Six years have already passed without Pau Donés, but his unmistakable warm and delicate voice continues to accompany us. The Spanish singer, leader of the beloved band Jarabe de Palo, left us on June 9, 2020: definitely too early, at the age of just 53. He was diagnosed with colon cancer, which was diagnosed in 2015.
The illness, however, failed to extinguish his enthusiasm and love for life. Pau Donés continued to dedicate his life to his greatest passion: music. And shortly before his death he was working on the album “Tragas o escupes”, the band’s tenth album. In reality the album was supposed to be released in September 2020, but it was surprisingly released in May of the same year. Donés did everything he could to close it in time, despite being forced to continually go to hospital due to his illness.
With great courage and humanity, the singer and guitarist wanted to share his painful journey with his fans through social media, also creating a touching documentary entitled Jarabe Contra El Cancergiving us a great lesson:
“My advice is to live now, as if tomorrow doesn’t exist and be happy. It’s not a question of whether I have cancer and must die soon or another person doesn’t have it and will live longer. We all live in a sick world and we must learn to cure ourselves” he explained in an interview.
Donés tried to remind us, in various ways, that we are all passing through this Earth and must live as best we can. As he sings in the very famous song “Depende”, which has entered the hearts of all of us:
(…) And that we are passing through
Like clouds in the air
You are born and then you die
This life is extraordinary
Depends
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Donés’ great life lesson: learning to live in the present even when it appears mysterious and painful
Born in Barbastro, Spain, in 1966, Pau became an iconic figure of Latin music of the 1990s and 2000s. With his group, he created songs that have become cornerstones of Spanish-language pop-rock, including the unforgettable “La Flaca”. It wasn’t just his music that was impressive, but also his attitude. Pau Donés was an authentic artist, capable of mixing passion with lightness, and of telling life with his disarming simplicity. His songs spoke of love, of life, but also of difficulties,
The immense Pau Donés managed to still amaze us and bring a smile (and maybe even a tear) from us months after his death. In December 2020, in fact, Jarabe de Palo surprised their fans by publishing the wonderful video clip of the song “Misteriously Hoy” which shows the singer Pau Donés together with his inseparable dog during the last days of his life.
Before dying, the leader of the Spanish band had expressed this wish:
“I would simply like to make a video in which I appear with my dog Noodles while we walk together in the mountains, frolicking on the grass and enjoying the infinite sky, the sun and the nature that surrounds us, living in the moment, without thinking about anything…simply this, nothing more, Noodles, me and the mountain…being able to convey that feeling would make me happy.”
The song “Misteriously Hoy” is a hymn to life and that happiness made of small things. Words perfectly in line with the splendid lesson that Donés gave us: we must live now, without worrying about what will be, being grateful for what surrounds us.
