Dakota Beacon

Some time back I wrote a memorial to the great Mexican singer, José José (José Romulo Sosa Ortiz), known as “El Principe”, who passed away September 28, 2019.  Last night I was listening to some of his “greatest hits”.  It just seemed to me that you would enjoy his incredible performances as much as I did.  

As to his life story, it was a tumultuous one - his father was a renowned opera tenor who sang with some of the greats of La Scala and was the premier tenor of Mexico.  José Sosa, in his autobiography remembered him as not only a great musician but a talented artist and a very practical handyman around the house.  His mother was a concert pianist.  Sosa and his brother Gonzalo, however, were not allowed to study music as children.  Their father was bitter that music had not brought him the success he wanted and despite his acclaim and brilliance as a performer, and determined his sons would follow a different path.  His failures were more due to his own poor decisions and lifestyle than a lack of ability.  He was an alcoholic, and as José disclosed, neurotic.  His father abandoned the family, leaving home when José was 14, and he began to explore music himself.  His mother got him a piano when he was 15 and by the time he was 16 he was performing, often singing serenades - the Mexican version of a singing telegram but much, much nicer.  

He played jazz at parties and clubs with others and formed a trio called “Los PEG” - standing for Pépé (José) and the other two members.  They played Bossa Novas and José fell in love with jazz and the music of Brazil.  He even learned some Portuguese so as to sing it.  At this time his instrument was the double bass and he had various stories to tell about getting around on the bus to gigs with it.  

The more I read about the artists I most admire, the more I realize there is no such thing as a “Cinderella” story, or an “overnight success”.  There certainly was no such thing for Pépé Sosa, although he had the confidence and moral support and encouragement of his mother.  His break actually came when he did a favor for a friend by singing for his sister.  She happened to be an executive secretary for the director of a recording company.  She was so impressed that she secured him an audition.  He had already recorded a couple of songs for his mother, including “El Mundo” (“Il Mondo”) but it had not caught on.  That was about to change.  He recorded “La Nave del Olvido” and it was a hit.  Then he was chosen to sing in a song competition by songwriter Roberto Cantoral.  The song came in third.  This shocked the public - his performance was an incredible sensation and he never looked back.  The year was 1970.

Despite his immense success as an artist, he struggled with health issues - in 1972 a bout of pneumonia nearly ended his career, paralyzing his thoracic diaphragm.  He had to relearn how to breathe and lost function in one lung.  Later his own abuse of alcohol and the steroids he needed as a result in order to perform his concerts led to vocal problems as well as problems in his personal life.  He was married three times, first to a glamorous and prominent socialite ten years his senior, Kiki Herrera.  When that ended he married an ambitious starlet, Ana Elena Noreña (“Anel”), which proved stormy.  With Anel he had two children, known as José Joel and Marisol.  On tour in South America, he allegedly had an affair which resulted in another son, Brayan Fanier (known professionally as “Manuel José”).  His marriage with Anel did not survive and his personal life and career crashed in a fog of alcoholism.  Fortunately friends and colleagues got him into therapy and he joined AA.  During rehabilitation in MInnesota, he met and fell in love again - with Sarita Salazar.  They were married and had a daughter, Sara Sosa.  

By now his voice was so severely damaged that his career really could not return to what it had been.  He made several movies over the course of his career, some autobiographical in nature (including his last one, “Perdoname Todo”).  One of them was a biopic about the great Mexican songwriter, Alvaro Carillo (“Sabor a Mi”).  His own life was also the subject of a Mexican miniseries and he won an award for his touching performance as “Erasmo”  in “La Fea Más Bella”, the Mexican forerunner of “Ugly Betty”.  

He died in 2019 following a bout of pancreatic cancer, in reduced financial circumstances, in Florida, where he was living.   He left behind three (or four, or two, depending on what you believe) children.  They all aspire to musical careers and have worked in the industry.  His illegitimate son, Manuel José, has a voice, phrasing, vocal style and appearance, very similar to that of his father and won competitions in his native Colombia as well as in Mexico - “I am José José''. He sings as the voice of his father in the television series, “José José”.  The two formed a bond later in life.  Manuel José has become a superstar in his own right on the strength of his impressive vocal ability and artistry as well as the glow of fans’ love for his father.  Manuel was devoted to his father.

His ashes are divided between Florida and Mexico.  He remains a beloved idol to his fans.  He was acclaimed throughout the world for his amazing technique and ability to interpret the songs of the greatest Latin songwriters.  There is a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame as well as a bronze statue of him in his neighborhood of Mexico City, but the real tribute is the undying loyalty of his fans.  I hope you, too, will become one when you hear him sing.

The night he became famous - March 15, 1970 - “El Triste”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E20G25SCAEg

As portrayed by actor Alejandro de la Madrid, sung by Manuel José in the self-titled Telemundo series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVQ2ShtM9JQ

The early hit, “La Nave del Olvido”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIi5W1zGQRw

As a proud young dad with daughter Marisol in “Piel de Azucar”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvzjFtsIJy4

A contrast in vocal styles - a rare clip of two great singers, Julio Iglesias and José José: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faxKG3BF1z0

An early performance, “Pero te Extraño”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Dca0WSmcZY

A famous and popular song, “Il Mondo” by Italian singer-songwriter Jimmy Fontana, translated into Spanish (“El Mondo”): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7B1YTZdtK0

“Del Altar a la Tumba” - a remarkable demonstration of his great vocal qualities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJCBq8zq0ug

“Sabor a Me” in tribute to the songwriter, Alvaro Carillo:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j4CerpB3Tk

Accepting his award for his work in “Perdoname Todo”, singing with co-star and life-long friend,  Alejandra Avalos - “Te Quiero Así”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gumLJ-JeX2Q

And here, same song with Lani Hall (wife of Herb Alpert):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kabER4_SoY

Singing to former wife, Anel - “Buenos Dias Amor”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMJ11RLOoFU

Jazzy “Una Mañana” (from movie, “La Carrera del Millón”):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xgMIZDCKsk

“Amnesia”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmi0bdJi2vs

One of my own favorites - I love the video with this - “Soy un Payaso”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4rJyZO-Zg0

“Gavilán o Paloma”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4rJyZO-Zg0

“40 y 20” (May-December love): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPLcmUv5be0

“Amar y Querer” (Love . . . and Lust):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xuOmSrT2EU

“Soy Así”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOJTvNKGovo

“Lo que quedó de mi”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGkr-1Bh3Ow

Introduced by Yanni, who wrote this for him - “Volver a Creer”:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL1Z1hhHaQw

A biographical song, “Sere”:  https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=jose+jose+sere&view=detail&mid=7CC91D3E01B3D5F2C1427CC91D3E01B3D5F2C142&FORM=VIRE0&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3djose%2520jose%2520sere%26pc%3dcosp%26ptag%3dG6C17N1234D090118A98C4AF66BD%26form%3dCONBDF%26conlogo%3dCT3210127

Sere sung by Manuel to his father:  https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=manuel+jose+-+sere&docid=608036214409989235&mid=C83B8115F05F8843C0EBC83B8115F05F8843C0EB&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

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