Ella baila sola

Owing their name to one of their favourite Sting songs, Madrid-based girl group Ella Baila Sola (English: She Dances Alone) emerged at the very end of the 20th century, taking Spanish-speaking audiences by storm with a string of breezy, acoustic pop releases taking cues from rock and folk music. Formed in 1996 by high school friends Marilia Andrés Casares and Marta Botía, both of whom had previously sung together in English as The Just, the duo debuted with “Lo echamos a suertes” the same year, topping several LOS40 radio charts in their home country. A self-titled album on Parlophone swiftly ensued, which sold more than a million copies and achieved septuple platinum certification in Spain. It spawned further hits in the form of “Amores de barra” and “Cuando los sapos bailen flamenco” among other tracks, cementing the band’s presence in Latin America. Off the back of a regional tour, they released a second LP entitled EBS in 1998. This also proved successful, although not to the same extent as its predecessor, shifting 400,000 units in Spain. After releasing a third album, the less popular but nonetheless Latin GRAMMY-nominated Marta & Marilia (2000), the duo parted ways in 2001, with both singers hitting their stride as soloists. In 2009, Botía revived the group under the abbreviated alias EBS, with fellow Madrid singer-songwriter Rocío Pavón taking the place of Casares. After releasing a new album entitled Despierta, they once again called an indefinite hiatus, returning sporadically in the 2010s with an ever-changing lineup which has since included María del Mar García and Virginia Mos.