Rigo Tovar
Encyclopedia
Rigoberto Tovar García was a Mexican
singer best known as Rigo Tovar. Famous for his cumbia
songs, Tovar is considered a musical pioneer by fusing electric guitar, synthesizer, and rock melodies with traditional Mexican music.
Tovar was born and raised in Matamoros
, Tamaulipas
, Mexico. After moving to Houston, Texas
, his musical career began to take off in the early 1970s. Blending cumbia, tropical, and modern pop rock, he quickly gained a large following. His first album entitled Matamoros Querido
was released in 1971 and garnered the singer two regional hits, the title track and Lamento de Amor.
as well as the United States. His adoring public coined the phrase "Rigo es Amor" which is translated in English as "Rigo is Love". This was attributed to the love songs he performed and the passion he poured into them. His music, voice and image were so endearing to so many that he became the living embodiment of love. It was routinely yelled out at his concerts and is still used when people speak of him.
He authored among others hits like Matamoros Querido, La Sirenita, ¡Oh, qué gusto de volverte a ver!, and Perdóname mi amor por ser tan guapo. He was most successful in the 1970s and 1980s and retired in the late 1990s but he and his songs remained popular, especially Matamoros Querido and La Sirenita. His musical group, Rigo Tovar's El Costa Azul, went through several line-up changes and is still active today. During his career, Tovar broke several attendance records in Latin America and Mexico (many of which still stand to this day), sold over 30 million albums, and continues to influence countless artists of all genres.
, Mexico at the Santa Catarina River when four-hundred thousand people showed up to see him play a free concert.http://www.houstonpress.com/blogs/?p=458 Local newspapers El Norte
and El Sol ran the story which stated that the singer had broken an attendance record held by Pope John Paul II
. The Pope had visited Monterrey earlier that year, setting an attendance record at three-hundred thousand people.
and controversy
as that of success and fortune. He was born and grew up in extreme poverty in a large family where food was scarce and living conditions were extreme. He lost his mother, with whom he had a very close relationship, when his singing career started to ascend. The relationship with his father was tense and difficult, and although several of his brothers were in the band at the beginning; they left as Tovar started gaining all the attention. The one brother who stayed was Everardo Tovar who became his manager.
Tovar suffered from retinitis pigmentosa
, a genetic eye condition for which there is no current medical treatment and the reason for his constant use of dark sunglasses. He started losing his sight in his mid-20s and eventually went blind.
He also suffered from vitiligo
, a skin condition where loss of pigmentation causes patches of light skin to appear on the body. His brother, Everardo Tovar, died in the 1985 Mexico City earthquake
. In addition to retinitis pigmentosa and vitiligo, the singer also suffered from diabetes.
A few days shy of his 59th birthday, Tovar died on March 27, 2005, from diabetic complications leading to cardio-respiratory failure. His funeral was held behind closed doors in a notable funeral home located in Mexico City
, but fans and some members of his large family entered the funeral service by force. Tovar was cremated and his ashes were thrown onto one of Matamoros
' beaches per his wishes.
song, Como, Cuando y Donde, which samples Tovar's haunting jazz-tinged interpretation of the song Quizás.
Recopilaciones De Rigo
Fan Forums
Mexico
The 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...
singer best known as Rigo Tovar. Famous for his cumbia
Cumbia
Cumbia is a music genre popular across Latin America. The cumbia originated in the Caribbean coast of Colombia, where it is associated with an eponymous dance and has since spread as far as Mexico and Argentina...
songs, Tovar is considered a musical pioneer by fusing electric guitar, synthesizer, and rock melodies with traditional Mexican music.
Tovar was born and raised in Matamoros
Matamoros
The name Matamoros, meaning Moor-killer or Moor-slayer in Spanish , may refer to:-People:*Mariano Matamoros, a liberal priest and insurgent active during the Mexican War of Independence*Santiago Matamoros The name Matamoros, meaning Moor-killer or Moor-slayer in Spanish (see Saint James the...
, Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas
Tamaulipas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 43 municipalities and its capital city is Ciudad Victoria. The capital city was named after Guadalupe Victoria, the...
