Seguridad Social

Emerging on the Spanish rock scene in 1982, Valencia’s Seguridad Social (English: Social Security) first took the shape of a four-piece, with frontman and lead singer José Manuel Casañ joined by guitarist Cristóbal Perpiñá, bassist Emilio Doceda and drummer Julián Nemecio. Embracing the DIY nature of the punk and ska scenes of the 1980s, the group initially sold their first three albums on obscure handmade cassettes at their gigs, until local independent label Discos Citra picked them up for a run of singles and the EP No Es Facil Ser Dios. By 1987, the band had self-released the critically acclaimed single “Que te voy a dar”, accompanied by an award-winning music video. They subsequently signed to Warner subsidiary GASA, with whom they released their first studio album, Vino, Tabaco Y Caramelos, in 1988. Teaming up with GRAMMY-winning producer Andy Wallace on their second LP, 1990’s Introglycerin, they found themselves increasingly conflicted on their musical direction; later the same year, Casañ replaced his band with three new instrumentalists, with whom he released the flamenco-leaning effort Que No Se Extinga La Llama in 1991. It proved a hit, achieving platinum certification and yielding a chart-topping single in “Chiquilla”. Tapping into anglophone trends, the group shoehorned numerous covers into their ensuing works, including a dubwise, English-language version of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” and a Spanish-language interpretation of “Train in Vain” by Casañ’s childhood favourite band, The Clash, retitled “Tren en vano”. Their 1993 album, Furia Latina, was a best-seller, spawning the popular single “Quiero tener tu presencia”. Amidst cultural shifts, however, the group’s popularity dwindled thereafter, although they have continued to release new material well into the 21st century including the 2017 album La Encrucijada and a 2018 musical named after Chiquilla.

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