Andalusia Andalusia Andalusia ' onMouseout='HidePop("75517")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Antonio_Molina">Antonio Molina
Antonio Molina was born in Málaga, 1928 - Madrid, 1992. Flamenco and popular singer and actor in films and on theatrical stage. He had a high, brilliant voice, which he perhaps abused until he lost it prematurely. He was very popular starring in many theater shows. After a few years of retirement,...
hired him for a two-month tour.
By the 1970s the copla had fallen from favour with the Spanish record-buying public, but this did not dampen El Fary's
enthusiasmEnthusiasm originally meant inspiration or possession by a divine afflatus or by the presence of a god. Johnson's Dictionary, the first comprehensive dictionary of the English language, defines enthusiasm as "a vain belief of private revelation; a vain confidence of divine favour or...
and by the end of the decade he was recording poppier songs such as Gypsy rumbas that found a home in the Spanish
hit paradeThe hit parade is a list of tunes—songs and instrumentals—that are most popular at any given time. The term originated in the 1930s; Billboard magazine published its first music hit parade on January 4, 1936...
.
1980s
In 1980, he first appeared on television, in José María Iñigo's show
Fiesta.
Manolo EscobarManuel García Escobar, more commonly known by his stage name Manolo Escobar, is a Spanish singer best known for his songs Que viva España and Porompompero . He was born on October 19 1931 in the city of El Ejido in the province Almería...
was called to say some kind words about the "new" artist. From then on, he was known across Spain. While not appreciated by the music establishment, his cassette tapes would be a hit in roadside gas-station shops. It was in the 1980s that El Fary released what would generally be considered his most famous song:
El Toro Guapo.
In the 1990s El Fary got his break in the world of acting where he starred in the show
"Menudo es mi padre" as a taxi driver - a role tailor-made for him. The show's title was itself a play on words poking fun at the protagonist's minuscule stature.
During this period El Fary was often the subject of speculation due to rumours of his son's
drug addictionDrug addiction is a pathological condition which arises due to frequent drug use. The disorder of addiction involves the progression of acute drug use to the development of drug-seeking behavior, the vulnerability to relapse, and the decreased, slowed ability to respond to naturally rewarding stimuli...
.
He helped to launch the career of the child singer
MelodyMelodía Ruiz Gutiérrez , better known in the Spanish music world as Melody, is a pop singer. Some close relatives used to belong to a music group named Los Quillos.- Career :...
, a pop hit across the Spanish-speaking world, but after disagreement with her parents, he promoted his own teenage son Javi Cantero.
Towards the end of the decade his career was given another boost when film director
Santiago SeguraSantiago Segura Silva is a Spanish film actor, screenwriter, producer and director.Santiago was born in the Carabanchel neighbourhood in Madrid. After studying Arts at the Complutense University of Madrid, he decided to pursue a career as a film-maker and in 1989 he directed the short Relatos de...
premiered his
comedyComedy as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse generally intended to amuse, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in Ancient Greece...
film
Torrente - The Dumb Arm of the LawTorrente, el brazo tonto de la ley is a 1998 Spanish dark comedy written, directed and starred by Santiago Segura.- Plot:Torrente is a lazy, rude, drunkard, sexist, racist, extreme-right-wing Madrid cop; a despicable character who only cares about himself. He lives in a decrepit slum with his...
. The protagonist, José Luis Torrente (played by Segura himself) was a rude, racist, misogynist,
corruptPolitical corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
policeman who was a fan of El Fary. The film featured a new song recorded especially by El Fary himself called
Apatrullando la ciudad ("Patrolling The City"). Both the song and the film were hits, and spawned two sequels, the first of which -
Torrente 2 - Mission in MarbellaTorrente, Misión en Marbella is a 2001 Spanish dark comedy written, directed and starred again by Santiago Segura.This film is the sequel of Torrente, el brazo tonto de la ley.- Plot:...
- became the most successful Spanish film (in Spain) of all time (on its release).
With the release of the third Torrente film in 2005 -
Torrente 3 - The Protector - a unique piece of El Fary-related
spin-offA spin-off is a new organization or entity formed by a split from a larger one, such as television series based on a pre-existing one, or a new company formed from a university research group or business incubator...
merchandisingMerchandising is the methods, practices, and operations used to promote and sustain certain categories of commercial activity.- Promotional merchandising :...
was produced: the
Carrofary - a small rubber replica of the singer designed to be hung from a car's rear view mirror.
Death
On April 13 2007, El Fary was diagnosed with
lung cancerLung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. This growth may lead to metastasis, which is the invasion of adjacent tissue and infiltration beyond the lungs. The vast majority of primary lung cancers are carcinomas of the lung, derived from epithelial cells...
and had to discontinue his career in singing and acting. On June 19 2007 the same day his last record was published, El Fary died, aged 69.
Discography
- Ritmo caló (1975, Belter
* A singer who applies the singing style of vocal belting* Alfred F. Belter: See Seventy-third United States Congress* A Belter , resident of the asteroid belt in Larry Niven's Known Space...
)
- Soy gitanito (1977, Movieplay)
- Camino de la gloria (1978, Movieplay)
- Yo me estoy enamorando (1979, Movieplay)
- Canela y limón (1980, Movieplay)
- Vengo a ti (1981, Movieplay)
- Amante de la noche (1982, Ariola)
- Amor secreto (1983, Ariola)
- Como un gigante (1984, Ariola)
- Rompecorazones (1985, Ariola)
- Un paso más (1986, Ariola)
- Grandes éxitos (1986, Ariola)
- Va por ellos (1987, Ariola)
- A mi son (1988, Ariola)
- Enamorando (1989, Zafiro
Zafiro may refer to:*The Zafiro Mexicano or Mexican woodnymph, a species of hummingbird found only in Mexico*USS Zafiro, a collier that served in the United States Navy from 1898 to 1904...
)
- Dedícame una hora (1990, Zafiro)
- Tu piel (1991, Zafiro)
- Tomillo, romero y jara (1992, Zafiro)
- Mujer de seda (1993, Horus)
- Tumbalero (1995, Horus)
- Menudo es el Fary (1996, BMG-Ariola)
- Calle Calvario (1999, Zafiro)
- Sin trampa ni cartón (2000, Carabirubí)
- Ese Fary!! (2003, Muxxic)
- Los grandes éxitos de El Fary - Media Verónica (2007)
External links