La Guardia

Spanish rockers La Guardia formed in Granada, Spain in 1983 and made an indelible mark on the country's music landscape. Made up of Manuel España (voice), Enrique Moreno "Conejo" (bass guitar) and Carlos Gilabert (keyboard), with the original name of La Guardia del Cardenal Richelieu ("Cardinal Richelieu's Guard"), the band rode the wave of Madrid's vibrant homegrown scene after moving to the city in the mid-1980s. They released their debut album Noches Como Esta in 1986, but raised their profile in 1988 with the multi-platinum album Vámonos, which spawned the chart-topping hit single "Mil Calles llevan Hacia Ti". Popular second album, 1990's Cuando Brille El Sol, assured the band's continued success, while they joined forces with producer Dusty Wakeman for a subsequent trio of LPs; Al Otro Lado (1991), Contra Reloj (1993) and Acento del Sur (1994). Shortly after recording Acento del Sur, Moreno died from a coronary disease and the group dissolved three years later. España won the rights to use the La Guardia name without Almendros in 2003 for the release of acoustic record Ahora!, and in 2007 the band recorded the countryfied album Sobre Ruedas. Tumbado al Borde de la Luna came in 2010 and Por la Cara in 2017.