Luis Manuel Ferri Llopis (August 3, 1944,
Aielo de MalferitAielo de Malferit is a municipality in the comarca of Vall d'Albaida in the Valencian Community, Spain, most famous for being the birthplace of Nino Bravo....
— April 16, 1973), popularly known by the artistic name of
Nino Bravo, was an international singing star from
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
.
Bravo was born near
ValenciaValencia is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Valencia and the third largest city in Spain, with a population of 810,064 in 2008. It is the 22nd-most populous municipality in the European Union and 35th-most populous urban area in the European Union with a...
. His father, Luis Manuel,a salesman, moved the family to Valencia, in search of better opportunities, when Bravo was three years old.
Nino Bravo was a shy child. He had a tendency to befriend older people, and, in 1958, he met
bassistA bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Vicente López. López introduced Bravo to other Valencian
musicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound. Common elements of music are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
ians, including the legendary Paco Ramón.
It had never occurred to Bravo, before he met López, that anyone would enjoy listening to him sing. Bravo realized that he could sing while he was on at trip with López and Ramón. López later recalled that he was surprised, upon waking up from a nap, to hear Bravo singing
Domenico ModugnoDomenico Modugno was a twice Grammy Award-winning Italian singer, songwriter, actor, and later in life, a member of the Italian Parliament.-Biography:Modugno was born in Polignano a Mare, province of Bari ....
's hit "Libero". Deeply impressed, Lopez predicted that Nino Bravo would become a superstar.
Meanwhile, Bravo took a job as a jeweler, and also worked for his mother, who owned a supermarket. When he was sixteen, he became a fan of the famous
ChileChile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an singer
Antonio PrietoFor the Spanish long-distance runner with the same name see Antonio Prieto Antonio Prieto was a Chile born actor who developed most of his acting career in Argentina and Spain...
, whose song, "La Novia" ("The Bride"), had become a number one hit in Spain. Bravo and his friends formed a band, "Los Hispanicos", and made a cover recording of "La Novia".
Bravo also enjoyed Rock & Roll music.He began singing at a
hotelA hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
, where he sang his favorite
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
song, "
Only You"Only You " is a pop song composed by Buck Ram and Ande Rand. It was recorded most successfully by The Platters in 1955....
".
Eventually, Bravo was approached by a recording company agent who tried to convince him to sign with his label. Bravo declined, because the projected contract would not include the entire Los Hispanicos band.
In 1964, "Los Hispánicos" changed their name to "Los Superson". At the same time, their luck changed. They won a local
radioRadio is the transmission of signals by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
contest, then moved on to
BenidormBenidorm is a Valencian coastal town and municipality located in the comarca of Marina Baixa, in the province of Alicante, Spain, by the western Mediterranean Sea....
, where they became quite popular.
Shortly, however, Bravo was called up for
militaryA military is an organization authorized by its nation to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. As an adjective the term "military" is also used to refer to any property or aspect of a military...
duty. Suffering from
depressionMajor depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
during his military service, Bravo contemplated quitting his singing career.
While Bravo was away in the military, López befriended Miguel Siuran, a radio personality, who was impressed by Los Superson's sound and wanted to help them get a recording contract, to include two of the band's songs on another singer's LP. López declined the offer, because he felt that Bravo should be included on the album as well.
When Bravo returned from the service, López talked to him enthusiastically that Siuran scornfully asked if Bravo could sing like
Tom JonesSir Thomas Jones Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer. Since 1965, Jones has sold over 100 million records.-Early life:...
,
Engelbert HumperdinckEngelbert Humperdinck is a well-known British popular music singer who became famous internationally during the 1960s and 1970s, after adopting the name of the famous German opera composer Engelbert Humperdinck as his own stage name.-Early years:He was one of ten children of British Army officer...
or
John RowlesJohn Rowles OBE is a New Zealand singer. He was most popular in the 1970s and early 1980s, and most famous for his song "Cheryl Moana Marie"....
. Once Siuran heard Bravo's voice, however, the radio man was deeply impressed.
Siuran Miguel Siurán took Bravo to a music festival. Although Bravo did not win at the festival, Siurán became convinced that it was time for Bravo to become a star, and, soon afterwards, Siurán came up with the artistic name of Nino Bravo.
Bravo and Siurán first tried unsuccessfully to get a contract with RCA
RCARCA Corporation, founded as Radio Corporation of America, was an electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. Currently, the RCA trademark is owned by the French conglomerate Thomson SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Thomson...
. They then went to Fonogram in Madrid.
