Manuel Alejandro (Manuel Álvarez-Beigbeder, Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, 1933), composer, or as he defines himself, a songwriter, has been touching Spanish-speaking hearts with his songs for sixty years. His romantic and restrained style, influenced by solid musical training and a love for literature, turns each song into a theatrical scene, symphonic poem, or elegy.
He studied music with his father, Germán Álvarez-Beigbeder, a composer known for his symphonic and sacred music, and completed his studies at the Madrid Conservatory. A broken arm at age sixteen kept him away from the piano and writing for three years, redirecting him to popular song rather than classical music, which he never abandoned as a source, giving weight and permanence to his songs. His twenty years in Jerez, immersed in the atmosphere of cante jondo, also greatly influenced his work.
The most diverse voices – from Raphael to Plácido Domingo, Julio Iglesias to Alfredo Kraus, Luis Miguel to José Luis Rodríguez “El Puma”, José José to Emmanuel, Rocío Jurado to Marisol, Jeannette to Pantoja – have carried Manuel Alejandro’s melodies and lyrics throughout the Spanish-speaking world, and today the most diverse voices continue to do so.
His career has been honored with countless awards: Honorary Academician of Real de San Dionisio and the Santa Cecilia Academy of Fine Arts in El Puerto de Santa María; Favorite Son of Jerez, Cádiz, and Andalusia; recognized by the Universities of Alcalá de Henares and Complutense of Madrid; Spanish State Gold Medal of Fine Arts; Music Award of the SGAE; mentions by IBM and ASCAP; first inductee of the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame; Honorary Key of the City of Miami; Special Tribute at the 1992 Washington Encounter of Cultures; Grammy for “Un Hombre Solo” written for Julio Iglesias; Latin Grammy for Lifetime Achievement; SGAE Mexico Grand Master Award; Visionario de lo Nuestro 2025 of Premio Lo Nuestro; 2025 Ondas Honor Award…
