Isabel Pantoja | |
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| Born | María Isabel Pantoja Martín (1956-08-02)August 2, 1956 (age 69) |
| Other names | La Pantoja |
| Spouse | |
| Partner | Julián Muñoz (2003–2009) |
| Children | 2 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Labels | Sony Music |
| Website | Official website |
Musical artist | |
| Signature | |
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María Isabel Pantoja Martín (Spanish pronunciation:[isaˈβelpanˈtoxa]; born August 2, 1956) is a Spanish singer. She was born in theTriana district ofSeville, Spain. She has released more than a dozen albums throughout a career spanning many decades, mostly ofcopla genre, and is known for her distinctiveAndalusian style.
She was born in aRomani family of musicians. Both her father and grandfather were singers.[1]
Pantoja began performing precociously at the age of seven in the flamenco ensemble of her cousin Chiquetete. At 17 she met her "maestro" Juan Solano Pedrero, who wrote her first hits along with writer and poet Rafael de León. Pantoja cultivatedcopla, a genre in decline at the moment that she popularised again. Some of her early hits were "El Pájaro Verde", "Garlochí" or "El Señorito". In 1983 she released her first pop album,Cambiar por ti, which included the same-title song, "En la Niebla", or "Nada". From that moment, Pantoja alternated ballads and romantic songs with copla.[2]
On April 30, 1983, she married bullfighterFrancisco Rivera Pérez "Paquirri"; the wedding was widely covered by the Spanish media as they were both popular and successful and they embodied a romantic Spain stereotype of the bullfighter and the"tonadillera". On September 26, 1984, he died in the bullring; Pantoja became known as "Spain's widow" in the media and a regular cover ongossip magazines. After a prolonged hiatus, she released the albumMarinero de Luces, composed byJosé Luis Perales, that sold one million copies in Spain.
In 1988, she releasedDesde Andalucía, an album produced by Mexican singer and songwriterJuan Gabriel. In 1989 she releasedSe me enamora el alma, her most commercial album, with modern programmed beats, composed by Perales.
In 1990, Pantoja starred in the filmYo soy ésa, alongsideJosé Coronado andLoles León, directed by Luis Sanz. A year later, she starred in another film,El día que nací yo, directed byPedro Olea, alongsideArturo Fernández andJoaquim de Almeida.
Pantoja has released more than a dozen albums and has toured Spain and Latin America extensively over the years.
Her husband, the bullfighterFrancisco Rivera Pérez, known professionally as "Paquirri", died at the age of 36 in the bullring on September 26, 1984, at the horns of the bullAvispado inPozoblanco,Córdoba. Isabel Pantoja and "Paquirri" had a son named Francisco José Rivera Pantoja (born February 9, 1984, inSeville), better known as Kiko Rivera or "Paquirrín" by the press. Pantoja has another daughter, named like herself María Isabel Pantoja Martín (born November 8, 1995, inLima,Peru), whom she adopted in 1996, and who is better known as Isa Pantoja or "Chabelita" by the press. Both her children are television personalities who have participated inreality shows.
Pantoja was arrested in April 2013 by theSpanish police. She was allegedly an accomplice for her ex-boyfriend,Julián Muñoz, who had been accused ofmoney laundering and bribery (among other criminal activities) while he was mayor ofMarbella. Pantoja was found guilty and sentenced to a 24-month prison term. She ultimately would agree to pay nearly €4.0 million, and entered a plea to avoid the jail time.[3]
However, on 3 November 2014, in a turn of events, the jury inMálaga denied Pantoja’s plea and the proposed payment plan, instead sentencing her to be incarcerated immediately, or within three days of the verdict being announced.[4][5] The trial, and Pantoja's subsequent imprisonment, were widely covered by Spanish and Latin American media, becoming huge international news. She only served around 15 months, however, as she was released from custody on 10 February 2016.[6]
| Year | Title | Channel | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Cantares | La 1 | Guest/Performer | Episode: "Isabel Pantoja" |
| 1980 | Retrato en vivo | La 1 | Guest/Performer | Episode: "Isabel Pantoja" |
| 1985 | Isabel Pantoja a beneficio de la Fundación Reina Sofía | La 1 | Performer | Television special |
| 2001 | Amigos en la noche | La 1 | Host | |
| 2006 | Sábado noche | La 1 | Host | |
| 2011 | Supervivientes 2011 | Telecinco | Guest | 1 episode |
| 2011 | Isabel, a su manera | Telecinco | Performer | Television special |
| 2011–2012 | Campanadas de fin de año | Telecinco | Host | Television special |
| 2019 | Gran Hermano Dúo | Telecinco | Guest | 1 episode |
| 2019 | Supervivientes 2019 | Telecinco | Contestant | |
| 2019 | Paquita Salas | Netflix | Theme song singer | Season 3 |
| 2020 | Idol Kids | Telecinco | Judge | |
| 2021 | Top Star. ¿Cuánto vale tu voz? | Telecinco | Judge |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