, Mexico. After moving to Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, his musical career began to take off in the early 1970s. Blending cumbia, tropical, and modern pop rock, he quickly gained a large following. His first album entitled Matamoros Querido
Matamoros Querido
Matamoros Querido is the first album by Rigo Tovar. It was recorded in Houston, Texas. The cover photograph was taken in the museum district of Houston, in front of the Mecom Fountains...
was released in 1971 and garnered the singer two regional hits, the title track and Lamento de Amor.
Rigo Es Amor
Through extensive radio play and touring both in the United States and Mexico he quickly achieved great popularity and wealth. At the height of his fame, he was known as "El Ídolo de México" (Mexico's Idol) and "El Ídolo de las multitudes" (The Idol of the Masses). The release of the album Amor y Cumbia in 1976 catapulted him to superstar status not only in Mexico but many other areas of Latin AmericaLatin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
as well as the United States. His adoring public coined the phrase "Rigo es Amor" which is translated in English as "Rigo is Love". This was attributed to the love songs he performed and the passion he poured into them. His music, voice and image were so endearing to so many that he became the living embodiment of love. It was routinely yelled out at his concerts and is still used when people speak of him.
He authored among others hits like Matamoros Querido, La Sirenita, ¡Oh, qué gusto de volverte a ver!, and Perdóname mi amor por ser tan guapo. He was most successful in the 1970s and 1980s and retired in the late 1990s but he and his songs remained popular, especially Matamoros Querido and La Sirenita. His musical group, Rigo Tovar's El Costa Azul, went through several line-up changes and is still active today. During his career, Tovar broke several attendance records in Latin America and Mexico (many of which still stand to this day), sold over 30 million albums, and continues to influence countless artists of all genres.
Rigo Tovar "Bigger Than The Pope"
Tovar was easily recognizable by his long, wavy black hair, dark eyeglasses and signature jump at the end of his concerts. In 1979 he broke an attendance record in MonterreyMonterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
, Mexico at the Santa Catarina River when four-hundred thousand people showed up to see him play a free concert.http://www.houstonpress.com/blogs/?p=458 Local newspapers El Norte
El Norte
The Spanish phrase El Norte may refer to any of the following places or things:* El Norte , a 1983 motion picture directed by Gregory Nava.* El Norte , a Mexican daily newspaper, published in the state of Nuevo Léon....
and El Sol ran the story which stated that the singer had broken an attendance record held by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. The Pope had visited Monterrey earlier that year, setting an attendance record at three-hundred thousand people.
Rigo Tovar Movie Star
Tovar also starred in several movies including Vivir Para Amar (1980), Rigo Es Amor (1980), and El Gran Triunfo (1981).Personal Life
Tovar's life was as full of tragedyTragedy
Tragedy is a form of art based on human suffering that offers its audience pleasure. While most cultures have developed forms that provoke this paradoxical response, tragedy refers to a specific tradition of drama that has played a unique and important role historically in the self-definition of...
and controversy
Controversy
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of opinion. The word was coined from the Latin controversia, as a composite of controversus – "turned in an opposite direction," from contra – "against" – and vertere – to turn, or versus , hence, "to turn...
as that of success and fortune. He was born and grew up in extreme poverty in a large family where food was scarce and living conditions were extreme. He lost his mother, with whom he had a very close relationship, when his singing career started to ascend. The relationship with his father was tense and difficult, and although several of his brothers were in the band at the beginning; they left as Tovar started gaining all the attention. The one brother who stayed was Everardo Tovar who became his manager.
Tovar suffered from retinitis pigmentosa
Retinitis pigmentosa
Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of genetic eye conditions that leads to incurable blindness. In the progression of symptoms for RP, night blindness generally precedes tunnel vision by years or even decades. Many people with RP do not become legally blind until their 40s or 50s and retain some...
, a genetic eye condition for which there is no current medical treatment and the reason for his constant use of dark sunglasses. He started losing his sight in his mid-20s and eventually went blind.
He also suffered from vitiligo
Vitiligo
Vitiligo is a condition that causes depigmentation of sections of skin. It occurs when melanocytes, the cells responsible for skin pigmentation, die or are unable to function. The cause of vitiligo is unknown, but research suggests that it may arise from autoimmune, genetic, oxidative stress,...
