Mecano

Mecano

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1981 in Madrid, Spain
Defunct	1998
Headquarters	Madrid , Spain
Products	Music albums, singles

Mecano was a prominent Spanish pop ensemble established in 1981 and active until 1992, recognized as one of the most influential Spanish pop groups ever. They hold the record as the best-selling Spanish band, having sold in excess of 20 million albums globally. Considered innovative for their era, they were integral to the la Movida Madrileña counterculture movement and briefly reunited in 1998.

The lineup featured vocalist Ana Torroja alongside siblings Nacho Cano and José María Cano, supported by session musicians such as Arturo Terriza and Manolo Aguilar. Their musical journey can be divided into two distinct periods: an initial phase dominated by synthpop until 1985, followed by a transition to acoustic pop rock that incorporated a variety of genres including ballads, dance rhythms, flamenco, bossa nova, tango, salsa, rumba flamenca, bolero, pasodoble, and reggae.

Mecano enjoyed widespread acclaim throughout Hispanic America and extended their influence beyond Spanish-speaking countries, notably impacting markets like Italy and France with adaptations such as "Une femme avec une femme." In 2005, their repertoire inspired the successful stage production Hoy no me puedo levantar, which was performed in Spain and Mexico and attracted over 1.5 million attendees—marking it as the most triumphant original Spanish-language musical to date.

Among their chart-topping hits are "Me cuesta tanto olvidarte", "La fuerza del destino", "Hijo de la luna", "Cruz de navajas", "Une femme avec une femme", and "El 7 de septiembre".

History

Formed in 1981 in Madrid, Mecano began as a synth-pop group (referred to as tecno pop in Spain) created by brothers Nacho and José María Cano, with singer Ana Torroja. Their sound drew inspiration from English new wave acts like Spandau Ballet. Emerging during Spain’s transition to democracy, Mecano quickly gained traction with their debut single "Hoy no me puedo levantar," which addressed themes of youth ennui. Their eponymous first album became a defining symbol of 1980s Spanish pop music.

While Nacho Cano ventured into producing for other bands, both brothers contributed songwriting to emerging pop artists; these efforts served more as creative outlets than commercial successes.

Following a label change from CBS-Columbia (later Sony Music) to Ariola (which later merged into BMG), Mecano scored a significant hit in 1986 with "Me cuesta tanto olvidarte." Their album Entre el cielo y el suelo marked a stylistic shift toward mainstream pop away from techno elements, facilitating their breakthrough into Latin American audiences. This record included "Hijo de la Luna," which was submitted for Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 1986 but ultimately not selected.

Their subsequent release, Descanso Dominical, produced two prominent singles: "La fuerza del destino," featuring actress Penélope Cruz in her debut music video appearance, and "Mujer contra mujer," which explores a lesbian relationship from an observer’s perspective. The latter was recorded in several languages including French ("Une femme avec une femme"), English, and Italian, becoming their inaugural international hit. Launched in Latin America in 1989, it dominated French charts for seven consecutive weeks and ranks among France’s most successful singles ever.

The 1991 album Aidalai sustained the band’s commercial momentum. Its single "El 7 de septiembre," dedicated to Nacho Cano’s then-partner Coloma Fernández Armero, became their final number one across Ibero-America. The accompanying video took visual cues from the classic 1927 movie Metropolis. This release was their last original studio album before they announced a hiatus in 1993.

In 1998, Mecano issued Ana, Jose, Nacho, a compilation mixing new material with greatest hits before disbanding later that year. Each member embarked on solo ventures afterward; Ana Torroja notably achieved considerable individual success. In 2005, Nacho Cano developed a musical based on 32 Mecano songs named after their debut single.

That same year saw the release of Mecanografia, a double CD/DVD set commemorating their 25th anniversary, featuring collections of singles, unreleased tracks, videos, and early live performances.

The Cano brothers were trailblazers in integrating technology into their music; Nacho was among the first Spanish artists to utilize the Fairlight synthesizer. José María concentrated on crafting lyrics through thorough research while Nacho typically composed starting with rhythm machines and melodies before adding words.

Mecano briefly reunited in November 2009 to release a new track. On 25 November 2011, announcements surfaced about a planned global tour for 2012; however, despite media reports including those from El País, this tour was later officially denied.

Band members

• Ana Torroja – lead singer
• Nacho Cano – synthesizers, keyboards, backing vocals
• Jose Maria Cano – guitar, backing vocals

Awards and nominations

Award	Year	Nominee(s)	Category	Outcome
Lo Nuestro Awards	1993	"Una Rosa Es Una Rosa"	Video of the Year	Template:Won
MTV Video Music Awards	1992	"El 7 de septiembre"	Viewer's Choice	Template:Nom
	1993	"Una Rosa Es Una Rosa"		Template:Nom

Studio albums

• Mecano (1982)
• ¿Dónde está el país de las hadas? (1983)
• Ya viene el Sol (1984)
• Entre el cielo y el suelo (1986)
• Descanso Dominical (1988)
• Aidalai (1991)

Other releases

• Mecano: Obras Completas (2005) – A limited edition box set containing six studio albums, one live album, and an additional CD with previously unreleased tracks; this set does not include the Italian and French language albums.
• Tripack: Mecano: Grandes Éxitos (2005) – A three-disc collection featuring two audio CDs with 15 tracks each and a DVD comprising 20 official music videos.
• Digipack: Mecanografía (La Historia En Imágenes) (2006) – An elaborate four-DVD set showcasing TVE performances alongside unreleased content.
• Participated with the track "Canción Cortita Para Antes que Nos Abandone el Mar" on Greenpeace's compilation "Salvemos al Mediterráneo" (1985).

