Antonio Aguilar reigned among the most popular Mexican singers and actors of his generation, recording more than 150 traditional mariachi albums and a staggering 167 feature films during the course of a career spanning more than a half century. Dubbed "El Charro de México," Aguilar invariably appeared on-stage and onscreen in the sequined garb of the rodeo rider, complete with sombrero. His popularity at home was matched by an enormous fan base of Latinos living in the US, and in 1997 he broke box-office records by selling out New York City's Madison Square Garden across six consecutive nights. Born Pascual Antonio Aguilar Barraza outside of Villanueva, Mexico, on May 17, 1919, he began riding horses as a toddler, with a habit of singing while in the saddle. As a teen, he entered the US as an illegal immigrant, settling in Los Angeles and working as a waiter while saving money in hopes of funding acting and singing classes. Upon returning to Mexico in 1945 Aguilar pursued a career in opera, but a friend recommended he instead try his hand at mariachi and "use that powerful voice to sing the songs of the people." By 1950 he was recording, and that same year made his film debut alongside Mexican cinema legends Pedro Infante and Marga Lopez in Un Rincón Cerca del Cielo. With 1956's Tierra de Hombres Aguilar landed his first starring role, and in the years to follow he emerged as the biggest draw in Mexican moviemaking. Inevitably cast as a two-fisted but tender-hearted ...
Keywords: Antonio, Aguilar, Mariachi, Tristes, Recuerdos, Mr, Pelon, Dawg, 773
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