Rocío Jurado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rocío Jurado
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On the front cover of a 1968 issue of Antena
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María del Rocío Mohedano Jurado
18 September 1944 |
| Died | 1 June 2006 (aged 61) La Moraleja, Alcobendas, Spain
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| Years active | 1960–2006 |
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| Musical career | |
| Also known as | La más grande ("The Greatest One") |
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| Instruments | Vocals |
María del Rocío Mohedano Jurado (18 September 1944 – 1 June 2006), known as Rocío Jurado, was a famous Spanish singer and actress. She was born in Chipiona, Cádiz, Spain. People often called her "La más grande," which means "The Greatest One."
In 2000, she won a special award in New York City. It was called "La voz del Milenio" (The Voice of the Millennium). This award recognized her as the best female voice of the 20th century. Rocío Jurado sold over 16 million records. This made her one of the top-selling Spanish female singers. She earned 5 platinum and 30 gold music awards.
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Rocío Jurado's Early Life
Rocío Jurado was born in Chipiona, a town in Andalusia, Spain. Her father, Fernando Mohedano Crespo, was a shoemaker. He also sang Flamenco music in his free time. Her mother, Rocío Jurado Bernal, was a housewife. She enjoyed singing traditional Andalusian music called copla.
Rocío was the oldest of three children. She had a sister named Gloria and a brother named Amador. At home, Rocío learned to love music from her parents. Her first public performance was at age eight. She sang in a play at her school.
Rocío learned to work hard from a young age. She sang in church and at school festivals. After her father passed away, she helped her family financially. She worked as a shoemaker and picked fruit. Even with these jobs, she found time to enter singing contests. She became known as "The Girl of the Awards" because she won every radio contest she entered. A friend of her mother introduced her to Manolo Caracol, who became her teacher.
Later, Rocío was hired by Pastora Imperio to sing at her flamenco stage, called El Duende. Rocío was still very young. To be allowed to perform, she had to wear clothes that made her look older. This helped her avoid problems with the authorities. Rocío often said she was born in 1944. This was because when she started singing in Madrid in 1960, she was under 16. She needed to be 16 to perform in the tablaos. So, she added two years to her age.
Rocío Jurado's Amazing Career
When Rocío Jurado started her professional career, she mostly sang copla. This is a traditional music style from Andalusia. Copla was becoming less popular, but Rocío brought it back to life. She performed with great energy, using her powerful voice and strong stage presence.
In the 1960s and early 1970s, Rocío became very popular. She appeared as an actress in TV shows and movies. Later, she became an international star. She started singing romantic ballads with orchestras. She also changed her look, using makeup, hairstyles, and costumes that fit a European style.
Rocío would wear traditional flamenco dresses, called bata de cola. She also wore fancy evening gowns. Some of her outfits were quite bold and talked about a lot. In the 1970s and 1980s, Rocío recorded her most famous songs. These included "Como una ola," "Señora," "Como yo te amo," and "Ese hombre." Many of these songs were written by Manuel Alejandro.
Rocío's fame lasted a long time because of her romantic songs. She was also very popular in Latin America. There, her music stayed in fashion even longer than in Spain. She recorded songs with Mexican and Caribbean rhythms. She also sang duets with famous artists like José Luis Rodríguez "El Puma" and Ana Gabriel.
Even with her international success, Rocío never forgot her Andalusian roots. In 1982, she showed her amazing talent for flamenco singing. She released a double album with famous flamenco artists. These included guitarist Manolo Sanlúcar and singer Juan Peña "Lebrijano." The album was called Ven & Sígueme. It showed that Rocío could sing traditional flamenco music very well. Filmmaker Carlos Saura used Rocío's voice in two movies. These were El amor brujo (1986) and Sevillanas (1992). In Sevillanas, she performed with other flamenco legends.
In 1992, Rocío Jurado was part of a big show called Azabache. This musical was about Andalusian copla. She performed with other famous copla singers. The show took place during the Universal Exposition of Seville.
