Spanish singer Raphael's historical impact in the Soviet Union

The Spanish singer Raphael, now 83, is the subject of a new Netflix series titled ‘Aquel’, which explores his rise to international stardom during the Cold War. The series depicts how the artist managed to cross the Iron Curtain to become a phenomenon in the Soviet Union.

In 1970, the musical melodrama ‘Digan lo que digan’, directed by Mario Camus and starring Raphael, became an unexpected success in Soviet cinemas. This cinematic breakthrough allowed nearly forty million Soviet citizens to discover the Andalusian crooner, creating a significant sociological phenomenon despite the geopolitical tensions of the era.