José Pascual Antonio Aguilar Márquez Barraza
(17 May 191919 June 2007) was a Mexican singer, actor, songwriter, equestrian, film producer, and screenwriter with a dominating career in music. He recorded over 150 albums, which sold 25 million copies,
and acted in more than 120 films.
He was given the honorific nickname "''El Charro de México''" (Mexico's Horseman) because he is credited with popularizing the Mexican equestrian sport ''
la charrería'' to international audiences.
Aguilar began his career singing on the Mexican radio station
XEW in 1950. That year, he signed a contract with the Mexican independent label
Musart Records
Discos Musart is a Mexican record label founded in 1948. It is headquartered in Mexico City and remains one of the country's biggest labels, focusing on Mexican music, as well as international releases licensed from various labels around the world. ...
and became one of its best-selling artists.
He made his acting debut with
Pedro Infante
Pedro Infante Cruz (; 18 November 1917 – 15 April 1957) was a Mexican ranchera music singer and actor, whose career spanned the golden age of Mexican cinema. His popularity spread across Latin America.
Infante was born in Mazatlán, Sinalo ...
in the drama ''
Un rincón cerca del cielo'' (1952).
After appearing in gentleman roles in several films, he achieved popularity as a film star with his performance as lawman Mauricio Rosales in a series of seven films in the mid-1950s. His success increased with his tours throughout
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
and his studio albums, which included Mexican folk songs (''
ranchera
Ranchera () or canción ranchera is a genre of traditional music of Mexico. It dates to before the years of the Mexican Revolution. Rancheras today are played in virtually all regional Mexican music styles. Drawing on rural traditional folk music ...
s'') and ballads (''
corrido
The corrido () is a popular narrative metrical tale and poetry that forms a ballad. The songs are often about oppression, history, daily life for criminals, the vaquero lifestyle, and other socially relevant topics. Corridos were widely popular ...
s''). In the 1960s, he focused on producing and starring in films set in the
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...
. In 1970, he won
Latin ACE Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of
Emiliano Zapata
Emiliano Zapata Salazar (; August 8, 1879 – April 10, 1919) was a Mexican revolutionary. He was a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution of 1910–1920, the main leader of the people's revolution in the Mexican state of Morelos, and the ins ...
in the
1970 epic film of the same name.
He also portrayed
twice in film. In 1997, Aguilar was awarded the
Golden Ariel
The Golden Ariel ( es, Ariel de Oro) is an award that “symbolizes the work of excellence that a member of the film industry has achieved throughout their career and that has contributed to the development and growth of Mexican cinematography”. ...
for his "invaluable contribution and spreading of Mexican cinema".
To this day, he has been the only Hispanic artist to sell out the
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
for six consecutive nights in 1997.
His second wife was famous singer and actress
Flor Silvestre
Guillermina Jiménez Chabolla (16 August 1930 – 25 November 2020), known professionally as Flor Silvestre, was a Mexican singer and actress. She was one of the most prominent and successful performers of Mexican and Latin American music, and wa ...
. They had two sons,
Antonio Aguilar Hijo and
Pepe Aguilar
José Antonio Aguilar Jiménez (born August 7, 1968), better known as Pepe Aguilar, is an American singer. - Accessed on June 17, 2011.
From a young age, Aguilar accompanied his parents, Mexican singer-actors Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestr ...
, who also became singers and actors. His family is known as "''La Dinastía Aguilar''" (The Aguilar Dynasty).
Early life
Aguilar was born in
Villanueva,
Zacatecas
, image_map = Zacatecas in Mexico (location map scheme).svg
, map_caption = State of Zacatecas within Mexico
, coordinates =
, coor_pinpoint =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type ...
, the son of Jesús Aguilar Aguilar
and Ángela Márquez Barraza Valle, both of Villanueva.
His parents had six other children: José Roque, Salvador (deceased), Guadalupe (deceased), Luis Tomás (deceased), Mariano (deceased) and Josefina. His cousin is Jose Rodriguez of Maravillas Villanueva Zac. He spent his early childhood in La Casa Grande de Tayahua, an
hacienda
An ''hacienda'' ( or ; or ) is an estate (or ''finca''), similar to a Roman ''latifundium'', in Spain and the former Spanish Empire. With origins in Andalusia, ''haciendas'' were variously plantations (perhaps including animals or orchards), ...
first built in 1596 in the town of
Tayahua Tayahua is a small provincial town in the central Mexican state of Zacatecas
, image_map = Zacatecas in Mexico (location map scheme).svg
, map_caption = State of Zacatecas within Mexico
, coordinates =
, ...
