Coordinates	39°44′21″N104°59′5″N
Name	Las Vegas
Official name	City of Las Vegas
Settlement type	City
Nickname	"Sin City""Capital of Second Chances""The Marriage Capital of the World"
Image seal	Las Vegas seal.jpg
Map caption	Location of Las Vegas in Clark County, Nevada
Pushpin map	USA2
Pushpin map caption	Location in the United States
Coordinates region	US-NV
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	United States
Subdivision type1	State
Subdivision name1	Nevada
Subdivision type2	County
Subdivision name2	Clark County
Government type	Council-Manager
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Carolyn Goodman (N.P.)
Leader title1	City Manager
Leader name1	Betsy Fretwell
Area magnitude	1 E9
Unit pref	Imperial
Area total km2	340.0
Area total sq mi	131.3
Area land km2	339.8
Area land sq mi	131.2
Area water km2	0.16
Area water sq mi	0.1
Population as of	2010
Population urban	1,314,356
Population metro	1,951,269
Population total	583,756
Population note	(30th U.S.)
Population density km2	1604
Population density sq mi	4154
Population demonym	Las Vegan
Timezone	PST
Utc offset	−8
Timezone dst	PDT
Utc offset dst	−7
Postal code type	ZIP codes
Area code	702
Elevation m	610
Elevation ft	2001
Website	www.lasvegasnevada.gov
Blank name	FIPS code
Blank info	32-40000
Blank1 name	GNIS feature ID
Blank1 info	0847388
Footnotes	}}

Las Vegas () is the most populous city in Nevada, United States, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for its casino resorts and associated entertainment. A growing retirement and family city, it is the 28th-most populous city in the United States, with an estimated population by the U.S. Census Bureau of 583,756 as of 2010. The 2010 population estimate of the Las Vegas metropolitan area was 1,951,269.

Established in 1905, Las Vegas officially became a city in 1911. At the close of the 20th century, Las Vegas was the most populous American city founded in that century (a distinction held by Chicago in the 19th century). The city's tolerance for various forms of adult entertainment earned it the title of Sin City, and this image has made Las Vegas a popular setting for films and television programs. There are numerous outdoor lighting displays on Fremont Street, as well as elsewhere in the city.

The name Las Vegas is often applied to unincorporated areas that surround the city, especially the resort areas on and near the Las Vegas Strip. The stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard known as the Strip is mainly in the unincorporated communities of Paradise, Winchester, and Enterprise.

History

The first reported European visitor to the Las Vegas Valley was Raphael Rivera in 1829. Las Vegas was named by Spaniards in the Antonio Armijo party, who used the water in the area while heading north and west along the Old Spanish Trail from Texas. In the 19th century, areas of the valley contained artesian wells that supported extensive green areas or meadows (vegas in Spanish); hence the name Las Vegas.

John C. Frémont traveled into the Las Vegas Valley on May 3, 1844, while it was still part of Mexico. He was a leader of a group of scientists, scouts, and observers for the United States Army Corps of Engineers. On May 10, 1855, following annexation by the United States, Brigham Young assigned 30 missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints led by William Bringhurst to the area to convert the Paiute Indian population to Mormonism. A fort was built near the current downtown area that served as a stopover for travelers along the "Mormon Corridor" between Salt Lake and the briefly thriving colony of saints at San Bernardino, California. Mormons abandoned Las Vegas in 1857, during the Utah War. Las Vegas was established as a railroad town on May 15, 1905, when owned by the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad was auctioned off in what is now downtown Las Vegas. Among the railroad's most notable owners and directors were Montana Senator William A. Clark, Utah U.S. Senator Thomas Kearns, and R.C. Kerens of St. Louis. Las Vegas was part of Lincoln County until 1908, when it became part of the newly established Clark County. The St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church near 4th and Bridger in downtown was founded in 1910. Las Vegas became an incorporated city on March 16, 1911; Peter Buol was the first mayor.

