Enrique Bunbury is a Spanish rock legend, and yet if you passed him on a busy street in the United States, there are some who wouldn’t recognize him. With a career that spans three decades, Bunbury made a name for himself as the frontman of Heroes del Silencio in the mid 80s. The group was one of the pillars of the “Rock en Español” movement along with other big names like Soda Stereo and Fabulosos Cadillacs. In the late 90s Bunbury embarked on a solo career to explore different expressions of his music.
His solo career has fused his signature electric guitar with diverse styles and genres, from cabaret and ballads to tropical rhythms. His 10th studio album, which will be released soon, takes a plunge into electronic music. Titled Posible, the album delivers some of his most intimate lyrics and inspirations to date. Bunbury said as much in a letter addressed to his fans, which he posted on his website. In it, he declared that Posible is his most personal album yet, and expressed the hope that his followers will listen with an open mind and be pleasantly surprised.
Bunbury has spent most of his career on the road bringing his eclectic act to some of the most remote parts of the country and the world—playing in both arenas and small nightclubs. In this new addition to our “Portrait Of” series, Maria Hinojosa sits down with the rock star to learn about his rise to the top, his love-hate relationship with touring, what keeps him going after all these years, and his new album.
This segment was produced by Jeanne Montalvo.
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NPR’s Latino USA with Maria Hinojosa, produced by Futuro Media, is the longest-running Latino-focused program on U.S. public media.
