Salvador Blesa didn’t stay long in the music scene, but his mark in Spanish rock is undeniable. He was the first and central guitarist of Los Milos, the trio formed with Emilio Baldoví, who would later become known as Bruno Lomas, and Vicente Castelló. Some historians regard them as the first group to record truly authentic rock in Spain. “Before Los Milos, there was no rock ’n’ roll here”, music historian Vicente Fabuel told Levante-EMV in 2020. “There was only pop groups like Dynamic Duo and Los Pájaros, neither of which rocked.” The Milos’ impact remains remarkable.
breeding ground
Blesa joined Baldoví and Castelló in Valencia during the late 1950s, a city with conditions favorable to popular music. Fabuel notes that Valencia hosted fallas commissions fueling dozens of live bands year-round. The July Fair gathered many of Europe’s top artists, and the harbor brought ships like the USS Forrestal, whose sailors and American records found their way into local casinos. Valencia boasted venues such as Bataclan, Venice, Ideal Room, Olimpia, Oasis, Tabú, Saratoga, Negresco, and Mogambo.
With renditions of Gene Vincent’s “Be Bop A Lula” and Adriano Celentano’s “Teddy Girl,” the early Valencian rock scene drew on influences from the United States and Italy. Los Milos’ debut album, released in 1960, showcased the confidence and maturity of three teenagers riding the wave of modernity.
Their image was also groundbreaking. Emilio Baldoví wore horn-rimmed glasses and dressed in Vince Taylor–style leather on stage, creating a distinctive look. Alongside a self-identified label of “Spanish rock and roll” on their debut, Los Milos helped spark a fan culture around the band, with devoted followers and a vibrant local scene. The same era saw related acts like Los Pantalones Azules from Valencia, embodying the dynamic energy of the scene.
In January 1961, Los Milos released their second EP, featuring covers of Carl Perkins, Gene Vincent, Little Richard, and Celentano. That August, they issued a third album that accompanied a tour along the Italian Riviera. Afterward, Blesa chose to leave the music industry to focus on his engineering studies and marriage.
“Besides Vicente Castelló and a towering figure named Emilio Baldoví who have since faded from the scene, Blesa helped lay the roots of rock ’n’ roll in this country with Los Milos,” Vicente Fabuel emphasized. The guitarist’s bold, energetic approach—“tough and wild” yet somehow refined—left a lasting imprint. His sound was both experimental and accessible, blending with friends and colleagues to form the foundation of a distinctly Valencian rock identity. It was a path marked by resilience and taste for the root, from which later bands like Ball-son, Rockers, and Whirlwinds would draw inspiration.
first power of rock
Los Milos sparked a generation of rockers, and music producer Lluís Miquel Campos, leader of Els Quatre Z in the 1960s, described Valencia as the first “rock power” in Spain, even surpassing Barcelona or Madrid. “It was a remarkable moment—high quality and very innovative bands,” Campos noted in a recent reflection, recalling Blesa as both a skilled musician and a generous person.
“Bruno Hills, Vicente Castelló, Salvador Blesa, Pascual Olivas, Miguel Ángel Herranz, Julio Andreu, Tito Peman, Suco, José Casquel, José Llusar, Pep Laguarda…” recalled writer Alfons Cervera, listing Valencian rock pioneers who would later be remembered by fans who followed them since youth. Cervera also noted the limited access to Anglo-Saxon music at the time, with French and Italian acts arriving first, and English influence being reserved for those with travel means. The Valencian bands represented a close, devoted scene with a broad youth following. If a single name had to stand out, Cervera would choose Bruno Lomas as emblematic of that generation.
Cervera shared memories from conversations with Blesa at the Valencia Pop and Rock Conference of the 1960s, held at the University of Valencia. Blesa appeared as a discreet, thoughtful figure and a good man. Those reflections extended to Vicente Buj, known as Sento, the bassist for Los Rockeros, who played with Emilio Baldoví when the group moved to France and changed its name to Bruno Lomas to pursue greater success.
“I was still wearing shorts the first time I saw Los Milos perform,” Sento recalled, underscoring the early energy and entrepreneurial drive that characterized Valencia’s rock pioneers. He highlighted the degree of professionalization reached by groups like Los Rockeros after their French sojourn—experience that gave them a new level of artistry on their return to Spain.