Las Vegas started as a stopover on the pioneer trails to the west, and became a popular railroad town in the early 20th century. It was a staging point for mines in the surrounding area, especially those around the town of Bullfrog, that shipped goods to the rest of the country. With the proliferation of the railroads, Las Vegas became less important, but the completion of the nearby Hoover Dam in 1935 resulted in growth in the number of residents and increased tourism. The dam, located southeast of the city, formed Lake Mead, the US's largest man-made lake and reservoir. Today, tours are offered into lesser-known parts of the dam. The legalization of gambling in 1931 led to the advent of the casino hotels for which Las Vegas is famous. Major development occurred in the 1940s, "due almost entirely" to the influx of scientists and staff from the Manhattan Project, an atomic bomb research project of World War II. Atomic test watching parties were sometimes thrown. American organized crime figures such as Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel and Meyer Lansky managed or funded most of the original large casinos. The rapid growth of Las Vegas is credited with dooming Galveston, Texas; Hot Springs, Arkansas; and other major gaming centers in the 1950s.

Geography and climate

Las Vegas is situated within Clark County in an arid basin on the desert floor, surrounded by dry mountains. The Spring Mountains lie to the west. Much of the landscape is rocky and dusty; the environment is dominated by desert vegetation and some wildlife, and the area is subject to torrential flash floods. The elevation is around above sea level. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and (0.04%) is water.

Within the city there are many lawns, trees, and other greenery. Due to water resource issues, there is now a movement to encourage xeriscapes. Another part of the water conservation efforts include scheduled watering groups for watering residential landscaping. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant in 2008 funded a program that analyzed and forecast growth and environmental impacts through the year 2019. This study resulted in an expansion of the sewage treatment capacity, which enabled rapid population growth.

Climate

Las Vegas' climate is a subtropical desert climate (Koppen climate classification BWh), typical of the Mojave Desert in which it lies. The city enjoys abundant sunshine year-round: it has an average of about 300 sunny days per year with more than 3,800 hours of sunshine.

The summer months of June through September are very hot and mostly dry, with average daytime highs of and night-time lows of . There are an average of 133 days per year above , and 72 days above , with most of the days in July and August exceeding that benchmark. Humidity is very low, often under 10%.

Las Vegas' winters are of short duration and the season is generally mild, with daytime highs near and nighttime lows around . The mountains surrounding Las Vegas accumulate snow during the winter but snow is rare in the Las Vegas Valley itself. Temperatures can sometimes drop to freezing but winter nighttime temperatures will rarely dip below .

Annual precipitation in Las Vegas is roughly , which on average occurs on 29 days per year. Most of the precipitation falls in the winter, but the driest month (June) has only 2.9 fewer average days of precipitation than the wettest month (March). |source 2 = HKO (sun only) |date=August 2010 }}

Demographics

According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Las Vegas was as follows:

White: 62.1% (Non-Hispanic Whites: 47.9%)

Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 31.5% (24.0% Mexican, 1.4% Salvadoran, 0.9% Puerto Rican, 0.9% Cuban, 0.6% Guatemalan, 0.2% Peruvian, 0.2% Colombian, 0.2% Honduran, 0.2% Nicaraguan)

Black or African American: 11.1%

Asian: 6.1% (3.3% Filipino, 0.7% Chinese, 0.5% Korean, 0.4% Japanese, 0.4% Indian, 0.2% Vietnamese, 0.2% Thai)

Two or more races: 4.9%

Native American: 0.7%

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.6%

Source:

As of the census of 2010, there were 583,756 people, 211,689 households, and 117,538 families residing in the city. The population density was . There are 190,724 housing units at an average density of .

As of 2006, there were 176,750 households, out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the city the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 103.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $53,000 and the median income for a family was $58,465. Males had a median income of $35,511 versus $27,554 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,060. About 6.6% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Las Vegas has one of the highest suicide and divorce rates of the U.S. A study that found Las Vegas residents are 40% less likely to commit suicide if they leave Las Vegas and visitors are more than twice as likely to commit suicide there as elsewhere was published in the Las Vegas Sun newspaper in 2008. The city's high divorce rate is not wholly due to Las Vegans themselves getting divorced. Since divorce is easier in Nevada than most other states, many people come from across the country for the easier process.

