Aurora Lacasa

Aurora Lacasa (born Paris 24 March 1947) is a popular singer of Aragonese (Spanish) provenance who has made most of her professional career in the German Democratic Republic and, since 1989, in Germany.

Life

Early years Aurora Lacasa was born in Paris. Her parents were both journalists, and at the time of Aurora's birth the family were among the thousands of politically active Spanish intellectuals who had fled to France from Spain to escape from the violent predations of the Francoist regime, now in power following their victory in the Spanish Civil War. However, in 1948 the Lacasa family relocated again, this time from France to Hungary.

The family settled in Budapest where Aurora attended school between 1951 and 1956. Although the 1956 Hungarian uprising is remembered as a nationwide revolt, the fighting and the associated dangers were particularly intense in and around Budapest. In Budapest Ernesto Lacasa had become involved with the World Federation of Democratic Youth: as the Soviet tanks appeared on the Hungarian city streets Ernesto Lacasa, fearing for their safety, moved his family again, this time to the recently created German Democratic Republic. They ended up, initially, in Ziegenhals, just outside Berlin, moving later to the Pankow district of Berlin. Aurora, now aged 9, resumed her schooling, successfully completing her final school exams after her transition into the German education system.

The Big Break In 1968 Aurora's mother, Pilar Lacasa was involved in preparations for the World Festival of Youth and Students, held that year in Sofia. On the train from Berlin she fell into conversation with members of Oktoberklub, a left-leaning politically engaged East German music group then at the height of their success. Pilar Lacasa mentioned that she had two children who could sing This turned out to be the beginning of Aurora Lacasa's first contact with the mainstream popular music scene in East Germany,

Weihnachten in Familie (1985 – LP) Geh so wie du kamst Immer wieder diese Liebe Peterchens Mondfahrt, 1 und 2 (LPs) Nimm den Zug, der Sehnsucht heißt Adieu Papa Maria Susani Bring ihn mir wieder, Wind Still, still, still Kommt herein und setzt euch nieder In Bethlehem Das kann nur Liebe sein Alles Gute im Leben Er war mein Freund Hier wo das Meer zu Ende ist Guten Abend hier bin ich Wenn die Wandervögel ziehn (2000) Lebenslinien (2005) Weihnachten in Frieden (2009)

Training and success as a singer While training, Aurora Lacasa got to know fellow artists such as Wolfgang Ziegler and Barbara Thalheim. Lacasa's own repertoire soon connected with audiences, and she regularly appeared on the long-running television variety show, "Ein Kessel Buntes". She also appeared in galas at Berlins's Friedrichstadt-Palast (review theatre), in other television shows such as "Weihnachten in Familie" (1985) and "Lutz und Liebe", and in live events across the country. Hit songs included titles such as "Das kann doch nur Liebe sein" ("It really can only be love") (with Thomas Lück) and "Wenn die Wandervögel ziehn" ("If the migrating bird calls").

After breaking with Frank Schöbel Lacasa lived for some time in an apartment in down-town Berlin. She then, during the early years of the twenty-first century, spent some years living in Spain to care for her parents, before returning to live in Prenden, in the countryside outside Berlin.