Peret

Pedro Pubill Calaf (, ; 24 March 1935 – 27 August 2014), better known as Peret, was a Catalan Romani singer, guitar player and composer of Catalan rumba from Mataró (Barcelona).

Career Known for his 1971 single, "Borriquito" (Ariola Records), Peret represented Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest 1974 with the song "Canta y sé feliz" and performed during the closing ceremony at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. In 2001, Peret recorded and released Rey De La Rumba (King of the Rumba) an album of updated versions of his older songs with guest musicians including Jarabe de Palo, El Gran Silencio, David Byrne of Talking Heads, and more.

In 1982, Peret withdrew from the music industry, joining the Iglesia Evangélica de Filadelfia, a large religious community of the Spanish Roma (gypsies) devoting himself in the following years exclusively to preaching and religious activities. After leaving the church in 1991, he resumed his music activity and recorded new albums. In 1992, he was honored for all his body of work when he sang as representative of Catalonia at the Olympic Games in Barcelona during the closing ceremonies.

Death Peret died in Barcelona in 2014 from lung cancer, aged 79.

Discography Vinyl albums 1967: Peret (Discophon) 1968: Rumba pa'ti (Discophon) 1968: Una lágrima (Vergara) 1969: Lamento gitano (Discophon) 1969: Gipsy Rhumbas (Discophon) 1970: Canta para el cine (Vergara) 1971: Borriquito (Ariola) 1972: Una lágrima (Ariola) 1973: Mi santa (Ariola) 1974: Lo mejor de Peret (Ariola) 1974: Peret y sus gitanos (EMI) 1974: Canta y sé feliz (Ariola) 1978: Saboreando (Ariola) 1978: Lágrimas negras (Ariola) 1978: El joven Peret (CBS) 1980: El jilguero (Belter) 1981: De cap a la palla (Belter) 1988: De coco a la paja (Belter)

CD albums 1991: No se pué aguantar (PDI)* 1992: Gitana hechicera (PDI)* 1992: Rumbas de la clausura a co-album with Los Manolos and Los Amaya (PDI)* 1993: Cómo me gusta (PDI)* 1995: Que disparen flores (PDI)* 1996: Jesús de Nazareth (PDI)* 2000: Rey de la Rumba (Virgin) 2007: Que levante el dedo (K Industria Cultural) 2009: De los cobardes nunca se ha escrito nada (Universal Music) Re-released in 2008 by Picap

Posthumous albums 2014: Des del Respecte / Desde el Respeto (Satélite K)

Compilation albums 1979: El cancionero nº 1 (Belter) 1982: El forat (Impacto) (Cassette release - Side A in Catalan, side B tracks from De cap a la palla and De coco a la paja) 1989: Rumbas de oro (Divucsa) 1990: Peret es la rumba (Ariola) 1994: La vida por delante (Sony/BMG) 1996: Siempre Peret (PDI) 1998: Sus grabaciones en Discophon (Rama Lama/Blanco y Negro) 2000: Don Toribio Carambola (Arcade) 2000: Chica Vaivén (Sony/BMG) 2000: Número 1 en rumba (PDI) 2001: La salsa de la rumba (Sony/BMG) 2004: Singles Collection (Divucsa) 2006: Mano a mano (Divucsa) 2008: Sus 20 grandes éxitos (O.K.)

Singles (Selective international hits) 1971: "Borriquito" 1971: "Voy voy" 1972: "Ni fu ni fa" 1973: "El mosquito" 1974: "Canta y sé feliz" 1988: "Borriquito" (Mix)

other hits: 1964: "Sapore di sale" / "Salomé" / "Qué suerte" / "Si yo fuera" (Discophon), 1964) 1965: "Jugando" / "Caliente" (Ariola, 1975) 1978: "Saboreando" 1980: "Pa amb oli" / "De cap a la palla" (Belter) 1982: "El forat" / "Estem fotuts" 2001: "Marujas asesinas" (Virgin)

Charts YearSinglePeak positionsCertificationAlbum NED Dutch Top 40 NED SingleTop 100 GER1971"Borriquito"111Borriquito"Voy voy"2216-1974"Canta y sé feliz"TipCanta y sé feliz

Filmography 1969: Amor a todo gas 1970: El meson del gitano 1971: A mi las mujeres ni fu ni fa 1973: Que cosas tiene el amor 1974: Si fulano fuese mengano

Various supporting roles and extras 1963: Los Tarantos 1967: Las cuatro bodas de Marisol 1968: El taxi de los conflictos 1968: Un dia despues de agosto 1969: Alma gitana 2001: Marujas asesinas 2008: Lazos rotos

Related bibliography Peret, l'ànima d'un poble., by Cèlia Sànchez-Mústich. Edicions 62 (2005) Peret: Biografía de la Rumba Catalana., by Juan Puchades. Global Rhythm Press (2011).