, about 35 km from Villanueva. Aguilar's ancestors acquired this property in the early 19th century.
Career
![Still cinematografico de Animas Trujano](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Still_cinematografico_de_Animas_Trujano.jpg)
Aguilar began his recording career in 1950, eventually making over 150 albums and selling more than 25 million records. He was known for his
corrido
The corrido () is a popular narrative metrical tale and poetry that forms a ballad. The songs are often about oppression, history, daily life for criminals, the vaquero lifestyle, and other socially relevant topics. Corridos were widely popular ...
s, with some of his best known songs including "Gabino Barrera", "Caballo prieto azabache", "Albur de amor", and "Un puño de tierra".
He was the first Mexican performer to mix
rodeo
Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...
s and concerts while touring his show in
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
[AP via ''The Guardian'', "Mexican Mariachi Singer Dies at 89", 19 June 2007](_blank)
/ref> He has been compared to American actors like Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...
, Gene Autry
Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...
, and Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
.
He began his acting career in 1952 during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema
The Golden Age of Mexican cinema ( es, Época de Oro del Cine Mexicano) is a period in the history of the Cinema of Mexico between 1930 and 1969 when the Mexican film industry reached high levels of production, quality and economic success of its ...
. In the 1950s, Aguilar was cast in a series of films centered on rural hero "Mauricio Rosales" in ''El rayo justiciero'' (1955), ''La barranca de muerte'' (1955), ''La sierra del terror'' (1956), ''La huella del chacal'' (1956), ''La pantera negra'' (1957), ''La guarida del buitre'' (1958), and ''Los muertos no hablan'' (1958). A total of seven low-budget ranchera films produced by Rosas Films S.A. Aguilar gained cinematic notice when cast in Ismael Rodríguez
Ismael Rodríguez (October 19, 1917 – August 7, 2004) was a Mexican film director.
Rodríguez rose to fame due to the movies he directed starring Pedro Infante, and directed many major stars, including Dolores del Río, María Félix, To ...
's ''Tierra de hombres'' in 1956. Other collaborations with Rodríguez include ''La Cucaracha
La Cucaracha ("The Cockroach") is a popular Mexican folk song about a cockroach who cannot walk. The song's origins are unclear, but it dates back at least to the 1910s during the Mexican Revolution. The song belongs to the Mexican genre. The s ...
'' (1959) and '' Ánimas Trujano'' (1962), where he received starring roles. Amongst his best ranchera films are '' Yo... el aventurero'' (1959), '' Caballo prieto azabache'' (1968), '' El ojo de vidrio'' (1969), and ''Valente Quintero
Valente Quintero (1887 – March 19, 1922) was a Mexican sub-lieutenant who is remembered today for his duel against Martín Elenes on March 19, 1922. The event resulted in the death of both men, and was popularized in song as a corrido writte ...
'' (1973). Aguilar appeared in American western film
The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...
s like 1969's '' The Undefeated'' starring John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...
. He also made a memorable starring role alongside his wife Flor Silvestre
Guillermina Jiménez Chabolla (16 August 1930 – 25 November 2020), known professionally as Flor Silvestre, was a Mexican singer and actress. She was one of the most prominent and successful performers of Mexican and Latin American music, and wa ...
in ''Triste recuerdo'' (1991).
Aguilar was also largely responsible for the renewed popularity of the tambora music in the mid-1980s, when he single-handedly resuscitated the genre with the hit "Triste recuerdo".
Family
Aguilar was married to dancer Otilia Larrañaga
Otilia Larrañaga Villarreal (3 November 1931 – 6 October 2021) was a Mexican dancer and actress who participated in classic Mexican films during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema and also on stage and television.
Biography
Larrañaga studied d ...
and after their divorce he married singer and actress Flor Silvestre
Guillermina Jiménez Chabolla (16 August 1930 – 25 November 2020), known professionally as Flor Silvestre, was a Mexican singer and actress. She was one of the most prominent and successful performers of Mexican and Latin American music, and wa ...
(whose real name was Guillermina Jiménez Chabolla). One of their children, José "Pepe" Aguilar, is among Mexico's most popular modern singers. In addition to Pepe Aguilar, he had another child with Flor Silvestre who is the eldest, Antonio Aguilar, Jr. Aguilar's grandchildren include Emiliano, Aneliz, Leonardo
Leonardo is a masculine given name, the Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese equivalent of the English, German, and Dutch name, Leonard
Leonard or ''Leo'' is a common English masculine given name and a surname.
The given name and surname originate ...
, Ángela, María José and Flor Susana: Emiliano, Aneliz, Leonardo, and Ángela are Pepe Aguilar's children; María José and Flor Susana are Antonio Aguilar Jr.'s. children.