For similar reasons, Las Vegas has one of the highest marriage rates of U.S. cities, with many licenses issued to people from outside the area (see Las Vegas weddings).

Economy

The primary drivers of the Las Vegas economy are tourism, gaming, and conventions, which in turn feed the retail and restaurant industries.

Redevelopment

When The Mirage opened in 1989, it started a trend of major resort development of the southern portion of the Las Vegas Strip outside of the city. This resulted in a drop in tourism in the downtown area, but many recent projects and condominium construction have increased the number of visitors to downtown.

A effort has been made by city officials to diversify the economy by attracting light manufacturing, banking, and other commercial interests. The lack of state individual and corporate income tax and very simple incorporation requirements have fostered the success of this effort.

With the Strip expansion in the 1990s, Downtown Las Vegas (which has maintained an old Las Vegas feel) began to suffer. The city made an effort to turn around the fortunes of downtown. The city successfully lured the Internal Revenue Service operations from western side of the city to a new downtown area building that opened in April 2005. The IRS move was expected to create a greater demand for additional businesses in the area, especially in the daytime hours. The Fremont Street Experience (FSE) was built in an effort to draw tourists back to the area, and has been popular. Since the recession began in 2008, many of these shops have closed. The multi-level Neonopolis closed their 11 theaters and nearly all retail stores. Many high-rise condo projects have been under construction, but one of the highest profile buildings, The Streamline Towers, went into bankruptcy.

The city purchased of property from the Union Pacific Railroad in 1995 with the goal of creating something to draw more people to the downtown area. In 2004 Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman announced plans for Symphony Park, which will include residential and office high-rises, the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute, an academic medical center, The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, and a new City Hall. After failed negotiations with The Related Co. on the development of Union Park in October 2005, San Diego-based Newland Communities was chosen by the city as the new development firm. The Newland contract calls for Dan Van Epp, Newland's regional vice president and former president of The Howard Hughes Corporation, to oversee his company's work on Symphony Park. The Lou Ruvo Brain Institute was completed in 2009.

In 2004 the city partnered with Cheetah Wireless Technologies and MeshNetwork to pilot a wide-area mobile broadband system. The pilot system is installed downtown, around the Fremont Street Experience. On a lot adjacent to the city's 61 acre site, the World Market Center opened in 2005. It was intended as a preeminent furniture wholesale showroom and marketplace to compete with the current furniture market capital of High Point, North Carolina.

On October 23, 2006, plans were unveiled to build a World Jewelry Center in Symphony Park. Similar to the World Market Center, the WJC will be a one stop shop for jewelry trade shows from around the world. The project proposes a 57-story, office tower. As of 2009 the project was still on hold.

Las Vegas decided to build a new city hall in the late 2000s. This had several consequences. One being that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, which shared city hall, would have to find a new location. The second being that the old building would be vacated with the potential negative impact on the downtown area. The police department elected to build a headquarters building in another part of the city and consolidate most of its operations in one place. This increased the departments presence with in the city since it would be moving in employees not presently working in the city. The second problem was address when the city and Zappos reached an agreement for Zappos to move its headquarters into the old city hall.

Tourism

The major attractions in Las Vegas are the casinos and the hotels. There are many hotel casinos in the city's downtown area, which was the focal point of the city's gaming industry in its early days.

Most major downtown casinos are downtown on the Fremont Street Experience, The Stratosphere being the major exception. Fremont East, adjacent to the Fremont Street Experience, was granted variances to allow bars to be closer together, similar to the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego. The goal being to attract a different demographic then the strip attracts.

