Eclectic Company: Julio Iglesias Answers My Questions

“The first time Julio did it to me,” was the opening line of a love song-cum-review of Julio Iglesias’s then-current album, published in the Village Voice in the early 1980s, written by a staff secretary, who like many other women worldwide, found herself responding physically to the luscious, smoky, sexy timbre of the international star’s voice.

It’s nearly 30 years since that review, but I can still remember that secretary’s story, both what she published and what she told me around the water cooler, and I still marvel at it. I know she was being literal, describing her reaction to Iglesias’s voice, and that she felt the same aftershocks each time she listened to him. Now, from a purely scientific point of view, I get it — his voice acted like a tuning fork set to the right frequency to send her body humming from the vibrations. But on a purely informational level, until then, I’d only known of women who fainted from over-excitement at Beatles concerts, and women of all ages who threw panties at Tom Jones’s concerts. And instinctively, without considering it carefully, what I thought about them was: Fans blinded by fame, groupie-wannabes in lust, mindset of the mob.

But a few weeks ago, spurred by an offer to interview Julio Iglesias prior to his Lake Charles appearance at L’Auberge July 15, I remembered the entire interchange. And when I thought about it with less cynicism, I realized what a compliment her reaction was! To be literally moved by artistic expression! Now I’ve had my heart tugged by sentiment and other emotions. I’ve cried at movies, I’ve laughed at comedy, I’ve been energized listening to a stirring speech. Isn’t that what artistic communication is supposed to do? To move us, to stir us up, to make us feel? Well after 77 albums in 14 languages, and 300 million album sales over 43 years (these numbers provided by his organization are likely an undercount), it’s clear that Julio Iglesias makes listeners feel warm and connected, and that he communicates at a primal level that keeps his fans up close and personal, and hopelessly devoted to him.

So here, in his own words, are Julio Iglesias’s responses to my emailed questions. The concert is sold out, but for all those of you lucky enough to be attending what I expect will be an incredible show, I hope he moves you too.

The Jambalaya News: You've done it all, won all the awards, broken all the records; is there anything else left to conquer?

Julio Iglesias: Oh, yes. Life itself. This is the greatest challenge of all. And I feel so lucky for having such a privileged life, for loving and being loved. I am very grateful for that.

TJN: What motivates you to keep recording and touring? Is it the music itself, or the audience's applause?

JI: I simply cannot live without music and without being in touch with my audience. I’ve been on stage for 43 years and I would like to take this opportunity and say a big “thank you” to all the people who have made this possible. Without their constant love and support, I wouldn’t be here today. Now, touring gives me the chance to come back to so many places where I performed 20 or 30 years ago, and this is the greatest recompense I could ever have.

TJN: The stage at L'Auberge du Lac is very intimate compared to the arenas you usually perform in. Is your show different in a smaller venue?

JI: The size of the venue is not important. Music is a universal language, and so are people’s passion and feelings. The show will be focused on the most representative songs of this four-decade career, those that the grandmothers passed on to their daughters and granddaughters. There will be songs in English and Spanish, tangos, a couple of tango dancers, and some surprises I prefer not to reveal for the moment.

TJN: What makes this tour different from the last one?

JI: Each tour is different; you travel to new places, get in touch with new people. In 2010, we had the chance to perform on five continents, with many shows in Japan, Australia, Egypt, Monaco, USA, Canada, Malaysia, Bulgaria, South America . . . This year we’ve toured three continents so far, and we are very excited.

TJN: Will we be hearing new songs? Do audiences let you perform new songs, or do they shout for your many familiar hits?

JI: Lately, I have been working on a new album, entitled Numero 1 (Number 1), which contains those songs that I noticed the audience felt most identified with, over the years. I have re-recorded them, because I felt I could do them better now than I did them years ago. Songs like “Manuela,” “Hey,” “La vida sigue igual,” “Moonlight Lady,” “Nathalie” . . . People are enthusiastic about new songs, but they enjoy most of all listening to the old ones, which arouse certain memories for them.

TJN: Will the Numero 1 album be available soon?

JI: Yes, the album will be available in the near future. As soon as the exact date is set, we’ll announce it.

TJN: You've recently married your long-time partner. Why now? Do you feel differently about your relationship, now that you're married?

JI: Miranda and I married last year, after a 20-year relationship and five children, but we’ve been feeling we were married for many years, which is why there was no reason to rush. We thought last year was the perfect moment; our children had grown up enough to understand the significance of the moment, and we were so excited to share our joy with them. The most moving moment was seeing them so happy.

TJN: Are you leaving your legacy in good hands with your son Enrique? Do more of your children show signs of musical or other artistic talents?

JI: I am very proud of Enrique; he is a champion, a singer who has proved his talent by himself, and he’s a hard-working, ambitious person. Life has been very generous to me and has given me eight wonderful children. I am not sure, for the moment, if any of my little kids will follow an artistic career, but what I can say for sure is that they love music. Once, on Christmas, they and their cousins set up a band, started to play the guitar, the drums and invited me to perform. We had so much fun.

TJN: Do you have a favorite spot on earth?

JI: The ocean.

TJN: Is there music you listen to for pleasure, which we'd be surprised to learn about?

JI: When I am home, with my kids, I automatically listen to the music they like, on TV, on the Internet. So, I am quite up to date with the singers of their generation.