Los Panchos Explained

Los Panchos
Landscape:yes
Background:group_or_band
Alias:Trío Los Panchos
Years Active:1944–present

Originally, Trio Los Panchos were a trío romántico formed in New York City in 1944 by Alfredo Gil, Chucho Navarro, and the Puerto Rican Hernando Avilés. The trio became one of the leading exporters of the bolero and the romantic ballad in Latin America.

The group sold hundreds of millions of records since its creation in the mid 1940s,[1] some of their best known songs being their interpretations of classic folk songs such as "Besame Mucho", "Sabor a Mí", "Sin Ti", "Solamente Una Vez", "Contigo", "Quizas, Quizas, Quizas", "Contigo Aprendi", "Aquellos Ojos Verdes", "Cuando vuelva a tu lado", "Se te olvida", "El Reloj", "Noche de Ronda", "Rayito de Luna".

Los Panchos are regarded as one of the top musical trios of all time and one of the most influential Latin American artists of all time.[2] They sold out concerts around the globe for over 70 years and have appeared in more than 50 films.

A characteristic instrument of Los Panchos and other Mexican tríos románticos since the 1950s is the requinto guitar, which is smaller and tuned higher than a standard guitar. Requinto solos are found in many bolero recordings by Los Panchos.

History

Los Panchos first met in 1944 in New York City.[3] The three original members were Chucho Navarro, and Alfredo Gil, both from Mexico, and Hernando Avilés from Puerto Rico. All three played guitar and contributed vocally.[4]

Los Panchos reached fame with their romantic songs, especially in Latin America where they are still regarded as one of the top trios of all time. They sold millions of records in Latin America and other countries. In the 1940s they collaborated with Alfredo Antonini's Viva America Orchestra with the orchestral accordionist John Serry Sr. in a recording of "La Palma" (a cueca) and "Rosa Negra" (a conga) for Pilotone Records (#45 5067, #45 5069).[5] They also appeared in around 50 movies, mostly during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.

By 1946, the trio's exceptional virtuosity and authenticity had attracted the attention of Edmund Chester at CBS Radio's Cadena de Las Americas (Network of the Americas).[6] [7] Los Panchos were immediately invited to perform as "musical ambassadors" on the network's Viva América program to support cultural diplomacy in twenty countries throughout Latin America and South America.[8] [9] [10] [11]

Los Panchos began touring internationally in 1946 and would relocate later that same year to Mexico City. They were welcomed with open arms and XEW-AM, the most popular radio station in Mexico City, reserved a time slot for their music.[12] In 1951, Los Panchos launched another international tour across Latin America. Julito Rodríguez joined the group in 1952; he was replaced by Johnny Albino in 1958.

In 1964, CBS proposed to the members of the trio, then made up of the two founding members and Johnny Albino, to accompany a female voice for the first time, the American vocalist of Judeo-Spanish descent Eydie Gormé, who had several years of recording experience in the United States and who was just beginning to record in Spanish. The collaboration between Gormé and Los Panchos resulted in a series of bestselling albums in the 1960s such as Great Love Songs In Spanish (titled Amor, in Spanish).[13] The Albino era was one of the most prosperous ones for Los Panchos, and classic albums from that time are still very popular among Los Panchos fans. His departure in 1968 was a tumultuous one, as he did not leave on good terms with the group's management.

In 1971, Ovidio Hernández joined the band as lead vocalist, a part he would fulfill until his untimely passing from complications of meningitis in 1976. Following him, Rafael Basurto Lara joined as lead singer.[14]

Alfredo Gil played with Los Panchos until his retirement in 1981; he died in 1999. Chucho Navarro played with the group until his death in 1993. Currently the trio using the Los Panchos name is the Trio Los Panchos de Chucho Navarro Fundador ("Trio Los Panchos of Founder Chucho Navarro") under the direction of Chucho Navarro Jr., the son of original Los Panchos member Chucho Navarro.

Discography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Los Panchos: Biography. Allmusic.
  2. Most influential latin artists. Billboard.
  3. Latin Music - Musicians, Genres and Themes, Stavans, Ilan - Editor In Chief, Greenwood, Oxford, England, 2014, p. 798-799 Latin Music - Musicians, Genres and Themes, Stavans, Ilan - Editor, "Trio Los Panchos" on books.google.com
  4. Encyclopedia of Latin American Popular Music, Torres, George - Editor. Greenwood, Oxford, England 2013, p. 44-45, 415 "Encyclopedia of Latin American Popular Music", Torres, George - Editor, "Trio Los Panchos" on books.google.com
  5. https://archive.org/details/78_rosa-negra_alfredo-antonini-and-his-viva-america-orchestra-los-panchos-trio_gbia0030808 La Palma; Rosa Negra - Vocalists Los Panchos Trio and the Viva America Orchestra - Conductor Alfredo Antonini
  6. https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/viva-america-a-cbs-radio-program-featuring-latin-america-news-photo/905995988?adppopup=true Photograph of Los Panchos Trio
  7. https://books.google.com/books?id=ql_sDwAAQBAJ&dq=CBS+Pan+American+Orchestra+Alfredo+Antonini&pg=PT74 Beyond the Black and White TV: Asian and Latin American Spectacle in Cold War America. Han, Benjamin M. Rutgers University Press, 2022 La Cadena de las Americas, Edmund Chester, William S. Paley and the Carlos Manuel De Cespedes National Order of Merit on Google Books
  8. https://books.google.com/books?id=ql_sDwAAQBAJ&dq=CBS+Pan+American+Orchestra+Alfredo+Antonini&pg=PT74 Beyond the Black and White TV: Asian and Latin American Spectacle in Cold War America. Han, Benjamin M. Rutgers University Press, 2022 La Cadena de las Americas, Edmund Chester, William S. Paley and the Carlos Manuel De Cespedes National Order of Merit on Google Books
  9. Agustin Lara: A Cultural Biography. Wood, Andrew grant. Oxford university Press 2014 p. 158 ISBN 9780199892464 Los Panchos Trio and Viva America on Google Book
  10. Time - Radio: La Cadena, June 1, 1942 William S. Paley, La Cadena de las Americas on Content.time.com
  11. https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/viva-america-a-cbs-radio-program-featuring-latin-america-news-photo/905995988?adppopup=true Photograph of Los Panchos Trio
  12. Musical Ritual in Mexico City - From the Aztec to NAFTA Pedelty, Mark. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas 2004, "Music Ritual in Mexico City - From the Aztec to NAFTA" Pedelty, Mark, University of Texas Press, "Trio Los Panchos" on books.google.com
  13. Music of Latin America and the Caribbean. Brill, Mark. Routledge, New York, NY 2016, "Music of Latin America and the Caribbean". Brill, Mark. Routledge, New York, 2016 Chapter 3 - Mexico - "Los Panchos Trio" on books.google.com
  14. Web site: Documento sin título . 2009-10-31 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090803131005/http://www.lospanchos.com/basurto_lara.htm . 2009-08-03 .
  15. https://archive.org/details/78_rosa-negra_alfredo-antonini-and-his-viva-america-orchestra-los-panchos-trio_gbia0030808 La Palma interpreted by Los Panchos Triocirca 1946 on Archive.org