Las Ketchup

Las Ketchup
Origin	Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
Genres	Flamenco, pop, chill out
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Shaketown-SKT Music, Warner Music, Sony BMG
Members	Rocío Muñoz Lucía Muñoz Lola Muñoz Pilar Muñoz

Las Ketchup is a Spanish pop group, founded by flamenco producer, Manuel Ruiz. The group is best known for the 2002 song, "The Ketchup Song" (Aserejé), which sold over 7 million singles.

Career

Las Ketchup was originally discovered by the flamenco producer, Manuel “Queco” Ruiz, who signed them to his newly formed independent Córdoba-based label Shaketown Music, which he ran together with Manuel Illán. They recorded the songs “Asereje” and “Kusha Las Payas" with Ruiz producing, and shopped the demo to a number of large record companies with the intention of securing a distribution deal. The demo was received by Columbia/Sony A&R Javier Portugués and director Raúl López who, on listening the recordings, stared at each other in delight exclaiming, "Wow, this is fantastic!". At first the intention was to arrange a distribution deal with Shaketown Music but on hearing the song they realised its international potential and so negotiated for Las Ketchup to sign with Sony.

In the summer of 2002 they had a major flamenco Europop fusion hit with "Aserejé" (released as "The Ketchup Song" in the UK and other countries), which reached the top of the charts in many countries including Spain, Portugal, Colombia, UK, Italy, Greece, France, Finland, Turkey, Syria, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Philippines, Switzerland, Germany, Romania, Argentina, Hungary, Poland, Venezuela, Mexico, Peru, Canada, India, Malaysia, Australia, Egypt and Puerto Rico. However, it failed to hit the Top 40 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Still worldwide, the trio became instant rivals to another Spanish female trio, Lunae, who released their debut single in Europe at the same time in 2003. The title and part of the lyrics were in Spanish. The hit also had an accompanying dance.

The group re-released the Ketchup Song later in the same year, with a new video, as a Christmas song.

The name of the group is a reference to their father Juan Muñoz, a flamenco guitarist known as Tomatito (Small Tomato). This also explains why their debut album carried the title Las hijas del Tomate (Daughters of Tomato).

In 2006 they were joined by Rocío, their fourth sister, to represent Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006. The girls have said themselves that Rocío has always been a member of Las Ketchup, but she wasn't in the photographs, videos or performances because she was pregnant.

The group sold over 12 million copies with the first album, but the second did not achieve the same success.

Recent events

Las Ketchup came back as a 4-girl group, with a new album titled Un Blodymary (Bloody Mary). Their long absence was due to their writing songs for the album and Pilar's pregnancy. The album release was delayed till the beginning of 2006. They planned to release 1 million copies and their producer "Queco", who also produced and wrote their worldwide single "Asereje", indicated that this album retains their original sound. Their first single from the CD was also titled "Un Blodymary". This song was the Spanish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006. The song did not perform as well as expected, ending 21st with only 18 points.

Discography

Albums

• Hijas del Tomate (2002)
• Un Blodymary (2006)

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name

Title	Year	Peak chart positions										Certifications	Album
		AUS	CAN	FRA	GER	IRE	NZ	SWE	SWI	UK	US
"The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)"	2002	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	54	ARIA: 3× Platinum BPI: Platinum BVMI: 2× Platinum IFPI SWE: 4× Platinum IFPI SWI: 3× Platinum RIANZ: 2× Platinum SNEP: Diamond	Hijas del Tomate
"Kusha Las Payas"		—	—	38	76	—	—	—	29	—	—
"Un Blodymary"	2006	—	—	—	—	—	—	38	83	—	—		Un Blodymary
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Awards

• 2002 'Ondas awards'

- Best New Artist/group

• 2004 Billboard Latinos awards

- Best pop album from new generation ("Las hijas del Tomate")

- Most tropical-salsa song played by Duo or Group ("The Ketchup Song" (Aserejé)

• 2003 Latin Grammy Award

- Best Pop Album By a Duo or Group with Vocals Las hijas del Tomate (Nominated, lost to Bacilos Caraluna.)

• 2003 Record Fair MIDEM (Cannes)

- Best New Artist/group

• 2003 Amigo Awards

- Best New Group

- Best New Artist

• 2004 Record fair MIDEM (Cannes)

- Breakers of borders (Best-selling Album out of its country and inside of Europe with "Las hijas del Tomate") Song)

Parody

In 2002, the German comedian Elmar Brandt wrote (using the tune of Aserejé) a Gerhard Schröder parody called "Der Steuersong" (The Tax Song) for the radio program The Gerd Show.

In 2002, a satirical version to the tune of Aserejé by El Groupo Mayonessa circulated in Gibraltar prior to the referendum on a proposal of joint sovereignty, entitled 'Vota Que No, Que No, Que No No No'

See also

• Son de Sol

External links

• Las Ketchup at AskMen.com
• Las Ketchup at Answers.com