Marina Rossell

Catalan singer/songwriter Marina Rossell was born in 1954 to a peasant family from the Barcelona region. As a teenager, Rossell fell under the spell of the seminal Catalan protest song movement Nova Cançó, and in fact began her career as the supporting act for some of the Nova Cançó's leading figures, such as Lluís Llach and Maria del Mar Bonet. Llach eventually produced Rossell's first album, a collection of Catalan folk traditionals, released in 1976. Recognition came with her second album, 1978's Penyora, which included her signature song, "La Gavina." The owner of a gorgeous singing voice, Rossell has recorded more than 20 albums (up to 2012), collaborated with many of the most prominent Catalan and Spanish songwriters, performed extensively in Europe — particularly in France — and Latin America, and received numerous musical and cultural awards. ~ Mariano Prunes