At the age of 76, Joaquín Sabina, one of the greatest musicians of his generation, has decided to leave the big stage for good. He follows in the footsteps of another maestro, Joan Manuel Serrat, while their fellow musician Miguel Ríos, now over 80, continues to perform. Sabina’s own story is well known to his legions of fans, but the biography of his daughter Carmela—a talented producer and his main source of support—remains in the shadows for many. The maestro’s final bow on stage will take place on November 30, 2025.
On this landmark farewell evening, Joaquín will be accompanied by the three most important people in his life: his current wife, Jimena Coronado, and his two daughters, Carmela and Rocío. The artist has always been discreet about his private life. His first wife was Lucía Correa, with whom he was married from 1977 to 1985. After a relationship with model Cristina Zubillaga, he met Isabel Oliart, daughter of a minister from the Adolfo Suárez era, who gave him two daughters. Their relationship lasted from 1986 to 1998. The eldest, Carmela, now heads her own production company, while the younger, Rocío, has found her path in literature and yoga teaching.
The relationship between the singer from Úbeda and his daughters can’t be described as traditional. Their childhood and adolescence coincided with the height of his career, when his touring schedule included more than a hundred concerts a year across Spain and Latin America, where he is a major star. Sabina, who dedicated a song to each of them — “Ay, Carmela” and “Ay, Rocío” — has often said how proud he is that his daughters grew up to be diligent and hardworking young women who never flaunted their famous last name. Moreover, they have managed to keep their lives largely out of the spotlight, making only rare public appearances.
Carmela’s professional journey deserves special attention. She worked as a producer and production director at Estela Films. In 2014, she produced the short film “Epitafios,” for which her father wrote a song for the soundtrack. This wasn’t their only creative collaboration: later, she worked on the music video for “Lo niego todo,” in which both sisters made cameo appearances.
In 2022, Carmela, together with Álex García, produced the short film “Tótem Loba.” When receiving a prestigious award for this work, she dedicated it to her father, who by then had already recovered from a fall off the stage during a concert in Madrid the previous year. This moment of recognition was especially emotional for the entire family.
This year, Carmela founded her own production company, Tenampa Films. The name is a nod to the legendary Mexican cantina frequented by music icons José Alfredo Jiménez and Chavela Vargas. The company recently released the series “Rafaela y su mundo loco.” Carmela Martínez Oliart keeps her Instagram profile private and has just over a thousand followers, reflecting her attitude toward publicity. In 2025, she was once again nominated for a Goya Award for her short film “El trono.”
Incidentally, Joaquín Ramón Martínez Sabina, born in 1949 in Úbeda (Andalusia), is one of the most influential figures in Spanish-language music. His work is known for its deeply poetic, ironic, and socially charged lyrics. Over a career spanning more than forty years, he has released over fifteen studio albums, many of which have gone platinum. Sabina is renowned for his raspy voice and his persona as an eternal rebel and romantic, a combination that has earned him cult status not only in Spain but throughout Latin America.
