Latino music suffered a great loss last year with the passing of El Divo de Juárez, today marks the one-year anniversary of his death in his home in Santa Monica, California.
His career got its start in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua when he sang at the famous Noa Noa bar and the city celebrated the idol with a parade. On Sunday, fans lined the streets around his mansion for a parade that featured mariachis, floats, dancers, singers, jugglers, and all types of entertainment.
In El Paso, Juan Gabriel’s life was celebrated with the free event “La fiesta con Juanga”, which featured Juan Gabriel impersonator Omar Dey, who performed on Spanish-language variety shows “Sabado Gigante” and “Siempre en Domingo.” Attendees dressed like the flamboyant, sequin wearing Juan Gabriel even got a discount at the concession stand.
On Friday night, Spanish singer Shaila Dúrcal, daughter of Juan Gabriel’s close friend Rocío Dúrcal, performed alongside the Sinfonía Juvenil de México and a mariachi ensemble in a tribute to the idol at the Plaza Theatre, Downtown El Paso. When Juan Gabriel passed away, the young singer candidly told the Mexican press that he once gifted her unreleased recordings of her mother.
The singer’s birthplace, Parácuaro (in the state of Michoacán) also held festivities in his honor at the town’s main square, adorned with a statue of Juan Gabriel. On October of last year, the town unveiled an entire corridor dedicated to the memory of El Divo de Juárez that includes a replica of the singer’s star in Las Vegas Walk of Fame, a street named after him that leads to his childhood home, and a plaque that marks the place. Locals filled the square with flowers while they sang Juanga’s most iconic songs.
Juan Gabriel’s mariachi songs are among the most loved by his fans, and they are played constantly in Mexico City’s main mariachi plaza, Garibaldi, where various artists like Letizia San Román, Miguel Alejandro, Mario Beller, San Juana de Montelongo, Onixys Miranda, Servando Carrillo, and Ruth Mirelles sang in a show named “El Divo de Juárez. Canción Mexicana”, held to honor the singer’s vast mariachi legacy.
Various Mexican TV stations dedicated their airtime this weekend to honor Juan Gabriel, broadcasting various interviews, concerts, and documentaries about the singer, as well as the acclaimed biographical series “Hasta que te conocí”, a very interesting insight on Juanga’s career and personal life. It concludes with a compelling interview where the singer tells his story, and it’s definitely worth a watch.
During his 45-year-long career, Juan Gabriel composed more than 1,500 songs, released more than 30 albums, and produced more than 50 artists, including icons like Lucha Villa and Lola Beltrán. He also had a successful movie career, which included films like “Al otro lado del puente”, “Nobleza ranchera”, “¿Qué le dijiste a Dios?”, among many others.