Catalan honour for 'Y viva España' singer

THE Catalan government has awarded the Medalla al Trabajo President Macia medal to Almeria singer Manolo Escobar for his work ethic and contribution to the promotion of the Catalan economy.

Manolo is about to turn 82 years old and is one of the best known singers in Spain. Among his hits are ‘Mi carro’, ‘Porompompero’, and ‘Y viva España’. Although Escobar was born in Las Norias de  Daza, El Ejido, in 1931, at the age of 14 he emigrated with his brothers to Catalonia, where he lived in Barcelona and Badalona  until 1963.