COLOMBIA: Mexico's most popular ranchero singer Vicente Fernandez regales the Bogota audience

Record ID: 587035

  • Title: COLOMBIA: Mexico's most popular ranchero singer Vicente Fernandez regales the Bogota audience
  • Date: 21st February 2009
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF MARIACHI BOY SINGING WITH FERNANDEZ
  • Embargoed: 8th March 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Colombia
  • Country: Colombia
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA50KTVI4L0ASFDGP9KLDIXUYOT
  • Story Text: Mexico's Legendary recording artist and motion picture star, Vicente Fernandez, also known as "Chente," enchanted an audience of 30,000 adoring fans in the Colombian capital city of Bogota at the start of his Colombian tour - "Para Siempre" (Forever), also the name of his latest single.
    Before the concert, Fernandez received a platinum record from Sony Music for sales in Colombia of his album "Primera fila" (Front Row) and a diamond record for sales of his single "Para siempre,"

    (Forever).
    Hailed as the "King of the Ranchera," Fernandez has won countless awards during a career spanning more than 45 years resulting in more than 100 albums and 25 motion pictures.
    "If asked who the greatest is (having to choose from) Jorge Negrete, Pedro Infante, Javier Solis, Jorge Alfredo Jimenez (famous Mexican performers and composers) or Vicente Fernandez, I wouldn't know what to reply but I can tell you who is alive and his name is Vicente Fernandez," he told reporters at a news conference.
    He was also given two ranchero suits to wear during his tour. The suits were made by women and inmates in a prison in southeastern Colombia.
    Fernandez, who celebrated his sixty-ninth birthday on Thursday with a dinner hosted by Mexico's Ambassador in Colombia, Florencio Salazar, will give 11 concerts in 10 cities around the country.
    When Fernandez was asked when he would retire, he replied: "The day an artist thinks he has achieved everything, after he goes home and does nothing and becomes bitter because as I said earlier, if I were to retire due to economic reasons... I think everyone knows this but believe me, the day I feel my health diminishing, I will retire without having to give any explanations."
    The audience was spellbound by Fernandez's uniquely powerful, passionate and deep-voiced rendering of ranchero music as he performed his latest hits "Estos Celos" (This jealousy) and "Un millon de primaveras" (One million springs) at the Jaime Duque Park.
    Fernandez has also gained Colombian fans by having Colombian Ranchero singer Deisy Magaly Cufiño open six of his concerts. Cufino has also recently been signed by record label Sony Music.
    Last year, Fernandez was honoured with the "Premio a la Excelencia" special award for excellence at the 20th edition of "Premio Lo Nuestro a la Musica Latina" (Lo Nuestro Latin Music Awards). He had previously won four awards for best Male Regional Mexican vocalist at the same awards ceremony.
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