took place in Spain was the Eurovision Song Contest in 1969, live from Madrid. However, as the cameras and the rest of the equipment was provided by other countries, that was only an exception.

From 1973 on, black and white and color broadcasts shared space in Spain. But in 1978, color took over the power of TV.

World Television Day

And because such advancement should not be forgotten, since 1996 we celebrate World Television Day on November 21, commemorating the date on which the first World Television Forum was held.

The United Nations countries came to an agreement to make TV a broadcast medium for news and relevant information, promoting shows that were focused on peace, safety and social development, among other topics.

And what’s left of this story, you probably know it firsthand. DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) made it possible to watch more channels with improved image quality and services. Nowadays, we talk about Smart TVs, apps and cutting-edge streaming platforms.

Be quiet for a second. If you listen carefully, you will surely be able to hear what is about to come. If you’re a music lover, we have something important to tell you.

The Spanish summer is much more than just sun and beach (although it does have a lot of both!). With the arrival of this season, Spain becomes a territory where you could hop from north to south traveling from festival to festival.

Keep reading in English or, if you’d like to change your tune, click here to switch to Spanish and discover some of the music festivals that we have ahead this 2019.

DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL

On June 28^th, 29^th, and 30^th, Madrid will host one of the most important events for rock and heavy metal lovers, the Download Festival. This festival’s third edition can be enjoyed in La Caja Mágica (a multipurpose stadium) at the rhythm of some of the most legendary bands of the genre: Slipknot, Scorpions, Tool, and Sum 41, among many others.

A special meeting, without any doubt, for Slipknot and Tool fans because it will be the first time that both bands play in the Spanish capital in more than a decade.

CRUÏLLA

If you read the names Black Eyed Peas, Kylie Minogue, and Vetusta Morla and you can’t help but move your feet as you remember one of their songs, pop rock is your thing, and this is your festival. During July 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th, several special guests come together to celebrate the tenth anniversary of this festival set in Barcelona.

But Cruïlla is much more than music, it’s also all the art created offstage with different artistic offers that go from dance and theatre to painting.

LOW COST FESTIVAL

Don’t let its name confuse you, this festival has hosted top names like The Chemical Brothers. This year, it does not lag behind as it’s bringing groups as important as New Order, Foals, and Bastille. If you’re looking for a non-overcrowded and more affordable musical event, stop by Benidorm (Alicante) on July 26^th, 27^th, and 28^th.   

STARLITE

A stellar lineup for a luxury location. After seven editions, Starlite has become one of the world’s longest festivals with more than 46 days of concerts. This year, from July 5^th to August 23^rd, music, culture, and gastronomy unite in a single place: Marbella (Malaga). Enjoy a starlit stage: Jason Derulo, Luis Fonsi, and Sting, among many others, will be, for sure, the delight of the audience.

FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE BENICÀSSIM (FIB)

We conclude the festival route with the season’s classic, a festival that turns 25 summers old this year. A pop, rock, indie, and electronic music parade located in Benicàsim (Castellón, Comunidad Valenciana) that will allow you to enjoy the good atmosphere, and some paella too, on July 18^th, 19^th, 20^th, and 21^st. Just in case these reasons are not enough to awake your interest, maybe the names Lana del Rey, Fatboy Slim, and Kings of Leon will change your mind.

If this is music to your ears, take a Spanish course in Spain and drop by one of these music festivals. Improve your Spanish skills and stop sounding like a broken record using the same Spanish expressions over and over again.

Malaga’s great pride is being the birthplace of one of the greatest geniuses of painting, Pablo Picasso. We all know his work and his style, but many are unaware of some of the most curious details of his life. Do you want to learn about some of them?

Read the Spanish version

We almost didn’t have this genius: at birth he was given up for dead; but his uncle Salvador, a physician by profession, was able to revive him.  

We all know him as "Pablo Picasso,” but if we saw his birth certificate we would be surprised. His name was really Pablo Diego Jose Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno Maria de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santisima Trinidad Martir Patricio Clito Ruiz y Picasso!

It is known that Picasso started painting from an early age. So early in fact that his first word was "piz" referring to lápiz (pencil in Spanish)!

And he really was a “chip off the old block.” Picasso's father was an instructor at the School of Fine Arts in Malaga. They say, that upon seeing that his son had surpassed him in talent at barely 13 years old, the father gave up painting.

