The Spanish rock scene has suffered an irreparable loss. Roberto Iniesta, better known as Robe — the unwavering founder and vocalist of the iconic band Extremoduro, has died at the age of 63. The artist, whose music became the soundtrack for several generations, passed away on December 10 after a long battle with the consequences of pulmonary embolism, which forced him off the stage and led to the cancellation of a highly anticipated tour over a year ago. His passing leaves not only a musical legacy, but also questions about the future of his business empire.
Extremoduro’s songs, such as ‘Ama, ama y ensancha el alma’ and ‘So payaso,’ have secured their place in the golden era of Spanish rock, with social media flooded with tributes from fans and fellow musicians in the days following his death. Sensing his time was short, the musician devoted his last months not only to his art, but also to putting his affairs in order. He carefully arranged for the transfer of control over his assets to his closest loved ones — his wife Vivi Vásquez and their two children — to ensure his legacy would live on and flourish.
A key role in managing the artist’s estate has been entrusted to his wife, Vivi Vásquez. She was designated as the trustee and granted the authority to manage the two main companies through which Roberto Iniesta ran all his businesses in recent years. This decision ensures that the projects to which the musician dedicated his soul will remain under the family’s control.
The first and most successful of his companies, B N C A SL, is registered in Biscay. This firm has served as the main vehicle for managing all of Robe’s musical and artistic activities. The company’s financials are impressive: its assets exceed three million euros, and net profit for the latest reporting period was about two million. In addition to its core business, B N C A SL has actively supported a range of cultural initiatives. One such project was the animated feature film ‘Heidi: Saving the Lynx,’ a co-production between Germany, Spain, and Belgium, which even received a nomination at the IFFA Awards in Australia.
The musician’s second, equally ambitious project is linked to his homeland of Extremadura. Through the company Producciones 16562 SL, he planned to create a unique space that would combine agriculture with sustainable tourism. The idea was to build a rural vacation home complex. The initial attempt to launch the project at the ‘La Fabrica’ site fell through when its environmental permit expired in 2024. However, Robe did not give up and, in the same year, secured new approval to relocate the project to another site, ‘El Goterón’, spanning over 20,000 square meters. The plan was to build three guesthouses with a swimming pool while preserving the existing olive grove. The initiative earned support from local authorities as a significant boost for the region’s economy.
Despite its promising outlook, the financial situation of Producciones 16562 SL was unstable. The company had accumulated losses and owed more than a million euros, largely due to tour cancellations caused by the pandemic. The future of this tourism project now depends entirely on the new management’s ability to recover outstanding loans and find a path to profitability.
Now, after the founder’s departure, his family will take up the torch to continue his life’s work, preserving not only his musical but also his entrepreneurial legacy.
For context, Roberto Iniesta, born in Plasencia (Extremadura), was not just a musician but a true poet and visionary. He founded Extremoduro in 1987, pioneering a unique genre that critics dubbed ‘transgressive rock.’ This style combined the raw energy of punk rock with deep, often explicit, but always sincere poetry. The band released 11 studio albums, many of which went multi-platinum and had a huge impact on Spanish-language rock music.
