On this week’s Latin Factor podcast, Billboard editor Leila Cobo presents a deep conversation with the Spanish singer-songwriter José Luis Perales.
The conversation begins with Perales sharing stories about his early days as a composer. “My first song was so bad that I never sang it to anyone," he says. But he perfected his passion for music while writing songs anywhere. “I hid in the broom room at school] with the guitar.”
Perales doesn’t like to be called legendary. ”To be honest, it] sounds bad — I would say that I am a constant person of stories with age.”
To that extent, the 75-year-old has recorded 27 albums throughout his career, and has over 500 songs registered in the Spanish Society of Authors and Publishers (SGAE). Since 2015, he has also published two books, La Melodía Del Tiempo and La Hija De Alfarero.
Below, listen to El Factor Latino with Jose Luis Perales to learn how he’s touring, recording, and making a new generation fall in love with timeless songs.