Chucho Navarro

Chucho Navarro was a Mexican singer and composer of boleros, who was one of the original members of the famous Trio Los Panchos, along with Alfredo Gil and Hernando Avilés. He was born in Irapuato, Guanajuato, on January 20, 1913, to a musical family. His father was a director and flutist of a military band, and his sister taught him how to play the guitar and sing. He moved to Aguascalientes after his father's death, where he spent his childhood and adolescence. He later moved to Mexico City, where he met Alfredo Gil at the XEW radio station. They formed a group called El Charro Gil y Sus Caporales, which played Mexican folk music. In 1938, they traveled to New York City, where they stayed for 10 years. In 1944, after Felipe Gil left the group to marry Eva Garza, they recruited Hernando Avilés, a Puerto Rican singer and guitarist, and formed Trio Los Panchos. The trio became very popular in Latin America, the United States, and Spain, performing boleros with harmonious vocals and guitars. They recorded more than 800 songs, and collaborated with many famous singers, such as Eydie Gormé, Pedro Vargas, and José Feliciano. Chucho Navarro was the second voice and guitar player of the trio, and also composed some of their songs, such as Sin ti, No me quieras tanto, and Una copa más. He stayed with the trio until his death on December 23, 1993, at the age of 80. He was considered one of the most influential figures of the bolero genre, and a pioneer of the romantic trio style. He was also the father of Chucho Navarro Jr, who followed his footsteps and became a singer and member of Trio Los Panchos.