Google Doodle Pays Tribute To Montserrat Caballe On his 89th birthday
(CTN News) – Google’s Doodle for Tuesday celebrates the Grammy Award-winning soprano Montserrat Caballé, as the opera star would have celebrated her 89th birthday on Tuesday. Below are some interesting facts about her.
Who was Montserrat Caballe?
The late Mara de Montserrat Bibiana Concepción Caballé i Folch was born on April 12, 1933, in Barcelona, Spain. Known as Montserrat Caballe and La Superba, she was a Spanish operatic soprano. She was described as having a “larger-than-life personality,” but her music is the legacy she left behind.
During her lifetime, she was known internationally and achieved opera stardom. In 1987, when she duetted with Queen frontman Freddie Mercury on the song Barcelona, her name became well known among non-classical music fans.
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It was a chart success for the opera singer across Europe, reaching No8 in the UK singles chart. In 1988, at the La Nit Festival in Barcelona, Freddie performed the song at his last concert.
The song eventually became the anthem of the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, and achieved more chart success for the duo, peaking at No2 on the UK charts.
Freddie died in 1991, however, so a planned performance at the Olympics was canceled. Montserrat Caballe was known specifically for her bel canto vocal technique.
Why is Montserrat Caballe being celebrated with a Google Doodle?
As part of its celebration of Montserrat Caballe’s 89th birthday, Google has created its own Doodle.
Google wrote, “Happy 89th Birthday, La Superba. Your legacy lives on.” on the Google Doodle website.
During her career, she received five Grammy nominations. She won her first Grammy for Best Classical Vocal Performance in 1968. She didn’t make her debut in Spain, where she was born and raised.
Before performing in Germany, she made her professional debut in Switzerland. During his career, Montserrat Caballe performed over 3800 times in over 80 roles on five continents. In addition to her singing career, she was a philanthropist.
What is a Google Doodle?
Every year, Google releases Doodles to commemorate anniversaries, birthdays, and days of significance.
The Burning Man event in Nevada was honored in the first-ever Google Doodle designed by co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin.
Prior to Montserrat Caballe’s Doodle, Google released one to celebrate Nomhle Nkonyeni’s 80th birthday on April 8, 2022.