The Religion and Political Views of Alejandro Sanz

Alejandro Sanz, whose name at birth was Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro, was born and raised in Madrid, Spain.

I tried really hard to find a specific reference from Sanz that he's Catholic, but I just couldn't find one. But let's just assume that he joins the other 70% of Spaniards[1] that adhere to that particular denomination of Christianity. (If you have a link to some proof of his denomination, please let us know in the comments.)

But now that we've gotten that out of the way, here's what we know for sure: Sanz is a believer. In 2012 he married his girlfriend in a "religious ceremony," and although they had a child out of wedlock, they baptized him shortly after tying the knot.[2] He sometimes wears a cross around his neck,[3] and every once in a while, he'll mention God on his Twitter feed.[4]

And finally, when talking about his song, "Yo Hice Llorar Hasta Los Ángeles," he said he has a place "in my head and in my heart" for God:

As I did in many other previous songs, I talk of God. I've always said that I am a believer, and I have a relationship with Him.[5]

Sanz and his Soapbox

And just as Sanz uses his songs to express his belief in God, he uses it as a platform to express his political views. He said the power afforded popular artists obligates them to speak out about world issues. He said,

I'm not a politician but a person who likes to keep himself informed. I don't believe that we do anyone a favor by not pointing out injustice.[6]

On his most political album, No Es lo Mismo, he sings about an oil spill that ravaged the Spanish coast in 2002, and another song looks at Cubans who fled Fidel Castro in makeshift boats and rafts.[7] The cover of that album also features a picture of him with an image of the bull from Pablo Picasso's Guernica painting tattooed on his arm, which has been a symbol of the anti-Iraq War sentiment in Spain.[8]

He famously attacked Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez for stifling dissent in his country,[9] which led to a rumored ban of a performance by the singer in Venezuela, which Chavez insisted was not true.[10] Sanz eventually did perform there despite, as he put it, "the winds against us."[11]

His criticism of Chavez, however, doesn't mean he leans to the right. He's shown his support for the Socialist Workers' Party in Spain (PSOE),[12] and he definitely has a heart and an eye out for the little man, the victimized and the powerless. And those in Latin America have a voice in the pop artist. He said,

In Latin America there is much injustice. I'm not saying anything new, but it has to be said. I feel like you have to say what you feel.[13]