Downtown area casinos

Las Vegas got its start with casinos in 1931 with the opening of the Northern Club (now the La Bayou). The most notable of the early casinos may have been Binion's Horseshoe (now Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel) while it was run by Benny Binion. Boyd Gaming has a major presence downtown operating the California Hotel and Casino, Fremont Hotel and Casino and the Main Street Casino. The Golden Gate Hotel and Casino is the oldest hotel in the Fremont Street Experience. The Golden Nugget is the largest hotel and casino in the city. The Plaza Hotel & Casino on Main Street was the railway station until Amtrak discontinued service. Other casinos include the El Cortez, Fitzgeralds, Four Queens, Gold Spike Hotel and Casino and the Las Vegas Club.

Nearby communities

Henderson, Nevada, incorporated

North Las Vegas, Nevada, incorporated

Paradise, Nevada, unincorporated

Enterprise, unincorporated

Sunrise Manor, Nevada, unincorporated

Spring Valley, Nevada, unincorporated

Boulder City, Nevada, incorporated

Culture

The city is home to several museums including the Neon Museum home to many of the historical signs from the valley, The Las Vegas Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, the Las Vegas Natural History Museum, Lied Discovery Children's Museum and the Old Las Vegas Mormon State Historic Park.

On the first Friday of each month, the "First Friday" celebration is held, which exhibits the works of local artists and musicians in a section of the city's Downtown region called the "Arts District".

The Thursday prior to First Friday is known in the 18b Arts District as "Preview Thursday". This evening event highlights new gallery exhibitions just opening throughout the district.

The Southern Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park, also known as the Las Vegas Zoo, exhibits over 150 species of animals and plants.

The $485 million Smith Center for the Performing Arts (scheduled for completion in 2012) is located downtown in Symphony Park. The center will host Broadway shows and other major touring attractions as well as orchestra, opera, and dance performances.

The city hosts annual events like the Helldorado Days (Las Vegas).

Sports

Las Vegas does not have major-league sports, although the metropolitan population is as large or larger than many cities that have them. The two main reasons are concern about legal sports betting and competition for the entertainment dollar. The only minor league sports team that plays in the City of Las Vegas is baseball's Las Vegas 51s of the Pacific Coast League, the AAA farm club of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Parks and recreation

Las Vegas has dozens of parks, including Las Vegas Springs Preserve, a recreational and educational facility, and Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs. The city operates 4 golf courses (Angel Park Golf Club, Desert Pines Golf Course, Durango Hills Golf Club and the Las Vegas Municipal Golf Course), 5 dog parks, 9 community centers, 8 senior centers and 20 sports facilities including 9 skate parks and 6 swimming pools.

Attractions

Las Vegas is a popular destination for Hawaiians. In 2002, almost 80,000 former residents of Hawaii lived in Las Vegas, and nearly 3,000 Hawaiians visited Las Vegas every week. Las Vegas is sometimes referred to as Hawaii's Ninth Island. The city is the home to the first ABC Stores branch outside the state of Hawaii.

Government

The City of Las Vegas government operates as a council-manager government. The Mayor sits as a Council member-at-large and presides over all of the City Council meetings. In the event that the Mayor cannot preside over a City Council meeting, the Mayor Pro-Tem is the presiding officer of the meeting until such time as the Mayor returns to his seat. The City Manager is responsible for the administration and the day-to-day operation of all of the municipal services and city departments. The City Manager maintains intergovernmental relationships with federal, state, county, and other local governments.

Much of the Las Vegas metropolitan area is split into neighboring incorporated cities or unincorporated communities. Approximately 700,000 people live in unincorporated areas governed by Clark County, and another 465,000 live in incorporated cities such as North Las Vegas, Henderson, and Boulder City. Las Vegas and nearly all of the surrounding metropolitan area share a police department, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, which was formed after a 1973 merger of the Las Vegas Police Department and the Clark County Sheriff's Department. North Las Vegas, Henderson, Boulder City, and some colleges have their own police departments.

A Paiute Indian reservation occupies about in the downtown area.

Las Vegas, as the county seat and home to the Lloyd D. George Federal District Courthouse, draws numerous legal service industries providing bail, marriage, divorce, tax, incorporation, and other legal services.

