Rosa Leon (F)

Singer/songwriter Rosa León began performing in the early '70s. Alongside her musical partner, Jorge Krahe, León performed her songs of social and political satire/commentary in cafes, universities, and various small venues under the group name Rosa y Jorge. Though the duo prepared repertoire as a team, early recordings featured León's voice alone. Her popularity grew, and soon Krahe fell away entirely. León's first recordings, including her debut LP, De Alguna Manera, appeared on the Aute label. Shortly thereafter, León made a television appearance that would change the course of her career. The program (and subsequent album of the same name) called Cuentopos featured León performing children's songs. The project generated classic songs like "Cancion de la Vacuna," "El Gato Grande," and "Cancion Para Vestirse," which would be memorized by kids of many ages for years to come. León became known as one of Spain's premier children's artists. Her 1978 release, Tiempo al Tiempo, followed five years later by Rosa Se Está Buscando en el Espejo, saw her popularity wane slightly, though only for a short time. León returned to her politically progressive folk roots with the feminist-leaning Amigas Mias and Entre Amigos, her first releases aimed at adult audiences in years. Recent releases have featured re-recorded and repackaged children's repertoire from earlier days. Although she is not actively writing or recording at present, various freshly released collections capture her groundbreaking work for younger audiences. © Evan C. Gutierrez /TiVo