Isabel Pantoja

María Isabel Pantoja Martín (; born August 2, 1956) is a Spanish singer. She was born in the Triana district of Seville, Spain. She has released more than a dozen albums throughout a career spanning many decades, mostly of copla genre, and is known for her distinctive Andalusian style.

Biography She was born in a Romani family of musicians. Both her father and grandfather were singers.

Pantoja began performing precociously at the age of seven in the flamenco ensemble of her cousin Chiquetete. At 17 she met her "maestro" Juan Solano Pedrero, who wrote her first hits along with writer and poet Rafael de León. Pantoja cultivated copla, a genre in decline at the moment that she popularised again. Some of her early hits were "El Pájaro Verde", "Garlochí" or "El Señorito". In 1983 she released her first pop album, Cambiar por ti, which included the same-title song, "En la Niebla", or "Nada". From that moment, Pantoja alternated ballads and romantic songs with copla.

Sherry barrel signed by Isabel Pantoja in the cellars El Pimpi of Málaga. On April 30, 1983, she married bullfighter Francisco Rivera Pérez "Paquirri"; the wedding was widely covered by the Spanish media as they were both popular and successful and they embodied a romantic Spain stereotype of the bullfighter and the "tonadillera". On September 26, 1984, he died in the bullring; Pantoja became known as "Spain's widow" in the media and a regular cover on gossip magazines. After a prolonged hiatus, she released the album Marinero de Luces, composed by José Luis Perales, that sold one million copies in Spain.

In 1988, she released Desde Andalucía, an album produced by Mexican singer and songwriter Juan Gabriel. In 1989 she released Se me enamora el alma, her most commercial album, with modern programmed beats, composed by Perales.

In 1990, Pantoja starred in the film Yo soy ésa, alongside José Coronado and Loles León, directed by Luis Sanz. A year later, she starred in another film, El día que nací yo, directed by Pedro Olea, alongside Arturo Fernández and Joaquim de Almeida.

Pantoja has released more than a dozen albums and has toured Spain and Latin America extensively over the years.

Family life

Her husband, the bullfighter Francisco Rivera Pérez, known professionally as "Paquirri", died at the age of 36 in the bullring on September 26, 1984, at the horns of the bull Avispado in Pozoblanco, Córdoba. Isabel Pantoja and "Paquirri" had a son named Francisco José Rivera Pantoja (born February 9, 1984, in Seville), better known as Kiko Rivera or "Paquirrín" by the press. Pantoja has another daughter, named like herself María Isabel Pantoja Martín (born November 8, 1995, in Lima, Peru), whom she adopted in 1996, and who is better known as Isa Pantoja or "Chabelita" by the press. Both her children are television personalities who have participated in reality shows.

Legal problems

Pantoja was arrested in April 2013 by the Spanish police. She was allegedly an accomplice for her ex-boyfriend, Julián Muñoz, who had been accused of money laundering and bribery (among other criminal activities) while he was mayor of Marbella. Pantoja was found guilty and sentenced to a 24-month prison term. She ultimately would agree to pay nearly €4.0 million, and entered a plea to avoid the jail time.

However, on 3 November 2014, in a turn of events, the jury in Málaga denied Pantoja’s plea and the proposed payment plan, instead sentencing her to be incarcerated immediately, or within three days of the verdict being announced. The trial, and Pantoja's subsequent imprisonment, were widely covered by Spanish and Latin American media, becoming huge international news. She only served around 15 months, however, as she was released from custody on 10 February 2016.

Discography

1974 – Fue por tu voz 1975 – Que dile y dile 1976 – Niña Isabela 1978 – Y no estaba muerto, no, no 1979 – 22 abriles tengo 1981 – Al Alimón 1981 – Amante, amante 1982 – ¡Viva Triana! 1983 – Cambiar por ti 1985 – Marinero de luces 1987 – Tú serás mi Navidad 1988 – Desde Andalucía 1989 – Se me enamora el alma 1990 – La canción española 1992 – Corazón herido 1993 – De nadie 1996 – Amor eterno 1998 – Veneno 1999 – A tu vera 2002 – Donde el corazón me lleve 2003 – Soy como soy: grandes éxitos 2003 – Mi Navidad flamenca 2004 – Buena suerte 2005 – By Pumpin' Dolls 2005 – Sinfonía de la copla 2005 – Mi canción de Navidad 2006 – 10 boleros y una canción de amor 2010 – Isabel Pantoja (Spanish title) / Encuentro (Latin American title) 2016 – Hasta que se apague el sol 2020 - Canciones que me gustan

Filmography 1990: Yo soy ésa 1991: El día que nací yo

Television Year Title Channel Role Notes 1978 Cantares La 1 Guest/Performer Episode: "Isabel Pantoja" 1980 Retrato en vivo La 1 Guest/Performer Episode: "Isabel Pantoja" 1985 Isabel Pantoja a beneficio de la Fundación Reina Sofía La 1 Performer Television special 2001 Amigos en la noche La 1 Host 2006 Sábado noche La 1 Host 2011 Supervivientes 2011 Telecinco Guest 1 episode 2011 Isabel, a su manera Telecinco Performer Television special 2011–2012 Campanadas de fin de año Telecinco Host Television special 2019 Gran Hermano Dúo Telecinco Guest 1 episode 2019 Supervivientes 2019 Telecinco Contestant 2019 Paquita Salas Netflix Theme song singer Season 3 2020 Idol Kids Telecinco Judge 2021 Top Star. ¿Cuánto vale tu voz? Telecinco Judge