El Fary facts for kids

Quick facts for kids José Rada "El Fary"
Background information
Birth name	José Luis Cantero Rada
Also known as	El Fary, El Farina de Ventas
Born	August 20, 1937 Madrid, Spain
Origin	Barcelona, Gibraltar
Died	June 19, 2007(2007-06-19) (aged 69) Madrid, Spain
Genres	Copla, pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, actor
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	late 1950s-2007
Labels	Ariola Records
Associated acts	Javi Cantero Santiago Segura

José Luis Cantero Rada (born August 20, 1937 – died June 19, 2007) was a famous Spanish singer and actor. He was best known by his stage name, El Fary.

Early Life and Big Dreams

José Luis Cantero was the youngest of six children. He was born in Madrid, Spain, very close to a famous bullring. When he was a boy, he often skipped school. He preferred to spend his time with Gypsy friends, where he would imitate his favorite singer, Rafael Farina. El Fary even got his stage name from Farina!

Even though he was short, El Fary was determined to succeed. He dreamed of becoming a singer like his idol. It wasn't until he was doing his military service in the late 1950s that he finally learned to read and write.

Working Hard for Success

Before he became famous, El Fary worked very hard. He was a gardener and a taxi driver. He saved money from these jobs to record his first songs. He even claimed that he once drove the famous American actress Ava Gardner around Madrid in his taxi!

Once he had recorded his songs, people say he sold them himself from a stall at the Rastro, which is a big street market in Madrid. He also sang in radio contests and performed at local parties and fiestas.

El Fary didn't start making good money as a singer until he was in his early thirties. This happened when he was asked to fill in for another singer, Pepe Blanco, at a show in Pozoblanco, Córdoba. After that, the legendary singer Antonio Molina hired him for a two-month concert tour.

Becoming a Star

By the 1970s, a type of Spanish music called "copla" was not as popular as it used to be. But this didn't stop El Fary! By the end of the 1970s, he started recording more pop-style songs, like Gypsy rumbas. These songs became very popular and were played on the Spanish music charts.

The 1980s and "El Toro Guapo"

In 1980, El Fary made his first TV appearance on a show called Fiesta. Another famous singer, Manolo Escobar, spoke kindly about him. From then on, El Fary became well-known all over Spain. Even though music experts didn't always appreciate his style, his cassette tapes sold very well in gas station shops along the roads. It was in the 1980s that El Fary released his most famous song, El Toro Guapo (which means "The Handsome Bull").

Acting and "Menudo es mi padre"

In the 1990s, El Fary got a chance to act. He starred in a TV show called "Menudo es mi padre". In the show, he played a taxi driver, which was a perfect role for him since he used to be one! The show's title was a clever joke about his small height.

Helping New Talent

El Fary also helped start the career of a child singer named Melody. She became very popular in Spanish-speaking countries. Later, after some disagreements with her parents, he decided to promote his own teenage son, Javi Cantero, who also became a singer.

El Fary and the Torrente Films

Towards the end of the 1990s, El Fary's career got another big boost. This happened when film director Santiago Segura released his comedy movie Torrente - The Dumb Arm of the Law in 1998.

The main character in the film, José Luis Torrente (played by Santiago Segura), was a big fan of El Fary. The movie even included a new song recorded especially by El Fary called Apatrullando la ciudad ("Patrolling The City"). Both the song and the movie were huge hits! The film was so popular that it led to three sequels. The first sequel, Torrente 2 - Mission in Marbella (2001), became the most successful Spanish film in Spain at the time it was released.

When the third Torrente film, Torrente 3 - The Protector, came out in 2005, a special item related to El Fary was made. It was called the Carrofary – a small rubber toy of the singer that people could hang from their car's rear-view mirror. In the fourth Torrente movie, Torrente 4 - Lethal Crisis (2011), the character Torrente visits El Fary's grave, as the singer had passed away since the previous film.

Later Years and Passing Away

On April 13, 2007, El Fary was diagnosed with lung cancer. Because of this, he had to stop his singing and acting career. He passed away on June 19, 2007, at the age of 69. This was the same day his last record was released. His remains were cremated and placed in the Cementerio de la Almudena in Madrid.

Discography

See also

In Spanish: El Fary para niños