City council

(Council members' official city websites are available)

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%" |- ! style="width:*;"|Name ! style="width:*;"|Position ! style="width:*;"|Termends ! style="width:*;"|References ! style="width:*;"|Comments |- || Stavros Anthony || 4th Ward Council member || 2013 || || |- || Ricki Barlow || 5th Ward Council member || 2015 || || |- || Carolyn Goodman || Mayor and Council member at-large || 2015 || || Replaced her husband, Oscar Goodman, who was term-limited |- || Bob Coffin || 3rd Ward Council member || 2015 || || |- || Steve Ross || 6th Ward Council member || 2013 || || |- || Lois Tarkanian || 1st Ward Council member || 2015 || || |- || Steve Wolfson, Esq || 2nd Ward Council member || 2013 || || |- |}

Education

Primary and secondary schools

Primary and secondary public education is provided by the Clark County School District, which is the fifth most populous school district in the nation (projected enrollment for the 2007–2008 school year was 314,000 students in grades K–12).

Colleges and universities

The College of Southern Nevada (the third largest community college in the United States by enrollment) is the main higher education facility in the city. Other institutions include the University of Nevada School of Medicine, with a campus in the city, and the for-profit private school Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. Many educational opportunities exist around the city. These include University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Nevada State College run by the Nevada System of Higher Education, Desert Research Institute, The International Academy of Design & Technology Las Vegas, Touro University Nevada and the University of Southern Nevada.

Transportation

RTC Transit is a public transportation system providing bus service throughout Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas, and other suburban areas of the valley. Inter-city bus service to Las Vegas is provided by Greyhound, many charter services, including Green Tortoise, and several Chinatown bus lines. Amtrak California operates Deluxe Express Thruway Motorcoach dedicated service between the City and its passenger rail station in Bakersfield, California.

A bus rapid transit link in Las Vegas called the Strip & Downtown Express (previously ACE Gold Line) with limited stops and frequent service was launched in March 2010, and connects Downtown Las Vegas, the Strip, the Las Vegas Convention Center, and Town Square.

With some exceptions, including Las Vegas Boulevard, Boulder Highway (SR 582), and Rancho Drive (SR 599), the majority of surface streets in Las Vegas are laid out in a grid along Public Land Survey System section lines. Many are maintained by the Nevada Department of Transportation as state highways. The street numbering system is divided by the following streets:

Westcliff Drive, US 95 Expressway, Fremont Street, and Charleston Boulevard divide the north-south block numbers from west to east.

Las Vegas Boulevard divides the east-west streets from the Las Vegas Strip to near the Stratosphere, then Main Street becomes the dividing line from the Stratosphere to the North Las Vegas border, after which the Goldfield Street alignment divides east and west.

On the east side of Las Vegas, block numbers between Charleston Boulevard and Washington Avenue are different along Nellis Boulevard, which is the eastern border of the city limits.

Interstates 15, 515, and US 95 lead out of the city in four directions. Two major freeways – Interstate 15 and Interstate 515/U.S. Route 95 – cross in downtown Las Vegas. I-15 connects Las Vegas to Los Angeles, and heads northeast to and beyond Salt Lake City, Utah. I-515 goes southeast to Henderson, beyond which US 93 continues over the Mike O'Callaghan – Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge towards Phoenix, Arizona. US 95 connects the city to northwestern Nevada, including Carson City and Reno. US 93 splits from I-15 northeast of Las Vegas and goes north through the eastern part of the state, serving Ely and Wells. US 95 heads south from US 93 near Henderson through far eastern California. A partial beltway has been built, consisting of Interstate 215 on the south and Clark County 215 on the west and north. Other radial routes include Blue Diamond Road (SR 160) to Pahrump and Lake Mead Boulevard (SR 147) to Lake Mead.

;East-west roads, north to south ;North-south roads, west to east

McCarran International Airport handles international and domestic flights into the Las Vegas Valley. The airport also serves private aircraft and freight/cargo flights. Most general aviation traffic uses the smaller North Las Vegas Airport and Henderson Executive Airport.

