CAFÉ DEL MAR

Say Ibiza and you think sunset. The sea, the sky, the slow fade of light. And music. Always music. That sound had a name: José Padilla.

He was born in Barcelona. Mid-70s he moved to Ibiza. By ’91 he was behind the decks at Café del Mar. Sunset sets. Simple, but magic. People sat, watched the sky, listened. The music and the sun were one thing.

In 1994 he made the first Café del Mar compilation. Just a record, but it went everywhere. Bars, beaches, clubs. The sound of Ibiza left the island.

Padilla didn’t show off. No fast cuts, no tricks. He played slow, patient, deep. Ambient, house, world sounds. The flow matched the evening. The music breathed. Later came his albums Souvenir and Navigator. That one got him a Latin Grammy nod.

Others followed. Many copied. But the blueprint was his: the sunset session.

Padilla died in 2020, age 64. Cancer. The island cried. They lost the man, but the sunsets? They still carry his music.

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