José Gómez Ortega
Encyclopedia
José Gómez Ortega commonly known as Joselito (xoseˈlito), was a Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 matador
Matador
A torero or toureiro is a bullfighter and the main performer in bullfighting, practised in Spain, Colombia, Portugal, Mexico, France and various other countries influenced by Spanish culture. In Spanish, the word torero describes any of the performers who actively participate in the bullfight...

 in the early twentieth century.

Joselito was considered a child prodigy and was the youngest bullfighter to receive the title of matador de toros, at the age of 17. Joselito followed in arch-rival Juan Belmonte
Juan Belmonte
Juan Belmonte García was a Spanish bullfighter, considered by many to have been the greatest matador of all time.-Life:...

's footsteps and the two ushered in bullfighting's "Golden Age". Joselito was fatally gored in the ring at the age of 25 during a competitive bullfight with his brother-in-law, the matador Ignacio Sánchez Mejías
Ignacio Sánchez Mejías
Ignacio Sánchez Mejías was a famous Spanish bullfighter. He was also a writer. He enjoyed enormous popularity — he was attractive to women, admired by men, and a sympathetic personality to artists, especially those of the Generación del 27.When he died after a goring in the Plaza of...

.

Belmonte and Gómez are widely considered to be the two of the most famous bullfighters of all time.

Early life

José Gómez Ortega was born on 8 May 1895 in Huerta de El Algarrobo, Gelves
Gelves
Gelves is a city located in the province of Seville, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the city has a population of 8,325 inhabitants.-External links:* - Sistema de Información Multiterritorial de Andalucía...

 (Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...

, Spain) to Fernando Gómez García (1847 — 1897), a bullfighter, and Gabriela Ortega Feria (1862 — 1919), a flamenco singer.

Joselito was a third-generation bullfighter. His father Fernando Gómez García, known as El Gallo (The Rooster) - Joselito's previous nickname, Gallito, was a diminutive form of this nickname; His elder brother Rafael Gómez Ortega
Rafael Gomez Ortega
Rafael Gómez Ortega, also known as El Gallo was an early twentieth century bullfighter. He came from a family of famous bullfighters, including his matador father, Fernando Gómez García and matador younger brother, José Gómez Ortega...

, was also a bullfighter known as El Gallo.

Ancestry

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