The premiere of an interview with José María Sanz Beltrán, known as Loquillo, was held in Barcelona on the program ‘Lo de Évole’ on La Sexta. For the first time, the musician spoke in detail about how his family history, tied to the repressions following the Civil War, shaped his views and creative work. Loquillo emphasized that his parents’ experiences, having endured severe hardships, became the foundation of his approach to life and art.
In a conversation with Jordi Évole, the artist noted that his father, Santiago Sanz, was forced to leave Spain after the victory of the Francoists, ended up in the Argelès-sur-Mer concentration camp in France, and later returned to Barcelona. The musician’s mother also faced the consequences of repression, especially the restrictions imposed on women in the postwar period. Loquillo stressed that his father was only able to find work thanks to the help of his grandfather, who worked at the port.
The musician admitted that the sense of class anger and injustice, passed down by his parents, became a central theme in his songs and stage persona. According to Loquillo, this internal conflict defined his path in music and explains why his work resonates with different generations of listeners. He also spoke about personal struggles with alcohol and drugs, noting that creating a stage character became his way of coping with the pressures of fame.
Loquillo remains one of the most recognizable figures on the Spanish rock scene: over his 45-year career he has sold more than 3 million records, and his songs with the band Los Trogloditas and as a solo artist regularly top the national charts. On Spotify alone, he has over 880,000 monthly listeners. In the interview, the artist emphasized that his music is for those who are not afraid to go against the current.
The topic of the impact of family and historical trauma on modern society is regularly raised in the Spanish media. For example, in a piece about the ban on women participating in Semana Santa traditions in Sagunto the consequences of such restrictions for new generations were discussed.
The ‘Lo de Évole’ episode featuring Loquillo aired on Sunday at 21:30 on La Sexta. Clips from the interview are already available to watch, and the full version has sparked wide interest among fans and music industry experts.