Bravo and Siuran returned to Valencia, where Siurán published an
newspaper ad announcing "Nino Bravo y Los Superson". Shortly thereafter, Fonogram called to offer a contract for an album with Bravo and Los Superson.
In March 1969, shortly after their album hit the market, Bravo sang before a live audience for the first time. After the concert, frenzied admirers tore down Bravo's concert posters.
On April 20th 1970 he married Maria Amparo and their first daughter, Amparo, was born on January 1972. He also had a second daughter, Eva, that was born after he died.
Fonogram wanted Bravo to go solo, and in 1970, Siurán was replaced by José Meri as Bravo's manager.
In that same year, Bravo participated for the first time in the prestigious Barcelona Music Festival. He would not gain international acclaim until two festivals later, however. After Bravo received favorable reviews from a festival audience in Athens, Greece, he went on to impress festival goers at the Rio de Janeiro Festival.
After being exposed to international audiences in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
and
Latin AmericaLatin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish, Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,501 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, Bravo and Meri parted ways, and Bravo took on a new manager. Bravo's first solo album was soon released, and the song "Te quiero, te quiero", by the composer Augusto Algueró, became an international hit, which is now considered a classic by many
HispanicHispanic is a term that historically denoted a relationship to the ancient Hispania . During the modern era, it took on a more limited meaning, relating to the contemporary nation of Spain....
music critics. Bravo's first album, "Tu Cambiarás" ("You Will Change"), sold well, particularly in
ColombiaColombia , officially the Republic of Colombia , is a constitutional republic in northwestern South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the northwest by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean...
, where Bravo became very popular.
Bravo then sang on the Spaniard
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
contest show, "Pasaporte a Dublín" ("Passport to Dublin)" in which the winner would represent Spain in 1971's
EurovisionThe Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
.
After the show, Bravo then went on tour in Colombia and Brazil, where he participated, for a second time in the Rio de Janeiro Festival.
Also in 1971, Nino Bravo recorded his second album, which went untitled. The album would later be posthumously released, in CD format, entitled "Puerta de amor" ("Love's Door").
In 1972, Bravo released his third album, "Libre" ("Free"). "Libre" proved to be both a huge success and a very controversial album for Bravo, as many Latin American
dictatorA dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power with military control but, without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
s of the time banned the album's title song from being played in their countries. As a consequence, Bravo was also banned from singing his banned songs in certain countries. His success, however, was such that he was widely known in
ArgentinaArgentina, officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America, constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires. It is the eighth largest country in the world by land area and the largest among Spanish-speaking nations, though Mexico,...
,
ChileChile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
,
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
,
EcuadorEcuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador , literally, "Republic of the equator") is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America that...
,
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is a self-governing unincorporated territory of the United States located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands...
,
VenezuelaVenezuela , officially titled Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It is a continental mainland with numerous islands located off its coastline in the Caribbean Sea...
and among the Hispanic population of the United States. In
ChileChile, officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, the title song from the album, became a unifying elemet for all the followers of the new
military regimeGeneral Augusto Pinochet one of the most controversial figures in the history of Chile, was head of the military junta that ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990....
which came into power on September 11, 1973, when Bigote Arrocet sang "Libre" in honour of Bravo during 1974 Festival de la Canción de Viña del Mar, in front of
Augusto PinochetAugusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte was a Chilean army general and later head of state as president. He was the Commander in Chief of the Chilean army from 1973 to 1998, president of the Government Junta of Chile from 1973 to 1981 and President of the Republic from 1974 until the return of...
and his wife.
In January 1973, Bravo's first daughter, Amparo, was born. A second daughter, Eva, would later arrive, but Nino never got to see her.
Bravo's words in a 1973 interview would prove to be tragically prophetic: speaking of his last Latin American tour, he referred to a song named "Noelia" as "(his) last song". Another song that he released that same year, "Un Beso y Una Flor" ("A Kiss and a Flower") became one of Bravo's greatest international hits.(Loosely translated, the song's chorus was "in departure, a kiss and a flower"). On March 14 of that year, Bravo performed his last concert, before his Valencia fans.
Death
On April 16, 1973, Bravo was driving his BMW 2800 along with the Humo duo and Miguel Diurni when his car was involved in an accident about 100 km southeast of Madrid. He died on the way to the hospital as consequence of his injuries. He had just signed a five year record deal with the European record label Polydor. At the time of his death, Nino Bravo was just 28 years old.
External links
Un beso y una flor Nino Bravo En Libertad Por siempre Nino Bravo