Amaral

Amaral are a Spanish pop/rock band who began topping the national charts with remarkable frequency after the turn of the century. Comprised of songwriters Eva Amaral (vocals, guitar; born on August 4, 1973, in Zaragoza, Spain) and Juan Aguirre (guitar; born on February 11, 1970, in San Sebastián, Spain), the duo first met in 1993 in Zaragoza, where they were active in separate bands: the former was a drummer in Bandera Blanca while the latter was a guitarist in Días de Vino y Rosas. In 1997, after leaving their respective bands and forming one of their own, the duo moved to Madrid and, in turn, signed a major-label recording contract with EMI. The following year they made their full-length debut with the eponymous album Amaral. The album spawned a series of singles, as did the follow-up effort, Una Pequeña Parte del Mundo (2000), and the band's fortunes rose steadily. Amaral's third album, Estrella de Mar (2002), marked their mainstream breakthrough, peaking at number one on the Spanish albums chart and spawning five chart-topping hit singles ("Sin Ti No Soy Nada," "Moriría por Vos," "Toda la Noche en la Calle," "Te Necesito," "Salir Corriendo"). The follow-up album, Pájaros en la Cabeza (2005), was similarly successful, again peaking at number one on the Spanish albums chart and spawning five chart-topping hit singles ("El Universo Sobre Mí," "Días de Verano," "Marta, Sebas, Guille y los Demás," "Resurrección," "Si Tú No Vuelves"). In the midst of this success, the live video El Comienzo del Big Bang: Gira 2005 (2005) was released. After a few years out of the spotlight, Amaral returned in 2008 with the chart-topping double album Gato Negro/Dragon Rojo and the likewise chart-topping lead single "Kamikaze." Follow-up singles included "Tarde de Domingo Rara" and "Perdóname." A year later they released their first live collection, 2009's La Barrera del Sonido which was recorded at the Palacio de los Deportes in Madrid, Spain by Canal +. Severing ties with EMI, the duo headed back into the studio in 2011 with producer Juan de Dios to record their sixth studio album Hacia lo Salvaje. ~ Jason Birchmeier