22 September – My naked muse, my best remedy

You know that our favourite TV show is a contest for songwriters? They should – arguably – be getting top billing on their songs, as they’re the ones who’ve carefully crafted a masterpiece for our listening pleasure.

But songwriters have it tough. Do they just write? Or do they go down the singer-songwriter route instead? It means they can put across their work as they intend, and not leave it to someone else. Today’s birthday boy Alejandro (Antonio García) Abad has tried both ways, to mixed success. Having written the winner at the OTI Festival in 1993, RTVE gave him the gig in Dublin in 1994, and he chose to sing his own composition. Things didn’t quite work out as he hoped, finishing 18th with 17 points (from four juries). Fast forward to 2001, and RTVE get him in again to write a song – for someone else. That did a lot better, finishing sixth. You may scoff at sixth, but it’s still Spain’s best finish in the 21st Century.

Alejandro is 59 today.

Feliz cumpleaños, Alejandro!

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