He was a rebellious student and was often punished; but he did not take it badly because he used the afternoons of punishment to draw and create in his own fashion.

Few know this: Picasso figures in the Guinness Book of Records as the most prolific artist in the world with 3,500 paintings, 100,000 prints, 34,000 illustrations and 300 sculptures.

In 1911 the famous Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre. The police called Picasso, but as a defendant! Of course, he could prove his innocence.

Ironically Picasso is precisely one of the most "stolen" artists. More than 350 of his works have been victims of thievery.

Picasso was a great friend of another genius of painting: Joan Miro. In fact, their mothers already knew each other, but their true friendship was born when Picasso's mother sent Miro to take her son, who was residing in Paris, an ensaimada (typical, fluffy pastry from Malaga). It took the young Miro several days to find Picasso, and when they were finally together, he gave him the ensaimada, which was already hard. Picasso was impressed that, in a gesture of honesty, Miro hadn’t eaten the pastry.

Picasso's friends claim that he used to carry a revolver loaded with blanks that he would fire when a conversation became too boring.

They say that when he realized that, one night, he had no money, Picasso wanted to pay for a dinner with a drawing. The manager of the restaurant, knowing the painter's fame, asked him to sign it. To which Picasso replied "What I want is to pay for dinner, not buy the restaurant.”

Picasso is the favorite artist of many, but who were Picasso's favorite artists? It is said that he had a weak spot for the work of El Greco and, after his pink period, began to deeply admire ancient Iberian art and pieces such as the Lady of Elche or the Lady of Baza.

As you can see,  genius, art and even wit had always been present in the life of Picasso. Therefore, to conclude this article, we quote the painter himself: "When I was a child, my mother told me: If you become a soldier you will grow into a general, if you become a priest, you will end up a pope. Instead of all that I decided to be a painter and I became Picasso."

Alejandro Amenábar is a widely respected film director and prominent artistic personality in the Spanish speaking world; over the span of his career in the film industry, Amenábar has been the recipient of multiple awards, including a European film award and 8 Goya Awards. His passion for film manifests in the personal edge Amenábar brings to his works, having composed nearly every soundtrack to each of his 6 Spanish films, and having written the screenplays himself in addition.

• Amenábar, one of the most talented and diverse Spanish film directors in modern times, has dual nationality; his mother is Spanish and his father Chilean.
• Between the years 1991 and 1994, Alejandro made 4 short films which laid the foundations for the full length films which were to follow.

Alejandro Amenábar’s interests in culture and narrative can be traced back to his childhood; it is said he dedicated much of his leisure time to reading stories, writing his own, going to the cinema or composing his own music. These experiences no doubt heightened his thirst for a creative outlet, and sharpened an already expansive imagination. The initial short films Alejandro produced were Himenoptero, La Cabeza and Luna. Indeed, it was one of these short films which sparked a series of events propelling Amenábar onto the landscape of Spanish film; on receiving a copy of the script for Himenoptero, Jose Luis Cuerda became interested in Alejandro’s work, and this quickly led to him taking on the role of producer for the 1996 film Thesis, undoubtedly one of his most famous and iconic films. His next film was Abre los Ojos in 1997, which enjoyed particular success at both the Tokyo film festival and that in Berlin. However, this film is known to most film fans as Vanilla Sky, with Tom Cruise having adapted and produced it after purchasing the rights on noting its potential.

Amenábar showcased his diversity as a film producer when he directed the iconic horror film The Others, which starred internationally renowned actress Nicole Kidman. This film was extremely successful in Spain, being the most watched film of the year, and similarly in the USA, where it remained amongst the top few films at the Box Office for a period of several weeks. The Others had its premiere in 2001 at the Venice Film Festival, winning a grand total of 8 Goya awards, including Best Director and Best Movie. Another of Amenábar’s most famous, and certainly most touching, pieces is known in English as The Sea Inside or Mar Adentro, which narrates the moving story of quadriplegic Ramón Sampedro, and addresses polemical issues including abortion and the film’s most prominent theme: euthanasia. Amongst an extensive list of Goya awards, Mar Adentro also claimed the Academy Award in 2004 for Best Foreign Language Film. 4 years later in 2008, Amenábar released the most expensive piece in Spanish film history, Agora, which had a budget of 50 million Euros. Aside from his own works, Alejandro is also known for his composition of the soundtrack for La lengua de las mariposas or Butterfly’s Tongue.