Amparanoia (Spain)

Amparo Sánchez, born in Alcalá la Real, Spain, in 1969 and raised in Granada, is the creative force behind Amparanoia, the band she formed in Madrid in 1996. The group’s name plays on the Spanish verb amparar (to protect) fused with “paranoia,” and its sound helped define the mestizo style, blending rumba flamenca, reggae, and Latin rhythms with socially conscious lyrics. Amparanoia’s 1997 debut, El Poderde Machín, established the group before it disbanded in the mid-2000s. Sánchez has since released solo albums including Tucson-Habana (2010), produced in collaboration with the band Calexico, and Almade Cantaora (2012), and reactivated Amparanoia in 2017. Now based in Granada, she continues to write songs centered on resilience, love, and human connection.

Featured Song:

“Otro Planeta” (Another Planet), originally released as a single in 2025, pairs a fast Balkan brass and ska rhythm with a heavier undercurrent, a plea for justice amid the world’s problems. Rather than escape to another planet, the singer asks to be guided by a star toward a place where the sun still shines. “Here on Earth we hunger for justice / We forget that we are all one family / I don’t want to go to live / On another planet.”

Artist Website

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