Montserrat Caballé

Hello! My name is Montserrat Caballé, and I loved to sing more than anything. I was born in a beautiful city called Barcelona in Spain, on April 12th, 1933. Even when I was a little girl, my voice was very big and powerful! My family knew I had a special gift, so they helped me go to a famous music school called the Liceu Conservatory. I studied very hard, and in 1954, I graduated, ready to share my voice with the world.

My dream was to sing in operas, which are like plays where all the words are sung. In 1956, I had my very first big role! But my most exciting night happened a few years later, in 1965, in a faraway place called New York City. I was asked to sing in an opera called Lucrezia Borgia at the very last minute because the main singer was sick. I was so nervous, but I took a deep breath and sang with all my heart. The audience clapped and cheered so loudly! That one night made me famous all around the world.

I loved singing opera, but in 1987, I did something very different and exciting. I worked with a famous rock star named Freddie Mercury! Together, we wrote and sang a powerful song called 'Barcelona' to celebrate my amazing hometown. It was so much fun to mix my opera voice with his rock-and-roll style. Our song became a big hit and was even played at the big Olympic Games held in Barcelona in 1992.

I traveled the world, singing on the grandest stages for many, many years. People said I had a special way of singing called bel canto, which means 'beautiful singing.' I lived to be 85 years old, and my life was filled with music. Today, people still listen to my recordings, and I hope my voice reminds everyone to find the music inside themselves and share their own special song with the world.