Raphael (singer)

Miguel Rafael Martos Sánchez (born 5 May 1943), known professionally as Raphael, is a Spanish singer and actor. He is widely recognized for his extensive vocal range and charismatic stage presence. He has sold over 70 million albums in up to 7 languages. His career has spanned more than six decades, leaving a lasting influence on Spanish-speaking music. Raphael rose to fame in the early 1960s after winning the Benidorm Song Festival. He represented Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1966 and 1967 with the songs "Yo soy aquél" and "Hablemos del amor", finishing in seventh and sixth place, respectively. In 1967, he performed at Madison Square Garden in New York City before an audience of 48,000 people. In 1982, he received a uranium record for surpassing 50 million records sold, making him one of the best-selling Latin music artists in history. He remains one of the most active performers among the so-called divos of Latin ballads, regularly touring across the Americas and Europe. His accolades include the Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022 and was named Person of the Year by the Latin Recording Academy in 2025.