Victor Manuel: Everything in life is created to deprive authors of intellectual property.

Victor Manuel is the perfect combination of a kind smile and sharp words. He is a man whose life has revolved around music and words, two instruments that provide him with endless inspiration. His existence is one lived between songs, and because music has accompanied him since the very beginning of his life, he is celebrating his 75th birthday with a tour across the country. The journey will conclude on December 17 at the Wizink Center in Madrid, and he emphasizes that there is nothing more powerful in his art than the ability to draw endless possibilities from eight notes.

Why does he keep singing? And what else can he do?

Many years ago, I realized that this is the most wonderful profession. There is no other where you get applause every 3 minutes. So there’s no reason to change anything. The only thing that could get in the way is physical limitations or various circumstances.

How do you maintain your physical condition?

You are learning. Life makes you more skillful, a bit wiser, and teaches you to manage your energy. Minimal self-care. The worst for your voice is poor sleep or loud conversations in bars or clubs. I haven't done that for many years.

And mentally?

I've never had a problem with this; getting on stage has never caused me distress. On the contrary, it's easier for me to be on stage than in everyday life. Being at a meeting with unfamiliar people is much more challenging than being in front of 5,000 people.

Have you thought about ending your career?

Never, even in the toughest moments at work, did it ever occur to me to leave.

So you recommend a life dedicated to songs?

This is the best thing that can happen to anyone. There is nothing better than music in terms of communication, brain interaction, the things you can do with it, the memories you can evoke. There is nothing more powerful. They say that for people with Alzheimer's disease, music is the last thing to fade from memory, and I experienced this with my mom. She spent her last years in a nursing home, and they played pasodoble for them, and they remembered "Suspiros de España."

What do you think, how would you have grown up in the present time?

I can't imagine it because I grew up in a more artisanal world, where you had limited resources and used very little to create your music. I come from poverty, so I don't know how I would feel having my own studio at home.

Isn't it more difficult to come up with ideas when there are more opportunities for creation and production, and consequently, more people involved in it?

Yes, but eight notes provide a lot of possibilities, and the combinations that can be created with them are endless. That's why we still listen to music that is original and hasn't been created before. There is also other music that is very repetitive, but that has always existed; people copy others, but there are also those who come up with their own valuable songs.

What do you think about artificial intelligence?

I think he will take a lot of work away from journalists. Most likely, he will also affect musicians, but I can't imagine artificial intelligence being able to write a song by Sting or Paul McCartney. It works with scraps, and the leap from that to creativity is a huge step that, in my opinion, is hard to make.

Some see it as a threat to intellectual property and copyright.

Everything in this life is designed to deprive the creators of intellectual property. Many years ago, I heard that there is a person behind it all, Bill Gates, who wants to take everything from us. And they are gradually doing it. When the first pirate sites appeared on the internet, people turned away. Music was the first to suffer, then movies, but I always said the same thing: your time will come, there is enough for everyone here.

Has progress been made regarding the care of creators?

No. Steps have been taken in the areas of production, shows...

You are identified as an author of protest songs; should music provoke discomfort?

It's not necessary; there are people who adapt to reality very easily and don't need to offend anyone. These are very personal choices, but there are still people who feel the need to talk about what's happening around them.

What is bothering you?

I'm worried about things I can't control. I don't like being bombarded with nonsense through social media. I can consider it nonsense and analyze it that way, but many people don't even notice it and act politically based on the messages they receive.

In the past, you were censored and canceled, and yet you are still concerned about what is happening in country X?

I never give in and I never complain. You probably have never heard me complain about the hundreds and hundreds of places where I couldn't perform because people disagree with what I do. Since I chose this path myself, and no one taught me, it makes me freer, and that's why I don't complain, because I enjoy it. It means that for other people who have the same merits as I do, life isn't always so good, and they have more right to complain than I do.

What happens when music becomes politicized?

If music is liberating, then it is already politicized. There are people who want music to be just functional, like another piece of furniture in the room, and there are those who do not want that. This is a lesson in life and music; it doesn't necessarily mean taking a path that often causes problems, but you choose it and accept it.

Are you proud of your life and professional journey?

I chose the path of doing what I want for many years, and I have achieved success with difficulties, sometimes with success, sometimes with suffering, sometimes with failures. I am very glad that so many years on stage depend on my songs in this profession, where no one gives you anything for free. When you rely solely on the taste of the audience, on what they choose, you feel free.

Did you do what you wanted, considering your audience?

No, and I have failed many times. Of course, I didn't always consider my audience; I focused on myself and what I wanted to do in each moment. So sometimes, you not only miss the mark, but you completely misjudge what you should be doing or what the audience expects from you.

Is there any pressure on Victor Manuel?

No, and I don't accept it. Disagreement is the only harmful thing, but it's acceptable. The most important thing for a musician is to understand very early on that you can't please everyone. It's very painful, but accepting it is the best remedy.

In social media, the goal is essentially to please everyone.

Social media causes immense harm, not only to those involved in the arts but also to ordinary people on the street, who suffer for just one "like." It's very difficult to live in this display world; it's destructive to the mind.

What do you want to do in the future?

I want to write songs; I sing because I write songs, and it's my intellectual challenge. I've made a few songs and perform on stage, and people still want to listen to them, that's all. I'm not moving from there, not an inch. That's why I want to write songs as soon as possible to create new work.

Where or how do you find inspiration?

I always have inspiration. Everything fits. If you look at my phone, you'll see that there are notes about a multitude of things that could become songs at some point, and maybe out of 200 such notes, one song emerges. But that's the seed of it all. It's something impossible to convey; I mean, I have a minimal, tiny idea, and I start to stretch it out, and sometimes a song comes out. And when it does, damn, it's like touching the sky.

Can you provide an example?

There are many of them, for many years now, I have always worked with notes. In the past, I always carried a cassette with me and recorded things, but now it's much easier with my phone. I get a lot of ideas when I'm walking down the street, and from what I see, from what I hear, I immediately record a little voice note, and there's always something there.