Foreign-language recordings

Mecano recorded several songs in English, including the single "The Uninvited Guest," which is the English version of "Me Colé en Una Fiesta." Other English tracks such as Hawaii-Bombay and You have not been officially released.

Italian

Key Italian adaptations include:

• Figlio Della Luna (Hijo De La Luna)
• Croce Di Lame (Cruz de Navajas)
• Un Anno Di Più (Un Año Más)
• Uno Di Quegli Amanti (Los Amantes)
• Per Lei Contro Di Lei (Mujer Contra Mujer)
• Il Cinema (El Cine)
• Vado A Nuova York (No Hay Marcha En Nueva York)
• Fermati A Madrid (Quédate En Madrid)
• Mi Costa Tanto di Scordarti (Me Cuesta Tanto Olvidarte)
• Responso Positivo (El Fallo Positivo)
• Anna e Miguel (Naturaleza Muerta)
• Una Rosa e Una Rosa (Una Rosa es Una Rosa)
• "Tu" and "Dalai Lama" (Italian versions)
• Il 7 Di Settembre (El 7 De Septiembre)
• "La Forza Del Destino" (La Fuerza del Destino).

French

French renditions include:

• Une Femme Avec Une Femme (Mujer Contra Mujer)
• Dis-Moi Lune D'Argent (Hijo De La Luna)
• "Une Histoire À Trois" (El Uno, El Dos, El Tres)
• Nature Morte (Naturaleza Muerta)
• Le Paradis Artificiel (El Lago Artificial)
• Toi (Tú)
• "J.C." and "Le 7 Septembre" (El 7 de Septiembre).

Unreleased songs

Among Mecano's unreleased tracks are Me Non Parle Vous Français ("I Don't Speak French"), Me he declarado en guerra ("I've Declared Myself At War"), Cristóbal Colón ("Christopher Columbus"), El Caballo de Espartero ("Espartero's Horse"), Solo ("Alone"), Lía ("Tie"), El Pez ("The Fish"), El Romance de la Niña María Luz ("The Romance of the Girl María Luz"), Arlequín ("Harlequin"), Al Alba ("At Dawn"), and ¿Qué Haces Tú en el Mundo? ("What Do you Do in the World?").

Covers by other artists

Mecano's repertoire has inspired numerous renditions across both Spanish-speaking countries and global markets, demonstrating their extensive commercial influence. Songs from Entre el cielo y el suelo were interpreted by artists such as Montserrat Caballé and Celia Cruz, while the previously unreleased track Lía was performed by Ana Belén. The Eurodance performer Loona scored a significant success in 1998 with her cover of "Hijo de la luna." In 1993, Laura Branigan included "Mujer Contra Mujer" on her album Over My Heart, and Mexican vocalist Daniela Romo incorporated the same song into her 2008 release, Sueños de Cabaret. Additionally, Dominican salsa singer Raulin Rosendo broadened the song’s appeal within Latin dance circles through his version of "Cruz de Navajas."

In 2004, Mexican pop singer Fey unveiled La Fuerza Del Destino, an album comprising twelve Mecano covers that garnered a Latin Grammy nomination the following year. Grammy-winning Costa Rican group Editus also offered their rendition of "Hijo De La Luna" on their album Siempre....

On the international stage, performers including Sarah Brightman, Mario Frangoulis, and Belgian-Spanish artist Belle Perez have covered "Hijo de la luna" and "Naturaleza Muerta." Greek singer Eleni Dimou adapted "Hijo de la luna" into Greek under the title "Πέφτει το φεγγάρι." Spanish metal band Stravaganzza featured "Hijo de la luna" on their EP Hijo del Miedo, while crossover soprano Geraldine Larrosa delivered a bilingual French/Spanish version of "Naturaleza Muerta."

Brazilian new wave group Metrô recorded a Portuguese-language cover of "Hawaii–Bombay" for their 1985 album Olhar, with Portuguese artist José Cid also producing his own interpretation. The German symphonic metal ensemble Haggard included "Hijo de la Luna" in their 2008 album Tales of Ithiria. Finnish pop-folk singer Tuula Amberla released a Finnish adaptation titled "Kuun poika" in 1992, followed by symphonic metal band Katra, who covered it on their 2008 album Beast Within.

In 2009, Mexican performer Gloria Trevi delivered a live rendition of "Hijo de la Luna" during the television program El Show de los Sueños. Brazilian-Venezuelan vocalist Elisa Rego produced an electronic version of "Aire" on her fifth studio project, Temperamental. Early in her career, Rego fronted ES-3, an underground ensemble specializing in Mecano covers performed in Caracas clubs prior to Mecano’s initial Venezuelan tours in 1984 and 1986.

Italian extreme gothic metal band Theatres des Vampires recorded an Italian-language version of "Hijo de la Luna" featured on their 2011 album Moonlight Waltz.

Bibliography of Mecano

1. Book: "Mecano: La Explosión Del Pop Español", Author: Joan Singla, published by Martínez Roca, 144 pages, dimensions 20 × 13 cm, ISBN 84-270-0871-6.
2. Book: "Mecano (El Libro)", various contributors, publisher Luca, 128 pages, size 24 × 20 cm, ISBN 84-87491-05-7. Includes a promotional CD containing two tracks in Italian and French. Released August 1, 1992.
3. Book: "Mecano: La Fuerza Del Destino", authors Carlos Del Amo and Javier Adrados, published by La Esfera De Los Libros, first edition, 436 pages, ISBN 84-9734-177-5. Published April 20, 2004.

See also

• List of top-selling Latin music performers