'Searching For Rosalía': first biography of Catalan star tracks her meteoric rise

Journalists Oriol Rodríguez and Yeray S. Iborra have published 'Buscant la Rosalía' (Llibres del Kultrum), the first biography of the Catalan superstar.

The book, the title of which can be translated to "Searching For Rosalía," examines the musician's meteoric rise in the past 10 years.

Starting in 2016 when Rosalía used to send WhatsApp messages to concert goers asking them to come again, the book follows her story up to the current day, already an established global superstar selling out world tours in minutes.

An omniscient narrator delves into the search for Rosalía, starting from her early performances at the Tablao del Carmen in Poble Espanyol in Barcelona in front of a hundred people.

The authors admit that Rosalía's rise has also been accompanied by a bunkering. Rodríguez and Iborra address the debates that have surrounded the artist in these past 10 years, from accusations of appropriation of flamenco to criticism for not taking a political position in conflicts such as Palestine or feminism.

Both journalists believe these debates affect Rosalía personally, despite her external armor. They quip that the singer must have "interesting conversations" with her psychologist, if she sees one.

"She is a person who, from a very young age, has already been exposed. She published 'El mal querer' in her early twenties, and these debates already began," Rodríguez says. "But at the same time, one of the factors of her success is this resilience."

He admits he's "fascinated" by the fact that someone "from the same background" as he has been so successful. "Unfortunately, it has been a unique case", the culture journalist maintains, adding that "hopefully this has paved the way."

Access to Rosalía

Iborra explains that the pair tried to interview Rosalía for the book, as they had already done so in her early career. "One of the two spoke to her several times, we felt close to her in some way," he explains. "It was an incredible fiction, obviously."

Left scratching their heads, they were able to talk with other people close to the artist and who have had impacts on her career, such as the producer Raül Refree and Pablo Díaz-Reixa 'El Guincho'. "They helped us learn the same thing, but from the margins," says Iborra.

Rodríguez points out that "the rules have changed" when it comes to trying to speak with Rosalía, as happens with other global superstars.

"She controls very well what she wants to do, with whom she wants to do it, and how she wants to do it. Her appearances and interviews are very well thought out," he continues.

The writer gives the example of Rosalía's interview on the podcast 'Radio Noia' (Radio Primavera Sound) by Mar Vallverdú. "It was a small podcast, but she decided to go on a Catalan podcast, entertaining, in bed with a person. A masterstroke."