Isabel Pantoja facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Isabel Pantoja
Born	María Isabel Pantoja Martín (1956-08-02) August 2, 1956 (age 69) Seville, Andalusia, Spain
Other names	La Pantoja
Spouse(s)	Paquirri ​ ​ (m. 1983; died 1984)​
Partner(s)	Julián Muñoz (2003–2009)
Children	2
Musical career
Genres	Copla canción melódica
Occupation(s)	Singer
Labels	Sony Music
Signature

María Isabel Pantoja Martín (born August 2, 1956) is a famous singer from Spain. She was born in the Triana neighborhood of Seville, Spain. She is known for her unique singing style from the Andalusia region and has recorded many albums. Her main style of music is a traditional Spanish genre called copla.

Her Life and Music Career

Isabel Pantoja was born into a family of musicians with Romani roots. Her father and grandfather were also singers.

Early Start in Music

Pantoja started performing at a very young age. When she was only seven, she joined a flamenco group that belonged to her cousin, Chiquetete. At 17, she met the person who would become her teacher, Juan Solano Pedrero. He and the writer Rafael de León wrote her first hit songs.

Pantoja became famous for singing copla, a style of music that was not as popular at the time. She helped make it famous again. Some of her early popular songs were "El Pájaro Verde" and "Garlochí". In 1983, she released her first pop album, Cambiar por ti. This showed she could sing modern pop songs as well as traditional copla.

A sherry barrel signed by Isabel Pantoja in a cellar in Málaga, Spain.

Becoming a Star

On April 30, 1983, she married the famous bullfighter Francisco Rivera Pérez, who was known as "Paquirri". Their wedding was a huge event in Spain. Sadly, he died in the bullring on September 26, 1984. After his death, Pantoja became known as "Spain's widow" in the news.

After taking a break from music, she returned with the album Marinero de Luces. It was a massive success, selling one million copies in Spain. The songs were written by the famous songwriter José Luis Perales.

In 1988, she worked with the Mexican singer and songwriter Juan Gabriel on her album Desde Andalucía. The next year, she released Se me enamora el alma, which had a very modern sound and became one of her best-selling albums.

Acting in Movies

Besides singing, Pantoja also acted in movies. In 1990, she starred in the film Yo soy ésa. A year later, she was in another movie called El día que nací yo.

Over her long career, Isabel Pantoja has released more than a dozen albums. She has performed in concerts all over Spain and Latin America.

Family Life

Isabel Pantoja performing in Madrid in 2012.

Isabel Pantoja was married to the bullfighter Francisco Rivera Pérez, known as "Paquirri". He died on September 26, 1984, after being injured by a bull named Avispado in Pozoblanco, Spain.

Isabel and "Paquirri" had one son, Francisco José Rivera Pantoja, who was born on February 9, 1984. He is known as Kiko Rivera.

Pantoja also has a daughter, María Isabel Pantoja Martín, whom she adopted from Lima, Peru, in 1996. She is known as Isa Pantoja. Both of her children have appeared on television shows in Spain.

Legal Troubles

Isabel Pantoja at a concert.

In April 2013, Pantoja faced legal problems. She was connected to her ex-boyfriend, Julián Muñoz, who was the former mayor of Marbella. He was accused of breaking laws related to money.

Pantoja was found guilty of being involved. She was sentenced to 24 months in prison. On November 3, 2014, she was ordered to begin her sentence. Her case was followed closely by the news in Spain and Latin America. She was released from prison on February 10, 2016.

Discography

Isabel Pantoja singing live in Madrid in 2012.

Pantoja has recorded many albums, including:

• 1974 – Fue por tu voz
• 1975 – Que dile y dile
• 1976 – Niña Isabela
• 1979 – 22 abriles tengo
• 1981 – Amante, amante
• 1983 – Cambiar por ti
• 1985 – Marinero de luces
• 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
• 2004 – Buena suerte
• 2006 – 10 boleros y una canción de amor
• 2010 – Isabel Pantoja
• 2016 – Hasta que se apague el sol
• 2020 - Canciones que me gustan

Film and Television

Isabel Pantoja has also had a career on screen.

Movies

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

Television Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Isabel Pantoja para niños

• List of best-selling Latin music artists