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Lucho Gatica | |
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.jpg) Gatica in 2011 | |
| Born | Luis Enrique Gatica Silva (1928-08-11)11 August 1928 |
| Died | 13 November 2018(2018-11-13) (aged 90) |
Luis Enrique Gatica Silva (11 August 1928 – 13 November 2018),[1] better known asLucho Gatica was a Chileanbolero singer, film actor, and television host known as "the King of Bolero". He is widely considered one of the greatest and most influential exponents of the bolero and one of the most popular of all time worldwide.[2] It is estimated that Gatica released more than 90 recordings. He toured across the world, performing inEurope, the Middle East and Asia. He was the uncle of therecord producerHumberto Gatica.
Lucho Gatica was born inRancagua. He attended school at theInstituto O'Higgins. He and his brotherArturo were struggling singers before they released their first album in 1949, when Gatica was 21 years old.
Chileans generally experienced a change in their taste in music during the 1950s, when the bolero overtook thetango as Chileans' preferred music genre.[citation needed] Singers likeCuba'sOlga Guillot, ArgentinianLeo Marini and MexicanElvira Ríos, among others, became popular during that time. So wereXavier Cugat and his orchestra, which includedPuerto RicanBobby Capó. These singers would influence Gatica.[citation needed]
Gatica's firstrecord, 1951's "Me importas tú" (You Matter to Me), became a hit across Latin America. The next year he released "Contigo en la distancia" (With You in the Distance). Gatica recorded his version ofConsuelo Velázquez's "Bésame Mucho" (Kiss Me a Lot) in 1953. He produced two more albums that year:Las Muchachas de la Plaza España (The Girls from Spain Square) andSinceridad (Sincerity). The following year his hit "Sinceridad" was released.[3]
Gatica moved to Mexico in 1957, where he recorded and releasedNo me platiques más (Don't Talk to me Anymore),Tú me acostumbraste (You Accustomed Me) andVoy a apagar la Luz (I'm Turning the Lights Off), which was released in 1959. In 1956, Gatica's songs were recorded in theUnited States onLP for the first time byCapitol Records. Three albums were released within 14 months by Capitol. The third one in that group with Capitol wasEl Gran Gatica, which featured such songs as "Somos" ("We Are"), "Sabrá Dios" ("God Will Know"), andSi me comprendieras ("If You Understood Me"). One of the three Gatica albums released in 1958 was a greatest hits compilation; the third was namedEnvenenados (The Poisoned). He also recorded a song entitled "Encadenados" (Chained).
After arriving in Mexico, Gatica decided to become a permanent resident there. He married Puerto Rican actressMapita Cortés, who also resided in Mexico. The couple had two sons namedLuis andAlfredo. Gatica became atelenovela androck star during the 1980s; his son Alfredo became a music entrepreneur. Gatica divorced Cortés in 1981. The following year he married Diane Lane Schmidt and had a daughter named Lily; Schmidt died in 1985. He then married his last wife, Leslie Deeb, in 1986.[citation needed] Altogether he had seven children.[citation needed]
In 2001, Gatica was inducted into theInternational Latin Music Hall of Fame.[4] In the same year, his renditions of "La Barca" and "El Reloj" were inducted into theLatin Grammy Hall of Fame.[5] Gatica himself was one of the recipients of theLatin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.[6] He also received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame for Recording in 2008.[7]
Gatica died in Mexico on 13 November 2018 from pneumonia.[1]
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