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Rocio Durcal

Rocío Dúrcal
Rocio Durcal 2004.jpg
Dúrcal in 2004
Background information
Birth name María de los Ángeles de las Heras Ortiz
Born (1944-10-04)4 October 1944
Madrid, Spain
Died 25 March 2006(2006-03-25) (aged 61)
Torrelodones, Autonomous Community of Madrid, Spain
Occupation(s) Singer, actress
Years active 1959–2006
Associated acts Juan Gabriel
Enrique Guzmán
Lola Beltrán
Vicente Fernández
Antonio Morales
Palito Ortega
Raphael
Marco Antonio Solís
Joan Sebastián
Lucha Villa
Amalia Mendoza
Daniela Romo
Cecilia
Shaila Dúrcal
Raphael
Camilo Sesto
Kany García
Joaquín Sabina

María de los Ángeles de las Heras Ortiz (4 October 1944  – 25 March 2006) better known by her stage name, Rocío Dúrcal (Spanish pronunciation: [roˈθi.o ˈðurkal]) was a Spanish singer and actress.

Rocío Dúrcal died in 2006 from uterine cancer. A year before her death (2005) she received a Latin Grammy Award for musical excellence, a prize that is awarded by the Governing Board of the Recording Latin Academy to artists who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance during their careers.

She began her artistic career by participating in various radio song festivals and competitions, secretly supported by her paternal grandfather, who always believed in her talent and became her first fan. In 1959, with the approval of her parents, she participated in the television program Primer Aplauso, broadcast by Televisión Española. The theme that she chose for the contest was the traditional song "La sombra vendo". Luis Sanz, a Madrid manager who watched the show, was impressed by her talent and personality. Sanz contacted the program for the name and the address of the young contestant.

Her first film was Canción de Juventud (1961) directed by Luis Lucia. The plot of the film portrayed a teenager with her own personality. The movie scored huge box office and critics success. This success was repeated in other Spanish-speaking countries where the movie was shown. Immediately Dúrcal became the star of Rocío de La Mancha. Following this, she got her first record deal with transnational Phonogram (now Universal Music). The songs the artist played in both films served to make her first album, "Las películas de Rocío Dúrcal" (1962). This first album was the start of her successful recording career. She traveled to Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the United States where she appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.

In her third film, Tengo 17 años (1964), Dúrcal put aside her role of "child star". That same year, she appeared in her first theater play, Un domingo en Nueva York, in which she was revealed as a great theatrical actress. In 1965 she filmed Más bonita que ninguna; the band Los Brincos wrote some songs for the movie. In 1966, she shared the spotlight with Enrique Guzmán in the film Acompáñame. She began to perform duets with such singers as Jaime Morey and Amalia de Isaura. Then she co-starred in the film Amor en el Aire (1967) with the then young Argentine singer-songwriter Palito Ortega. In 1968 she filmed Cristina Guzmán, the first of her films that was aimed at an audience over 18.


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Wikipedia

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