Spanish singer-songwriter and poet Joaquín Sabina began composing music at age 14, when he formed a rock band called Los Merry Youngs with some school friends. ∙ “Pongamos Que Hablo de Madrid,” a wistful acoustic ballad from 1980’s Malas Compañías, gave him his first No. 1 hit in Spain. ∙ Sabina’s 1992 album, Física y Química, sold more than 1 million copies, thanks to the popularity of the romantic waltz “Y Nos Dieron las Diez.” ∙ In 1999, he received Spain’s Ondas Award for Best Spanish Artist, while his confessional epic “19 Días y 500 Noches” won Best Song. ∙ Spain’s Ministry of Culture awarded him the country’s Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts in 2005. ∙ Vinagre y Rosas, his 2009 album, spent 122 weeks on Spain’s Top 100 Albums chart, including eight weeks at No. 1. ∙ GQ España ranked Sabina No. 1 on their list of the 10 Best Spanish Singer-Songwriters in 2013.