The artist revisits a classic of Spanish music and brings it into the present through a proposal where music, image, performance, fashion, and a powerful stage presence come together.
By Susan Villa
There are artists who are not content with simply singing a song: they need to inhabit it. Daniel Da Silva belongs to that breed of performers for whom music is only one part of the story. A singer, dancer, and performer, he has built a creative identity in which image, movement, and emotion form part of the same language. After years of training in different performing arts disciplines, he now presents his particular vision of “Embrujada,” one of Tino Casal’s most emblematic songs.
With this reinterpretation, Daniel Da Silva not only brings back an iconic song from Spanish music, but also champions the legacy of a visionary creator. Through references to La Movida, the influence of Miguel Ángel Arenas “Capi,” and his own perspective on performance, the artist speaks to us about inspiration, identity, and the projects that will shape the coming months of a career in full evolution.
1. You have just released your version of “Embrujada,” a song deeply associated with Tino Casal’s artistic universe. What led you to choose this particular song to reinterpret at this point in your career?
I was at home rehearsing. We are recording many songs nonstop, and one day I felt like putting on Tino Casal and singing it because of the stage power it has. In the end, the idea emerged. We began thinking about how to bring it into the present. For me, Tino Casal was a visionary. Precisely at the time we are living in now, a figure as singular as his makes a great deal of sense once again.
2. “Embrujada” portrays a character marked by fame, excess, and heartbreak. What aspects of the story and the emotions conveyed by the song have interested you most when approaching it as a performer?
I know many stories about those artists thanks to Miguel Ángel Arenas “Capi.” The song was inspired by the life of Fabio McNamara, almost like a premonition. Fabio is not a rock star or just another artist: he is a true rockstar. In fact, when Andy Warhol visited Madrid, he even told him that he was a rockstar.
Like Tino Casal, he was a multifaceted creator, capable of moving between music, painting, fashion, and artistic provocation. That is why references to figures from that era appear, such as Enrique Costus when he mentions Samantha. It represents all that punk and transgressive energy of the 1980s. Recovering that strength is, in a way, a way of championing the freedom to create without limits and to do whatever you want without caring too much about other people’s judgment.
3. Tino Casal became one of the most singular and transgressive figures in Spanish music. Why do you think his legacy continues to generate interest decades later among artists and listeners from new generations?
When an artist has that much intensity, they never go out of style. It is like Michael Jackson. For me, Tino Casal is on the same level as Freddie Mercury or Michael Jackson. The difference is that he was not Anglo-Saxon, but Spanish. He was a precursor, and it was difficult for people to understand his vision. Today we understand it naturally, but at that time he seemed almost like an extraterrestrial.
Tino Casal and Fabio McNamara belong to a generation of artists who understood art as a whole. They were not just singers; they built their own universe. Today we talk about multidisciplinary artists, but they already were multidisciplinary artists forty years ago.
Tino Casal ultimately transformed the concept of music and stage performance in the country at a time when singers wore suits.
4. You have extensive training in dance, performance, and the performing arts. How have these disciplines influenced the construction of this new version and the way you conceive music?
My way of understanding music is very audiovisual; it encompasses everything. I started with dance, and for me rhythm is fundamental. This song has a very rock energy and tells a story. The musicality, the melody, and everything it can contribute on stage seem fascinating to me. I always think about music through image as well as through stage production.
5. At this stage of your career, you are working alongside music producer Miguel Ángel Arenas “Capi,” one of the most influential figures in the Spanish music industry. What has been the most valuable lesson he has taught you, both artistically and personally?
Life itself. He has met so many people and experienced extraordinary situations. Beyond the technical knowledge, which is also very important, what I value most is all that human and professional learning that he shares with me. Thanks to him, I understand many things about music better, as well as the reasons behind certain moments in our musical history.
6. Last April, you participated as a guest artist in the 19th edition of Pasarela Española LimeLife, held at Casino Gran Vía in Madrid, performing in the shows by Toni Fernández and O Studio. What did it mean to you to be part of an event where fashion, music, and different artistic disciplines come together?
I love fashion and everything related to performance, combining different forms of art to create a show. It was my first experience within a fashion runway, and I loved it. I really enjoy the ritual before the show: the nerves, the dressing rooms, the conversations, the people you meet, the makeup, and the hairstyling. It gives me life. I almost enjoy backstage more than the actual show. It was a very positive experience, from which I learned a great deal and which I remember with tremendous affection.
7. Following the release of “Embrujada” and the projects you have developed in recent months, what new challenges would you like to take on, and what can you tell your followers about the next steps in your artistic career?
Whenever an existing work is revisited, there is a part of homage, but also a part of reclaiming it. It is about keeping that artist’s legacy alive and, at the same time, making it your own from a contemporary perspective. That is precisely what I have tried to do with “Embrujada.”
Right now, I am open to everything. Every project is a challenge and an opportunity to continue growing. We are going to release an original song that does not yet have a definitive title, although one of its main lines is “Bailando conmigo.” In addition, we are going to release two more ballads. In total, there will be four new songs that show different facets of my perspective on music.
I am experiencing a very fluid moment in my career. I do not know exactly what will happen a month from now, but that is also part of the adventure. I am very eager to keep learning, to surprise myself, and to share with the audience everything that is yet to come.
At a time when many artists seek to differentiate themselves by following trends, Daniel Da Silva seems to have chosen another path: building his own voice through a combination of disciplines, influences, and stage risk. His dialogue with Tino Casal’s universe is not driven by nostalgia, but by a more ambitious intuition: understanding that true modernity always belongs to those who dare to stay one step ahead.
Accompanied by the experience and vision of music producer Miguel Ángel Arenas “Capi,” the artist moves forward without rushing, but without stopping, between music, dance, and performance. What is interesting is not only what he has already shown, but what he has yet to reveal: a creative ambition that is not content with simply sounding good, but aspires to leave an image, a story, and a presence behind. If “Embrujada” serves as a statement of intent, what comes next invites us, at the very least, to keep a close eye on him.
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