, a skin condition where loss of pigmentation causes patches of light skin to appear on the body. His brother, Everardo Tovar, died in the 1985 Mexico City earthquake
1985 Mexico City earthquake
The 1985 Mexico City earthquake, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake that struck Mexico City on the early morning of 19 September 1985 at around 7:19 AM , caused the deaths of at least 10,000 people and serious damage to the greater Mexico City Area. The complete seismic event...
. In addition to retinitis pigmentosa and vitiligo, the singer also suffered from diabetes.
A few days shy of his 59th birthday, Tovar died on March 27, 2005, from diabetic complications leading to cardio-respiratory failure. His funeral was held behind closed doors in a notable funeral home located in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, but fans and some members of his large family entered the funeral service by force. Tovar was cremated and his ashes were thrown onto one of Matamoros
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
' beaches per his wishes.
Legacy and Remembrance
He appeared posthumously in the 2005 video for the AkwidAkwid
Akwid is an American hip hop group combining hip hop-style vocals with regional Mexican music. An earlier incarnation of the group was known as Juvenile Style...
song, Como, Cuando y Donde, which samples Tovar's haunting jazz-tinged interpretation of the song Quizás.
Discography
- 1971: Matamoros QueridoMatamoros QueridoMatamoros Querido is the first album by Rigo Tovar. It was recorded in Houston, Texas. The cover photograph was taken in the museum district of Houston, in front of the Mecom Fountains...
- 1973: Cómo Será La MujerCómo Será La Mujer (Rigo Tovar)-Track listing:#Como Sera La Mujer# Pajarillo Montañero# El Dia Que Seas Para Mi# Me Voy Pa'l Pueblo# Quiza, Quiza, Quiza# Novio Celoso# El Amor Que Se Alejo# Si Supiera Ella# Acapulco Eres Mi Amor# Venus...
- 1974: En La CumbreEn La Cumbre (Rigo Tovar)En La Cumbre is a studio album by Rigo Tovar and the band Costa Azul.-Track listing:# Recordando Monterrey# Cuando Tu Amor Me Llama # La Mucura# Mi Amiga, Mi Esposa y Mi Amante# Parrandero Enamorado# Noche de Cumbia...
- 1974: En Acción
- 1975: Te Quiero Dijiste...
- 1976: Amor Y Cumbia
- 1977: Dos Tardes De Mi Vida
- 1978: ¡Oh, Qué Gusto De Volverte A Ver!
- 1979: Con Mariachi Vol. 1
- 1979: Rigo Tovar En Vivo
- 1980: Con Mariachi Vol. 2
- 1980: Reflexiona
- 1980: Rigo Rock
- 1981: Rigo '81
- 1982: 10 Años Tropicalísimo
- 1982: Sublime Y Bohemio
- 1983: Con Mariachi Vol. 3
- 1984: De Nuevo En Contacto Musical
- 1985: El Músico Chiflado
- 1987: Quítate La Máscara
- 1989: Baila Mi Ritmo
- 1989: La Fiera
- 1989: Los Últimos Exitos de Rigo Tovar
- 1990: El Ritmo Del Sirenito
- 1990: El Sirenito
- 1992: Rigo El Guapo
- 1994: Éxitos Con Banda
Recopilaciones De Rigo
- ????: Sigue Bailando Mi Ritmo (LP)
- 2005: La Historia De Un Ídolo
- 2006: Mi Tinajita Y Muchos éxitos Mas...
Singles Discography
- Matamoros Querido
- Lamento De Amor
- Recordando Monterrey
- Estoy Enamorado De Verdad
- Como Sera La Mujer
- Pajarillo Montañero
- Me Quiero Casar
- El Testamento
- La Sirenita
- Amor Libre
- ¡Oh,Qué Gusto De Volverte A Ver!
- Reflexiona
See also
- List of Mexican people
- Houston PressHouston PressThe Houston Press is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in Downtown Houston....
Blog Article http://www.houstonpress.com/blogs/?p=458
Fan Forums