Who did you idolize as a teenager? Did you go crazy for the Beatles? Ga-ga over Duran Duran? In love with Justin Bieber? Did you think Elvis was the livin’ end?
I never fell in love with a rock star or a pop singer or an actor. My father was a writer and Literature teacher and he taught me to read good books from my childhood and my older sister had a master in film direction. So my idols were characters of novels and movies: Huckleberry Finn was one of them when I was very young. I wanted to be free like him and experience adventures in the open air by myself. I admire the integrity of Atticus Finch I loved his story. I remember how I liked Tevye, the main character of Fiddler on the Roof as one of my favourites as a teenager. I always cry in that movie when the jews are expelled from their village and began to march singing their farewell to their beloved land.
Probably I was odd. I liked classic music . I was a piano and singing student. My true idol was a Spanish tenor already dead called Alfredo Kraus. He has some magnificent recordings with Maria Callas (My other idol those days) singing la Traviata in Milan.
So I was crazy for books, musicals, movies and opera.
I was also quite into opera, would visit at least once a month to Sadlers Wells in London (didn’t have the money for Covent garden). I remember Alfredo Kraus vaguely, but I always had a liking for Mario del Monaco. He had one of those strong voices which was almost a “shout” but I loved the drama in his singing.
We live in a small city and we didn’t have the opportunity to go to the opera. My first experience was once when I went with my parents to Paris. I realised then how different was the real thing in comparison with the records. the spectacular stage, the dramatic interpretations…I remember I cried overwhelmed by the emotion. Later on as a reporter, I had the opportunity to listen and even interview several Spanish singers, among them Josep Carreras, Victoria de los Ángeles or Montserrat Caballé. Now we have a nice auditorium and several opera shows every year.