Mexican singer and actor Antonio Aguilar, who delighted international audiences for years with wholesome musical rodeo shows that earned him a reputation as the Roy Rogers of Mexico, has died. He was 88.
Mr. Aguilar had endured a protracted battle with pneumonia before he died late Tuesday at a Mexico City hospital, according to The Associated Press. A viewing and memorial mass were held Wednesday at the capital’s historic Basilica de Guadalupe, where dignitaries, celebrities and humble fans gathered to pay last respects to one of the country’s leading cultural ambassadors.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon called Mr. Aguilar’s death a great loss and expressed hope that his “legacy would continue being a seed for a better Mexico.”
In a career that spanned six decades, Mr. Aguilar made more than 160 records and more than 100 films, often starring as a fearless champion of the poor in dramas with revolutionary themes. In his personal life, he nurtured an image as a devoted family man, married for more than 45 years to singer Flor Silvestre.
His son Pepe Aguilar is a successful recording star.
On Wednesday, Mr. Aguilar was remembered as one of the first Mexican artists to develop a fan base among Mexican immigrants in the United States, and to engage non-Hispanic audiences here as well.
University of Southern California journalism professor Felix Gutierrez recalled a chance airport encounter with Mr. Aguilar in the early 1970s. Gutierrez was a graduate student at Stanford University when he spotted Mr. Aguilar arriving with his wife on a commuter plane in San Jose, Calif., unnoticed by the general public and carrying their own bags. The only ones who recognized the famous couple were custodians and other Hispanic laborers.
“That helped me realize there was a [cultural] gap,” said Gutierrez, who teaches at the Annenberg School for Communication. “Aguilar helped build a musical bridge between Mexico and the U.S. He was a breakthrough in terms of creating a following north of the border.”
Jose Hernandez, director of the Mariachi Sol de Mexico, recalls working with Mr. Aguilar as a teenager during shows in Los Angeles.
“He was an incredible man, very special,” Hernandez said Wednesday from his restaurant in the Los Angeles area. “And he was so respectful of this country. He would tell all his crew, and all his musicians, ‘We’re going to the U.S. so we must be on our best behavior. We want the Americans to see what the true Mexico is all about, and that our culture is beautiful.’
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