Allow me to introduce whomever to a wondrous human Rocio DURCAL

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( from Wiki) She traveled to Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the United States where she appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.

(from IMdB) Rocío Durcal, was born María de los Angeles de las Heras Ortíz, in Madrid, Spain on October 4th, 1945. At the age of 10, she took part in the radio show, 'Conozca a sus Vecinos' ('Meet Your Neighbours'). In these shows, Marietta (her familiar nickname, pronounced Mar-ee-etta) charmed the audience with her clear and melodic voice that also made her a winner in many other radio contests that she participated in those years.

In 1960, when she not yet 15, she appeared in the TV show 'Primer Aplauso' ('First Applause') where a Spanish movie producer discovered her. She took the stage name Rocío Durcal (Rocío is a popular girls' name in Spain, after the place of pilgrimage where 'La Romeria' - an annual festival of worship to the Virgin Mary - is held, and Durcal is a town in the province of Andalucia in southern Spain). Her first movie was 'Canción de Juventud' ('Song of Youth') in 1961, the first of many musical comedies she was to star in and that would gain her fame in Spain, Portugal, France and Latin America.

In 1975, Rocío retired from movies to dedicate herself to her family but returned to show business two years later when she recorded the first of many records of material written by the Mexican singer-composer, Juan Gabriel. Backed by the Mexican band, Mariachi América, these resulted in unexpected hits, popularity and awards, not only in Spain and Mexico, but also in Latin America and in the Hispanic community of the United States.

Rocío Durcal (ironically, being Spanish) revitalised the Mexican music scene in the 1970s and 80s and became even better known as a singer of 'rancheras' (traditional Mexican song) in her later years than she had been as an actress at the start of her career.

With thousands of fans worldwide and records sales in their millions, this Madrid-born lady was, undoubtedly, one of the brightest stars of Spanish language show business.

In 2001, Rocio Durcal was diagnosed with cancer of the uterus that unfortunately was later found to have spread to her lung and brain. Despite extensive treatment, Rocio died on 25 March 2006 in Torrelodones, Madrid, Spain.


- IMDb Mini Biography By: Francisca Guilarbigos

[many a good man]

1. OT

Thanks for posting. That lady was something else.

Don't mean to hijack a thread, but here's a more recent Spanish artist who is patrimonio nacional, Mayte Martin.

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2. Well back atcha, she's definitely got that flamenco/Moorish thing going, but Wiki says she's

from Barcelona (north not south/flamenco). And that gorgeous Spanish-from-Spain is I guess what English-from-England is to our American English. I guess we're getting over our New World inferiority complex in this regard, but ever since Frasier, I wondered why those bozos spoke with an English dialect, and now ever increasingly English accents are all over the commercials and even Glenn BECKKK.

Anyway, while I appreciate good music, I'm not for music-for-music's sake type quality and need Commercial Hit hooks and MELODY above all.

Have you heard Shakira's and Mana's joint newest?

Plus, I don't know how old/new this song by Marisela whom I'd never heard of is, "Enamorada y herida" (In love and wounded), but the catchy anthem/hook melody is a total earworm for me these past weeks: