Rocío Dúrcal

María de los Ángeles de las Heras Ortiz (4 October 1944 – 25 March 2006), better known as Rocío Dúrcal , was a Spanish singer and actress. Her career, which spanned more than four decades, began in the 1960s, when she established herself as an actress and singer thanks to the musical films she starred in. Later, she focused exclusively on her musical career, performing canción melódica, boleros, and rancheras, which led her to being considered one of the best Spanish-language singers of all time.

In Mexico she earned the sobriquet of Reina de las rancheras ("Queen of rancheras"). In 1999, she was inducted into the Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame for her versatility and anthemic songs. In 2005, she received the Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Also in 2005, she received the Life Achievement Award at the Premios de la Música in Spain. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked her at number 139 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Career María de los Ángeles de las Heras Ortiz began her artistic career by participating in various radio song festivals and competitions, secretly supported by her paternal grandfather, who always believed in her talent and became her first fan. In 1959, with the approval of her parents, she participated in the television program Primer Aplauso, broadcast by (TVE). The theme that she chose for the contest was the traditional song "La sombra vendo". , a manager who watched the show, was impressed by her talent and personality. He contacted TVE for the name and the address of the young contestant. Her stage name Rocío came from what she said was a nickname her grandfather gave her because she reminded him of morning dew (rocío matutino). For her stage surname, she and Sanz looked at a map of Spain on which she randomly pointed out the town of Dúrcal, in the province of Granada.

Acting

Her first film was (1962) directed by Luis Lucia. The plot of the film portrayed a teenager with her own personality. The film scored huge box office and critics success not only in Spain, but also in other Spanish-speaking countries. The following year, she starred Rocío from La Mancha. After this, she got her first record deal with transnational Phonogram Inc.. The songs the artist played in both films served to make her first album with them, Las películas de Rocío Dúrcal (1963). Also in 1963, she starred in .

In her following film, (1964), she put aside her role of "child star". That same year, she appeared in her first theater play, Un domingo en Nueva York, in which she was revealed as a great theatrical actress. In 1965 she filmed ; the band Los Brincos wrote some songs for the movie. In 1966, she shared the spotlight with Enrique Guzmán in the film . She began to perform duets with such singers as Jaime Morey and Amalia de Isaura. Then she co-starred in the film Love in Flight (1967) with the then young Argentine singer-songwriter Palito Ortega. In 1968 she filmed Cristina Guzmán, the first of her films that was aimed at an audience over 18.

Her last film was with Bárbara Rey in in 1977.

Singing In 1970, Dúrcal married Filipino-born musician Antonio Morales (known professionally as Júnior), who would manage her singing career. In 1970, he began a series of television shows in Spain and Latin America singing with his wife as a duet. Their first child, , was born in December 1970. After the birth of their second child, Antonio, in April 1974, Júnior decided to give up his career to devote time to their children. Dúrcal meanwhile continued her film and singing career. In 1979 she had her third child, Shaila, who took up a singing career under the stage name of Shaila Dúrcal and is also a successful singer.

In 1977, Dúrcal signed a contract with Ariola Eurodisc (with singer-songwriter Camilo Sesto supporting her in her projects) dedicating herself to the musical career. That year, while in Mexico, she met the Mexican singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel, who decided to record a whole album of rancheras performed by Rocío Dúrcal entitled Rocío Dúrcal canta a Juan Gabriel. Without further advertising, the LP received high levels of sales, so Dúrcal and Juan Gabriel considered the possibility of a new recording together. They ended up doing 5 LPs, marking the revival of Rocío Dúrcal as a singer. The final collaboration between Dúrcal and Juan Gabriel emerged in 10 albums. Dúrcal's album named Canta A Juan Gabriel Volumen 6 (1984) is among the top ten best-selling albums in the history of Mexico. For this album Rocío Dúrcal received her first Grammy Award nomination.

Billboard (below the Desert Inn) of three Dúrcal concerts in Las Vegas (1989). The collaboration of Dúrcal with Juan Gabriel was interrupted by disagreements between the artists and because of problems of Juan Gabriel with his record label, so Dúrcal continued to record albums with other songwriters such as Marco Antonio Solís and Rafael Pérez Botija (who produced for her, and wrote most of the songs for, the ballads album, Confidencias). In 1988 she recorded the album Como Tu Mujer with producer Marco Antonio Solis.

In 1990, she recorded her first album on CD format entitled Si te pudiera mentir. In 1991, Durcal offered a concert at the National Auditorium in Mexico City, recorded in a double disc El Concierto... En Vivo. Between 1992 and 1993 she recorded the album Desaires, produced by the Mexican singer and songwriter Joan Sebastián. In this album she reprises ranchera.

In 1995, she launched her production Hay Amores Y Amores, with songs written and produced by the Argentine Roberto Livi. For this album she was nominated again to the Grammy Awards in the category "Best Latin Pop Album". In 1997 the double album Juntos Otra Vez brought Rocío Dúrcal and Juan Gabriel together again for the last time. That album was made by an engagement with the record company and not by the desire of both artists to continue to cooperate.

In 1998, under the direction of Luis Sanz, she starred in the TVE commedy series . In 2000, she celebrated forty years in the industry. In that year she returned to ranchera music with the album Caricias, under the production of songwriter and producer Bebu Silvetti. In 2001 Rocío Dúrcal recorded Entre Tangos y Mariachi, again produced by Bebu Silvetti, an album that includes 10 of the most famous Argentine tango arrangements interpreted with ranchero/bolero style like her previous album. In the summer of 2001 Dúrcal made a successful tour in Spain, 13 years after her last Spanish performance.

After a year and a half absence, she returned to the stage on 19 September 2002 with a concert at the National Auditorium in Mexico, which was recorded in a double album that was released on CD and then on DVD on 22 October 2002, En Concierto... Inolvidable. The album was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award. In 2003, the artist received another Latin Grammy Award nomination for her album Caramelito, produced by Kike Santander. In May 2004 she returned to Spain to record what would be her last album, Alma Ranchera, which was nominated for a Latin Grammy Award.

Illness and death

In 2001, after recording her album Entre Tangos y Mariachi, Dúrcal was diagnosed with uterine cancer. Dúrcal canceled her tours while undergoing medical treatment, and resumed touring in 2002. In 2003, from Spain, she collaborated with the Mexican singer Julio Preciado for a duet in the song "Si nos dejan" included in his album Que me siga la tambora.

Rocío Dúrcal died on 25 March 2006 at the age of 61 from uterine cancer at her home in Torrelodones, Madrid. She was cremated and a portion of her ashes were scattered in Spain while the remainder of her ashes were deposited into a crypt at Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, the same place where years later a portion of the ashes from her husband Antonio Morales who died in 2014, were also deposited next to her.

Discography Albums

Philips-Phonogram 1962: Canción de juventud 1963: Rocío de la Mancha 1963: Las películas de Rocío Dúrcal 1964: La chica del trébol / La cenicienta del barrio 1964: Rocío, canta flamenco (EP) 1964: Tengo 17 Años 1964: Villancicos de Rocío (EP) 1964: Villancicos con Rocío Dúrcal (EP) 1965: Más bonita que ninguna 1966: Acompáñame 1967: Buenos días, condesita 1967: Amor en el aire 1968: Cristina Guzmán 1970: Las Leandras 1972: La novicia rebelde / La novicia soñadora Ariola Eurodisc 1977: Una vez más (Pronto) 1977: Canta a Juan Gabriel Volumen I (Pronto) 1978: Canta a Juan Gabriel Volumen II (Pronto) 1979: Súper Éxitos De Juan Gabriel (Canta a Juan Gabriel Volumen III) (Pronto) 1980: Canta con Mariachi Volumen IV (Producida por Juan Gabriel) (Pronto) 1981: Canta a Juan Gabriel Volumen V (Cuando Decidas Volver) (Pronto) 1981: Confidencias / La Gata (Pronto) 1982: Canta Lo Romántico De Juan Gabriel (Boleros) (Pronto) 1983: Entre tú y yo (Ariola) 1984: Canta A Juan Gabriel Volumen 6 (Jardin De Rosas) (Ariola) 1986: Siempre (Ariola) 1987: Canta 11 Grandes Éxitos De Juan Gabriel (Ariola) 1988: Como Tu Mujer (Ariola) 1990: Si Te Pudiera Mentir (Ariola) 1992: El Concierto... En Vivo (Ariola) 1992: Mis mejores canciones 1993: Desaires (Ariola/BMG) 1995: Hay Amores Y Amores (Ariola/BMG) BMG 1997: Juntos Otra Vez (con Juan Gabriel) 1999: Para Toda La Vida 2000: Caricias 2001: Entre Tangos Y Mariachi 2002: En Concierto... Inolvidable 2002: Todo Éxitos 2003: Caramelito 2004: Alma Ranchera 2004: Su Historia y Exitos Musicales Volumen 1 2004: Su Historia y Exitos Musicales Volumen 2 2004: Su Historia y Exitos Musicales Volumen 3 2005: Lo Esencial Sony BMG 2005: Me Gustas Mucho 2005: El Concierto... En Vivo 2006: Amor Eterno 2007: Rocío Dúrcal Canta a México 2009: Duetos 2010: Mis favoritas 2012: Como dos gotas de agua 2012: Canciones de amor 2012: Eternamente

Singles Title Year Chart positions Album US Latin US Latin Pop "La guirnalda" 1986 1 — Siempre"Quédate conmigo esta noche" 4 — "Siempre" 1987 10 — "Infidelidad" 22 — "La hora del adios" (with Dyango)5—Cada día me acuerdo más de ti by Dyango "Con todo y mi tristeza"198824"El día que me acaricies lloraré"38Canta once grandes éxitos de Juan Gabriel "Como tu mujer" 1 — "¿Qué esperabas de mí?" 1989 4 — "El amor más bonito" 9 — "Extrañándote" 8 — "Por qué tanta soledad"18— "Ya te olvidé" 1990 12 — "Te amo" 5 — Si Te Pudiera Mentir "La balanza" 1991 10 — "Falso" 33 —"A que me quedo contigo"7—"Si piensas, si quieres" (with Roberto Carlos)19921—Roberto Carlos 1992 by Roberto Carlos"Fue un placer conocerte" (with Juan Gabriel)10—El Concierto... En Vivo"Como amigos"27—"Y nos dieron las diez" (with Joaquin Sabina)199316 "Desaires" 1994 4 — Desaires "Mi credo" 14 — "Vestida de blanco" 1995 3 6 Hay Amores y Amores "Como han pasado los años" 1999 22 10 Para Toda la Vida "Porque te quiero" 2000 26 19 Caricias "Infiel" 2001 3 5 "Sombras...¡nada más!" 16 9 Entre Tangos y Mariachis

Filmography YearTitleRoleDirector 1962 Canción de juventud Rocío Luzón Luis Lucia 1963 Rocío from La Mancha Rocío / Isabel Luis Lucia 1964 Rocío Sergio Grieco 1964 Rocío / Natalia José María Forqué 1965 Más bonita que ninguna Luisa / Luisito Luis César Amadori 1966 Mercedes Luis César Amadori 1967 Good Morning, Little Countess María Luis César Amadori 1967 Love in Flight Clara Luis César Amadori 1968 Cristina Guzmán Cristina / Mara Luis César Amadori 1969 Las Leandras Patricia Eugenio Martín 1972 The Rebellious Novice Gloria Luis Lucia 1972 Marianela Angelino Fons 1974 Díselo con flores Úrsula Pierre Grimblat 1977 Laura

Television YearShowRoleDirectorNetwork 1977 Mujeres insólitas (La sierpe del Nilo) Cleopatra Televisión Española 1997 Los negocios de mamá Ana Televisión Española

Theatre YearTitleAuthor 1964 Un domingo en Nueva York Adolfo Marsillach 1974 La muchacha sin retorno 1977 Contacto peculiar Adolfo Marsillach