Death
On 18 June 2007, doctors announced that Aguilar was no longer responding to treatment and was expected to pass away before the end of the night. On 19 June 2007, the doctor spoke out to the media that Aguilar was still alive, and his body was responding to the medication, but was still in critical condition. While there, the family received visits from many famous people including Vicente Fernández
Vicente Fernández Gómez (17 February 1940 – 12 December 2021) was a Mexican singer, songwriter, actor, and film producer. Nicknamed "Chente" (short for Vicente), "El Charro de Huentitán" (The Charro from Huentitán), "El Ídolo de México ...
.
Aguilar died on 19 June 2007 at 11:45 p.m. from pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
. His coffin was carried through the streets of Zacatecas, the state capital, and was honored at a memorial service attended by hundreds at a church there.
His body was then taken to the hamlet of Tayahua, about to the south, where residents waited in the streets to bid Aguilar a final farewell before he was buried at his family's "El Soyate" ranch nearby, the government news agency Notimex reported.
Obituaries appeared in many newspapers, including ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' (US), ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' (US), ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' (US), ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' (UK) and ''The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' (UK). News of Antonio's death were reported in newspapers of many Spanish-speaking countries, including Guatemala ('' El Periódico''), Honduras ('' La Tribuna''), El Salvador (''El Diario de Hoy
''Diario de Hoy'' is a morning newspaper in El Salvador. It is published in San Salvador and circulates throughout the country. It also has an open online edition. The director of ''El Diario de Hoy'' is Enrique Altamirano Madriz, its executive ...
''), Nicaragua (''El Nuevo Diario
''El Nuevo Diario'' was a Nicaraguan newspaper, with offices in the capital Managua.
History
In 1980, the owner of ''La Prensa'' fired the editor Xavier Chamorro Cardenal. Eighty percent of the papers employees left with Chamorro Cardena due to ...
''), Costa Rica (''Diario Extra''), Venezuela (''Correo del Caroní''), Peru (''Crónica Viva''), Colombia (''El Tiempo''), Ecuador (''El Diario'') and Chile (''El Mercurio'').
Awards and honors
In 2000, for his contributions to the recording industry, Aguilar was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
at 7056 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywoo ...
. In the same year, he was the recipient of the Excellence Award at the 2000 Lo Nuestro Awards and the ASCAP Latin Heritage Award
The ASCAP Latin Heritage Award is an award presented by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) during the ASCAP Latin Awards, in "recognition of their unique and enduring contributions to Latin music". The award was fir ...
. In 2004, he was the presented with the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
The Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is an honor presented annually by the Latin Recording Academy, the same organization that distributes the Latin Grammy Awards, to commend performers "who have made contributions of outstanding artistic ...
. He was similarly honored with his handprints and star on the Paseo de las Luminarias in Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
for his work in movies and in the recording industry.
Discography
;Studio albums
*''Éxitos de Antonio Aguilar''
*''A Grito Abierto''
*''El Aguijón''
*''Corridos: Gabino Barrera y 11 Éxitos Más''
*''Corridos con Antonio Aguilar''
*''Cantos de Mi Tierra''
*''Viva el Norte con Antonio Aguilar''
*''La Voz del Pueblo''
*''Ya Viene Amaneciendo''
*''Puras Buenas''
*''Puras Buenas Vol. II''
*''La Mula Chula/Arriba Tayahua''
*''15 Éxitos 15 con Tambora''
*''15 Éxitos 15 Corridos Famosos''
;EPs
* ''Toma esta carta'' (1960s)
* ''Antonio Aguilar Nº9'' (1960)
* ''Cancionero Toni Aguilar en Discos "Odeón"'' (1959)
* ''Antonio Aguilar Nº4, Nº5, Nº6, Nº7, Nº8'' (1958)
Track listings
See also
* Antonio Aguilar filmography
References
External links
*
Antonio Aguilar's movies at ''TKcine''
Pepe Aguilar's website - Antonio Aguilar's son
Obituary
in the ''Houston Chronicle
The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Texas, United States. , it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. With it ...
''
Val de la O interviews Antonio Aguilar
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aguilar, Antonio
1919 births
2007 deaths
20th-century Mexican male actors
Golden Ariel Award winners
People from Villanueva, Zacatecas
Deaths from pneumonia in Mexico
Golden Age of Mexican cinema
Mexican expatriates in Puerto Rico
Mexican male equestrians
Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners
Latin music songwriters
20th-century Mexican male singers
Male actors from Zacatecas
Singers from Zacatecas