Rocío's voice was known all over the world. In 2000, she received the "Voice of the Millennium Prize" in New York City. In 1985, she even sang for the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, at the White House. Her fame was so widespread that her passing was reported on the Billboard website. In 1988, she won the "América" award for Best Latin Voice in Las Vegas. In 2011, a TV mini-series about her life was made. It was called Como alas al viento.
Rocío Jurado's Health and Passing
In August 2004, Rocío Jurado had a serious surgery in Madrid. On September 17, she shared with the public that she had pancreatic cancer. In June 2005, a festival in Seville was dedicated to her. She accepted an award there with her childhood friend, Juan Peña "El Lebrijano."
After being away from her career for over a year, Rocío returned in December 2005. She appeared in a TV show called Rocío, siempre on Spanish Public Television (TVE). She showed everyone that she was still a powerful performer. The show included traditional music and her famous ballads. She sang duets with many popular Spanish singers. These included Raphael, Mónica Naranjo, Paulina Rubio, David Bisbal, and Malú.
In January 2006, Rocío Jurado went to a hospital in Houston, Texas. She had a check-up and a small surgery. She had an allergic reaction to some medicine. This caused her to be in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) twice. Her return to Spain was delayed until March 2006. On the day she returned, the Spanish government gave her an award. It was the Gold Medal of Merit in Labour, for her achievements.
Rocío Jurado passed away on June 1, 2006, at her home in La Moraleja, a town near Madrid. She was 61 years old. The cause of her passing was the pancreatic cancer she had been fighting. Her brother and manager, Amador Mohedano Jurado, announced her death. Her body was taken to a cultural center in Madrid. More than 20,000 people came to pay their respects. Finally, she was buried in her hometown of Chipiona. A special mausoleum was built there in her honor.
Rocío Jurado's Family Life
Rocío was known for changing fashion in Spain. She was one of the first to wear formal dresses instead of traditional regional costumes. However, she never forgot where she came from. On May 21, 1976, she married Spanish boxer Pedro Carrasco. For her wedding, she wore a traditional costume. They had one daughter, Rocío Carrasco Mohedano. Rocío sometimes said that her long tours in America and Europe meant she didn't have enough time with her daughter.
After divorcing Pedro Carrasco in 1989, Rocío married bullfighter José Ortega Cano. They got married on February 17, 1995, at her country home. Over 2,300 guests attended, and the ceremony was shown live on TV. In late 1999, the couple adopted two children from Colombia. Their names were José Fernando and Gloria Camila. They were introduced to the public in the Spanish magazine ¡Hola!.
Rocío Jurado's Awards and Honors
Rocío Jurado received many awards and honors throughout her life. These show how much she was loved and respected for her talent.
- Hija Predilecta (Favorite Daughter) of Chipiona (1968)
- ABC Gold Award (1987)
- Humanity Award from ASPACE (1992)
- Gold Medal of Fine Arts from King Juan Carlos I of Spain (1995)
- Ambassador of Cadiz (1996)
- Pimiento de Oro (Golden Pepper) from Murcia (1999)
- Honorary member of the American Forum of the Arts (2002)
- Golden Star Press (2004)
- Gold Medal of Merit in Labour from Spain (2006)
- Best Female Voice of the Twentieth Century – "The Voice of the Millennium Prize" (2000; New York)
- Hija Predilecta of the Province of Cádiz (1999)
- Hija Adoptiva (Adopted Daughter) of the Province of Seville (2007; after her passing)
Awards in Spain
- Flamenco Singing National Award (Jerez de la Frontera) at age 15.
- Al Andalus Trophy.
- "Protagonist of the Year" with Montserrat Caballé (1982).
- Radio Nacional de España named her "The most popular Andalusian person of the Year." They also called her "The best interpreter" for her song "Tengo miedo."
- Lady España in 1967.
- "Parra de Oro" at the Festival of Moscatel (1968).
- Gold Medal for Touristic Merit (1984).
- Andaluza Universal (1984).
- Gold Medal by Junta de Andalucía (1986).
- Received a special plaque for breaking box office records at the Monumental Theatre in Madrid (1986).
See also
In Spanish: Rocío Jurado para niños
