Pilar Martínez Conde, born in 1957, is a Spanish folk singer primarily active during the 1970s. She also performed as a classical singer with the Grupo Universitario de Cámara de Compostela.
Martínez Conde studied Psychology in Santiago de Compostela. In the 1970s, she began her singing career, participating in several influential musical groups that played a significant role in the evolution of Galician music. She was part of now-defunct ensembles such as “De catro a catro” and “Roi Xordo,” as well as the “Movimiento Popular de la Canción Gallega,” which was essential in bridging “Voces Ceibes” and contemporary Galician music.
Her debut album, titled “Pilocha,” was released in 1978 as part of Movieplay's “Xeira” series. This album, later reissued by Fonomusic on CD, includes enduring tracks like “O sancristán de Coimbra” and “Alecrín,” which have become classics of the era. While working with her own group, she also contributed as a contralto for the Grupo Universitario de Cámara de Compostela, where she recorded the ensemble's first album, featuring the cantigas of Martín Códax and Alfonso X.
Throughout her career, Martínez Conde had the opportunity to perform in various European cities such as London, Cologne, Mainz, and Brussels, as well as throughout Spain and Galicia. In 1980, feeling pressured by her record label to sing in Spanish and weary of her contract's restrictions, she decided to take a break and moved to Andalusia.
Upon her return, she was invited by many fellow musicians to join their concerts and recordings. Notably, she collaborated with the group “Milladoiro,” performing live and contributing to the album “Gallaecia Fulget” (1995), which celebrated the 500th anniversary of the University of Santiago de Compostela, and featured a track in the second edition of the Xabarín Club (A cantar con Xabarín) (1996). This reconnection led to the creation of a new album with Antón Seoane, a member of Milladoiro, focused on love poems written by Galician women, resulting in “Calamidá sentimental” (1998). This project engaged various artists, including Rodrigo Romaní and members of “Milladoiro,” and featured texts from nine contemporary Galician poetesses, along with the notable inclusion of Rosalía de Castro. The album received the award for Best Melodic Work at the TVG's Premios Luar in 1999.
In 2000, she recorded a song with “Milladoiro” for the Marcha Mundial de Mujeres, representing Galicia in global demonstrations. Shortly after the launch of a local television station in Lugo, she hosted and directed a monthly program titled “Feminino Plural,” which aired for several years.
Since 2002, Martínez Conde has been collaborating with Teatro do Atlántico, led by Xulio Lago, in poetic-musical recitals aimed at promoting 20th-century Galician poetry under the title “Ecos e voces dun tempo e un país.” In 2004, she once again partnered with Antón Seoane and various collaborators to create a children’s album titled “Lambón, cancións para os croques.”
In October 2006, she formed a trio with musicians Xavier Constenla, Quique Alvarado, and Miguel Cabana, embarking on a tour of Argentina and Uruguay, invited by the Consellería de Cultura. She also participated in the recording of a traditional Christmas music album titled “O Quiquiriquí,” released in December of that year.
Currently, Martínez Conde is finalizing an album as part of a broader project involving poets, painters, and other cultural professionals that honors the memory of nine individuals executed on the outskirts of Baiona, commissioned by the Instituto de Estudios Miñoranos. She is also developing a recital focused on historical memory called “Memoria do 36,” which recreates the Republic and the Civil War through poetry and music from that era, collaborating with three actors and a pianist. Additionally, she performs poetic-musical recitals alongside actress María Barcala in secondary schools across Galicia.
Moreover, she is working on the theatrical production of Woody Allen's “A bombilla máxica,” serving as a musical advisor and assistant director with Teatro do Atlántico. In her musical endeavors, she continues to collaborate with professional musicians in various settings, presenting her songs in recitals while pursuing formal studies in lyrical singing at the Conservatory, currently in her sixth year, and preparing for another album recording.
