Hidden Gems: Camilo Sesto and his Legacy

Yo ho! Nightrider here!

As of this posting, you may have heard on Twitter about the passing of Spanish singer Camilo Sesto on 8 September at the age of 72, 8 days shy of what would have been his 73rd birthday. Beginning his career in 1964 with the band Los Dayson and going solo in 1971, Camilo Sesto has sold over 180 million albums worldwide with 28 studio albums behind them.

Born Camilo Blanes Cortés, Camilo Sesto emerged successful with his debut album Algo de mí in 1971. His first big hit was the title song “Algo de mí.” Since 1971, Sesto’s successes had no bounds as each year was hit after hit. He was even cast as Jesus in the Spanish adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1975 with Andrew Lloyd Webber stating that this version is the only equal to the original American production.

Not only was Camilo a successful singer, but he was also a producer and songwriter. He wrote famous songs for singers like Lani Hall, Audrey Landers, Sergio Fachelli, José José and many others. He also sang his hit songs in different languages: English, Catalan, Italian, German, Japanese and Portuguese. He has also recorded his 1982 album Camilo only in English.

Because of his long list of hits, we’ll be looking at seven pieces of his repertoire:

“Algo de mí” is the 1971 hit from Sesto’s first album of the same name. Basically, it’s a song about losing a piece of your soul after losing a love interest.

“Algo Más” came from Camilo’s 1973 album Algo Más. This piece won fifth place in the second Festival OTI de la Canción.

“Todo por Nada” also came from the album Algo Más. It’s an epic song of heartbreak with life-changing everything for nothing.

“¿Quieres Ser Mi Amante?” is one of Camilo Sesto’s big hits. From his 1974 album Camilo, this song simply asks if you want to be his lover.

“Getsemaní (Oración del huerto)” is from Jesucristo Superstar from 1975. This piece is translated from the original Jesus Christ Superstar title “Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say).”

“Si Tú Te Vas” is a hit from 1977’s Rasgos album. Here, Camilo sings about a declaration of unconditional love saying What will I do without you?”

“Donde estés, con quien estés” is a hit from Sesto’s 1980 album Amaneciendo. Camilo sings about telling a loved interest that he will still be there for love even though said interest is now with another.

Camilo Sesto will be missed worldwide, especially in the Spanish speaking world. His newest album was to be released on 13 September with a US tour in October.