Loquillo

by Evan C. GutierrezJosé Maria Sanz was born on December 22, 1960. Sanz came from a working-class family that resided in the blue-collar neighborhood of Clot, in Barcelona. An active athlete in his youth, Sanz was a member of the youth basketball team of Badalona. It was thanks to his budding athletic career that Sanz was noticed and given a shot in the entertainment world. In 1980 a rep from the Cuspide media company saw Sanz on television and immediately offered him an opportunity to record, drawing on other popular groups of the day (Los Rebeldes and Los Intocables) for artistic direction and repertoire. Loquillo (Sanz) recorded a number of singles with Los Intocables before forming his own group. By 1983, Loquillo y los Trogloditas were born, consisting of Sanz (voice), Igor Paskual (guitar and voice), Josep Simón Ramirez (bass), Laurent Castagnet (drums), J.R. Vericad (keyboards), and Guillermo Martín (lead guitar and voice.) Their first record, El Ritmo del Garage, was released in 1983 and marked the arrival of what would become an industry mainstay. With time and persistence, Loquillo y los Trogloditas became among the most important voices of rock en español. Recording 19 albums between 1983 and 2006 with los Trogloditas and five during that period as a solo artist, Loquillo is also among the more prolific artists in the genre.