Pablo Díaz-Reixa (born November 17, 1983), professionally known as el Guincho, is a Spanish musician, singer, and record producer.
Díaz-Reixa rose to prominence with his 2008 album, ''
Alegranza''. His musical style relies heavily on the use of
sampling and incorporates elements of
Afrobeat
Afrobeat is a Nigerian music genre that involves the combination of West African musical styles (such as traditional Yoruba music and highlife) and American funk, jazz, and soul influences, with a focus on chanted vocals, complex intersecti ...
,
dub,
tropicália
Tropicália (), also known as Tropicalismo (), was a Brazilian artistic movement that arose in the late 1960s. It was characterized by the amalgamation of Brazilian genres—notably the union of the popular and the avant-garde, as well as the ...
and
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
. Díaz-Reixa has described his style of production as "
space-age
The Space Age is a period encompassing the activities related to the Space Race, space exploration, space technology, and the cultural developments influenced by these events, beginning with the launch of Sputnik 1 during 1957, and continuing t ...
exotica". He primarily produces music with a
Roland SP-404.
Early life
Díaz-Reixa was born as an only child in
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Las Palmas (, ; ), officially Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is a Spanish city and capital of Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands, on the Atlantic Ocean.
It is the capital (jointly with Santa Cruz de Tenerife), the most populous city in the au ...
, in the
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Mo ...
. After finishing high school, he moved to
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
, for college, where he majored in
media studies. While in the city, he started to make music and was a member of the band ''Coconot''.
Career
Beginnings and first two albums: 2007–2014
He released his first album, ''Folías'', independently in 2007. In October 2008, he released his breakthrough album, ''
Alegranza'', which was well received by critics, including earning a "Best New Music" designation by
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
. He would spend the next two years touring the album worldwide.
In September 2010, Díaz-Reixa released ''
Pop Negro
''Pop Negro'' is the third studio album by el Guincho. It was released on 13 September 2010 by Young Turks. ''Pop Negro'' was named best Spanish album of 2010 by ''Rockdelux'', while the single "Bombay" and its music video, directed by Nicolás ...
'', under British independent label
Young Turks. The album includes the now popular single "Bombay." Notably, he worked on
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...
's 2011 album ''
Biophilia''. Previously, in 2008, he remixed her on
Enjoyed: A Tribute to Björk's Post.
''Hiperasia'' and producing for Rosalía: 2014–present
While temporarily living in his hometown of
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Las Palmas (, ; ), officially Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is a Spanish city and capital of Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands, on the Atlantic Ocean.
It is the capital (jointly with Santa Cruz de Tenerife), the most populous city in the au ...
, Díaz-Reixa worked on a collection of music that would later be his next album, ''
Hiperasia
''Hiperasia'' (sometimes spelled ''HiperAsia'') is the fourth studio album by Spanish musician el Guincho. It was released on 12 February 2016 by Everlasting Records and Canada Editorial.
Critical reception
At Metacritic, which assigns a we ...
''. With a departure from his tropical sound, the album takes influences from
trap
A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research.
Trap or TRAP may also refer to:
Art and entertainment Films and television
* ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
and
electronic music
Electronic music is a Music genre, genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or electronics, circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromech ...
, employing heavy use of
Vocoder
A vocoder (, a portmanteau of ''voice'' and ''encoder'') is a category of speech coding that analyzes and synthesizes the human voice signal for audio data compression, multiplexing, voice encryption or voice transformation.
The vocoder was ...
and
Autotune. It was released in February 2016.

That same year, Díaz-Reixa saw
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
** Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Ca ...
singer
Rosalia live, and, fascinated by her sound, contacted her through social media to collaborate.
He would later be sole producer of her sophomore album ''
El Mal Querer
''El Mal Querer'' () is the second studio album by Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalía, released on 2 November 2018 through Columbia Records. The album was written by Rosalía and co-produced with El Guincho on an initial low budget as an indep ...
'', released in 2018. The album received critical acclaim.
At the
19th Latin Grammy Awards, the single "
Malamente" was nominated for five awards, including
Record of the Year,
Song of the Year Song of the Year may refer to:
* Country Music Association Award for Song of the Year
* Dove Award for Song of the Year
* Golden Melody Award for Song of the Year
* Grammis Song of the Year
* Grammy Award for Song of the Year
* Latin Grammy Awa ...
,
Best Urban Fusion Performance, and
Best Alternative Song, winning the latter two. The
next year's ceremony, the album won for
Album of the Year Album of the Year, often abbreviated to AOTY, may refer to:
Awards
* ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Australia
* Brit Award for British Album of the Year, UK
* Grammy Award for Album of the Year, US
* Juno Award for Album of the Year, CA
* Lati ...
,
Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album and
Best Recording Package
The Grammy Award for Best Recording Package is one of a series of Grammy Awards presented for the visual look of an album. It is presented to the art director of the winning album, not to the performer(s), unless the performer is also the art dire ...
, while the song "
Pienso en tu mirá
"Pienso en tu mirá" (stylised in all caps; officially "Pienso en tu mirá – Cap 3: Celos") is a song recorded by Spanish singer and songwriter Rosalía from her second studio album ''El mal querer'' (2018). The track written by the singer h ...
" received a nomination for
Best Pop Song.
Díaz-Reixa received won for
Best Engineered Album. The album also won the
Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album at the
62nd Annual Grammy Awards
The 62nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 26, 2020, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It recognized the best recordings, compositions, and artists of the eligibility year, running from October 1, 2018, to August 31, 2019. Al ...
.
In 2019, Díaz-Reixa co-produced and featured in the successful single "
Con Altura," with
Rosalia and
J Balvin
José Álvaro Osorio Balvín (born 7 May 1985), known professionally as J Balvin, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. He has been referred to as the " Prince of Reggaeton" (from Spanish: "Príncipe del Reggaetón"), and is one of the best-sell ...
. In 2020, his work with artists like Rosalia, Aitana, and Paloma Mami earned him a Latin Grammy nomination for
Producer of the Year.
Personal life
Díaz-Reixa has lived in
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ...
since 2002.
He is of partly
Cuban descent through his grandmother, which he says was an inspiration on the
Tropicalia influences on his earlier works.
Discography
Studio albums
Extended plays
As producer
Awards and nominations
Grammy Awards
Latin Grammy Awards
Other awards and nominations
References
External links
Young Turks, El Guincho: Pop Negro
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guincho, El
Spanish musicians
Living people
Latin Grammy Award winners
1983 births
Latin music record producers
Latin music songwriters