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Public Wake for Manuel de la Calva Draws Mourners to SGAE Headquarters After Death at 88

His songs, from La, la, la to Resistiré, defined generations of Spanish pop.

Overview

  • Manuel de la Calva, cofounder and lead voice of the Dúo Dinámico, died on August 26 in Madrid at 88, a death confirmed by his longtime partner Ramón Arcusa.
  • SGAE opened a public capilla ardiente at the Palacio de Longoria in Madrid on August 27, with family, Arcusa and Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun among those paying respects during visiting hours from 11:00 to 20:00.
  • Arcusa greeted mourners saying that only the memories and the songs remain, after posting an emotional farewell on the duo’s official channels.
  • De la Calva had been treated for pulmonary fibrosis diagnosed after he collapsed following a July 30, 2022 concert in Sitges, which effectively ended his stage career.
  • He leaves a prolific catalog for the duo and other artists including Julio Iglesias, with hundreds of works registered at SGAE—some reports cite 766—and honors such as a 2014 Latin Grammy for Lifetime Achievement and SGAE’s 2024 Medalla de Honor.