Pancho Varona in Mexico City

Pancho Varona is a Spanish guitarist, singer-songwriter and composer, born in Madrid in 1957. He is best known for his long creative partnership with Joaquín Sabina, contributing to songs including “Y nos dieron las diez,” “Contigo” and “Peces de ciudad.” In 1982, he joined Joaquín Sabina’s touring band as a guitarist and later served as musical director during a partnership that lasted four decades. He also toured La Noche Sabinera with Antonio García de Diego, presenting Sabina’s repertoire and inviting audience members to sing part of it with the musicians. At his solo Ruta 52 concerts, he performed songs from that catalogue on guitar and recounted how they were written.