In Beijing on April 1, the 69-year-old Julio Iglesias joked with media that the biggest change in him since he first came to China more than 40 years ago was "my thinning hair."

And since 1971 the Spanish-born crooner has visited the Middle Kingdom 15 times, witnessing the huge changes in the country during that time. "I can remember riding a bicycle on the street here just like everyone else," he told the Global Times.

On the occasion of this touring visit, Iglesias accepted two prestigious awards: the First and Most Popular International Artist of All Time in China, presented by Sony Music China; and the Guinness World Record for the Best-selling Male Latin Artist in History.

And from April 14 to 21, he will hold solo concerts in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing.

Signature tunes

According to Iglesias, the shows will focus on his signature songs of the past 45 years, including "Doves," the duet he performed with Chinese singer Wei Wei at the closing ceremony of the Eastern Asian Games in 1993 in Shanghai, and "When You Tell Me That You Love Me," which he performed with the Hong-Kong-born Coco Lee in China in 1998.

The concerts will also feature a couple of tango dancers from Argentina. 

Iglesias told the Global Times that he will sing in several languages, but probably not in Chinese this time. "I used to try singing in Chinese with Wei Wei and Coco Lee, but I found it very difficult, although I enjoyed it a lot."

Despite his advancing years, Iglesias still looks remarkable and has a glowing healthy tan.

"I love the sea and the sun very much and always live close by them to feel their energy and calmness at the same time. I like to swim, which makes me feel good and relaxed. And I have discipline to look after my voice and I only drink wine. I know it is not easy to keep being on stage for more than 40 years, as well as having enough energy. Passion is the secret to my long-term career. I really love what I do, and we Latin people are always passionate about life."

Football crazy

As well as music, another passion which takes pride of place in Iglesias' life is football. As a teenager, he was a goalkeeper for the Real Madrid Castilla (the reserve team of Real Madrid) soccer team. 

"However, when I was 20, I had a car accident which left me semi-paralyzed in a wheelchair for a year and a half and I couldn't play football anymore. But Real Madrid always has a special place in my heart and this will never change. I try not to miss any of their matches."

And it was during his time in hospital recuperating that Iglesias discovered his musical talent. "Doctors recommended me to exercise my fingers in order to get back their mobility and one day a nurse gave me a guitar as a present. I started to play and, little by little, it turned into a passion. Music was my companion during that tough recovery period and, later, it became my life," he said.

To begin with, he had little confidence in his voice largely due to his shyness. "When I started my music career I really thought of myself as the guitar player."

Digital era

Iglesias described the vast changes that have taken place in the music industry in the intervening years.

"The technology is constantly evolving, this is unstoppable and the digital era is a fact. I remember the old days, when everybody was using vinyl, then the CD came along and now iTunes, iPods, mp3 players. Music reaches people all over the world faster than ever. However, in the past I felt it was a more powerful industry, but today sometimes I feel the industry is struggling to find its place in the world," he added.

However, with 80 albums recorded and more than 2,650 gold and platinum records certified, this Latin love song prince said he still believes the essence of music is unchanged. "When a song is a good song, it reaches people no matter what are the systems or ways of distribution and music travels beyond these concepts."

Date: April 14, 7:30 pm

Venue: Shanghai Grand Stage 上海大舞台

Address: 1111 Caoxi Road North 漕溪北路1111号

Tickets: 180 to 1,280 yuan

Call 6217-2426 for details