People En Español presents Legends
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ERNESTO ALONSO
February 28, 1917-August 7, 2007
Known as Mr. Telenovela, the Mexican producer was one of the founding fathers in the history of Latin American television. He made more than 100 melodramas, although he humbly asserted that he was not the inventor of telenovelas, but simply one of the pioneers.
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ANGÉLICA MARÍA
September 27, 1944
The leading lady of many Mexican movies and soaps is also the mother of actress Angélica Vale, and is often called the Bride of Mexico for her talent and charming personality.
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CELIA CRUZ
Ocotber 1, 1925-July 16, 2003
The Cuban Guarachera was the queen of the music scene for many years. She gave salsa a whole new flavor and immortalized the genre for the whole world and generations to come. Her popular cry: "Azúcar", remains in the hearts of all her fans.
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MARÍA FÉLIX
April 8, 1914-April 8, 2002
The diva of all Mexican divas, María Bonita, who inspired Agustín Lara, was considered the most beautiful face of Mexican film, and she reigned as queen during Mexico's golden age of cinema. She was always a mysterious woman and was said to never keep track of how she was, because she was too busy living life.
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SARA GARCÍA
September 8, 1895-November 21, 1980
Immortalized as the grandmother of Latin American cinema, this actress, daughter of Spaniards, appeared in more than 150 films alongside Pedro Infante, Mario Moreno "Cantinflas" and Jorge Negrete. And although she was always seen smiling, after losing her daughter to typhoid fever, she said she would never be the same.
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SALMA HAYEK
September 2, 1966
The daughter of a Mexican mother and Lebanese father, the beautiful Mexican actress started off her career in soaps, and in 1991, decided to go to Los Angeles to conquer Hollywood. In 1995 she reached her claim to fame in Desperado, co-starring with Antonio Banderas. Today, Hayek is also a successful TV and film producer.
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JOSÉ JOSÉ
February 17, 1948
Owner of a unique voice, this singer was responsible for putting the romantic ballad in the spotlight, and although he had a difficult bout with alcohol and drugs, he recuperated, and continues to be one of the most influential Hispanics in entertainment.
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ROBERTO GÓMEZ BOLAÑOS "CHESPIRITO"
February 21 1929
The creator of unforgettable characters such as Chavo del Ocho, Chapulín Colorado and Doctor Chapatín, traversed the world, as many of his shows were translated for other countries and languages. Although he studied engineering, he soon learned that laughter was his true gift.
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GLORIA ESTEFAN
September 1, 1957
The wife of producer Emilio Estefan and former lead singer of Miami Sound Machine has sold more than 70 million records internationally. One of the most successful Cubans in the entertainment world, she left her native country when she was barely two years old, but keeps her roots close to her heart and her music.
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LIBERTAD LAMARQUE
November 24, 1908-December 12, 2000
Known as the Dame of Tango, this beautiful woman recorded more than 800 songs, performed in more than 65 movies, soaps, and musicals. Although she was born in Argentina, Mexico welcomed her as a compatriot, and until the day she died, she proclaimed her love for Mexico.
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RICARDO MONTALBÁN
November 20, 1920
This actor already has his place in history for being the first Mexican for having conquered the silver screen at such a young age. Fans will remember him from the TV series Fantasy Island, in which he played Mr. Roarke. He was married to Georgiana Young, who died last year after being married for 60 years.
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MARIO MORENO "CANTINFLAS"
August 12, 1911-April 20, 1993
Although he was a soldier and a boxer, Fortino Mario Alfonso Moreno, best known as Cantinflas, became the biggest comedian during the golden era of Mexican cinema. When he died, crowds of people gathered on the streets to mourn his death, because aside from being a great actor, he was also a very charitable and altruistic man.
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SELENA
April 16, 1971-March 31, 1995
She was called the Queen of Tejano Music for bringing the genre to its greatest height. The sister of singer A.B. Quintanilla became an iconic symbol for her talent and charm. Her life ended prematurely at the age of 23 when one of her own staff assassinated her.
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ROCÍO DURCAL
October 4, 1944-March 25, 2006
The most Mexican Spaniard captivated audiences with her beauty and her powerful voice, conquering fans in both Spain and Latin American. She developed cancer during the beginning of the millennium, and unfortunately did not win the battle.
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DOLORES DEL RÍO
August 3, 1905-April 11, 1983
Her fame and talents superseded her family lineage. During a party, a Hollywood director who was impressed by her beauty invited her to try her luck in film, and she became an overnight sensation. Fans will remembers her saying that she didn't choose film, but rather film chose her. She died at 78 years of age of hepatitis.