The Spanish artist Guitarricadelafuente, known for his modern-meets-traditional folk sounds, made his television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday night. The singer-songwriter played a dreamy version of “BABIECA!,” one of the standouts from his 2025 album, Spanish Leather.
Guitarricadelafuente was introduced by Colman Domingo, who was guest-hosting the show that evening. He started the performance singing softly and playing a zanfona, or hurdy-gurdy, capturing the more hypnotic side of the song. He was quickly joined by more band members, building up a track that eventually moves into an upbeat club-inspired style. “BABIECA!,” which is about desire and falling in love hard, was inspired by a nightclub where Guitarricadelafuente’s parents met.
The track also sees him experimenting with a wider sonic palette. “With Spanish Leather, I wanted the songs to be more contemporary, more grounded in what I witness on a day to day basis and to capture a generational moment through these stories. I spent a few weeks in New York and Los Angeles, mainly in L.A., working with Carter Lang at his studio, at his home. I had this idea that what I was making was very Spanish,” he told Rolling Stone last year. “And suddenly, people from other countries, even without understanding the language, were connecting to the music, to its energy and that’s been really interesting.”
The Kimmel performance isn’t the only on-screen appearance Guitarricadelafuente has planned this year. He’s starring in La Bola Negra, a war epic that ties together several generations and periods of Spanish history, taking place in 1932, 1937, and 2017. The film, directed by the Spanish duo Los Javis, has already gotten tons of acclaim: It won the Best Director prize at Cannes and will kick off its theatrical run in Nov. 6. La Bola Negra, which marks Guitarricadelafuente’s first major acting role, also stars Penelope Cruz, Julio Torres, Glenn Close, Miguel Bernardeau, and Carlos González, and will premiere on Netflix on Dec. 4.