The Union Pacific Railroad is the only class-one railroad to provide rail freight service to the city. Until 1997, the Amtrak Desert Wind train service ran through Las Vegas using the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. Amtrak service to Las Vegas goes to Needles, California and continues on Amtrak's Thruway Motorcoach bus service. Plans to restore Los Angeles to Las Vegas Amtrak service using a Talgo train were discussed in the late 1990s, but the plan was not implemented. The Las Vegas Amtrak station was located in the Plaza Hotel; it held the distinction of being the only train station in the US that was located in a casino.

Walkability

A 2011 study by Walk Score ranked Las Vegas 25th most walkable of fifty largest U.S. cities.

Sister cities

Ansan, South Korea Jeju City, South Korea Huludao, Liaoning, People's Republic of China Phuket, Thailand Angeles City, Philippines Pamukkale, Turkey

See also

Las Vegas weddings

List of Las Vegans

List of Las Vegas casinos that never opened

List of films set in Las Vegas

List of films shot in Las Vegas

List of mayors of Las Vegas, Nevada

List of television shows set in Las Vegas

Las Vegas Strip

Radio stations in Las Vegas

Television stations in Las Vegas

References

External links

City of Las Vegas, Nevada web site

"The Making of Las Vegas" (historical timeline)

Geologic tour guide of the Las Vegas area from American Geological Institute

National Weather Service Forecast – Las Vegas, NV

Category:Populated places established in 1905 Category:Cities in the Mojave Desert Category:Cities in Nevada Category:Populated places in Clark County, Nevada Category:Gambling in the United States Category:County seats in Nevada

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Coordinates	39°44′21″N104°59′5″N
name	Mercedes Sosa
background	solo_singer
birth name	Haydée Mercedes Sosa
born	July 09, 1935
died	October 04, 2009
origin	Argentina
relatives	Jeffy Lurie
genre	Folk, Nueva canción
occupation	Singer, Activist
years active	1950–2009 }}

Haydée Mercedes Sosa, known as La Negra, (9 July 1935 – 4 October 2009) was an Argentine singer who was popular throughout South America and some countries outside the continent. With her roots in Argentine folk music, Sosa became one of the preeminent exponents of nueva canción. She gave voice to songs written by both Brazilians and Cubans. She was best known as the "voice of the voiceless ones".

Sosa performed in venues such as the Lincoln Center in New York City, the Théâtre Mogador in Paris and the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, as well as sell-out shows in New York's Carnegie Hall and the Roman Coliseum during her final decade of life. Her career spanned four decades and she has been the recipient of several Grammy awards and nominations, including three nominations which will be decided posthumously. She served as an ambassador for UNICEF.

Life

Sosa was born on 9 July 1935, in San Miguel de Tucumán, in the northwestern Argentine province of Tucumán, of mestizo, French, and Quechua Amerindian ancestry. In 1950, at age fifteen, she won a singing competition organized by a local radio station and was given a contract to perform for two months. brought her to the attention of her native countrypeople. In 2002, she sold out both Carnegie Hall in New York and the Coliseum in Rome in the same year.

A supporter of Perón in her youth, she favored leftist causes throughout her life. She opposed President Carlos Menem, who was in office from 1989 to 1999, and supported the election of Néstor Kirchner, who became president in 2003. Sosa was a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Latin America and the Caribbean.

In a career consisting of four decades, she worked with performers across several genres and generations, folk, opera, pop, rock, including Lucio Dalla, Nana Mouskouri, Andrea Bocelli, Holly Near, Silvio Rodríguez, Pablo Milanés, Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso, Joan Manuel Serrat, Chico Buarque, Gal Costa, Gian Marco, Konstantin Wecker, Lourdes Pérez, Nilda Fernández, Pata Negra, David Broza, Franco Battiato, Luz Casal, Ismael Serrano, Charly Garcia, Joan Baez, Luciano Pavarotti, Shakira, Lila Downs, Julieta Venegas, Martha Argerich, and Sting.

Sosa participated in a 1999 production of Ariel Ramírez's Misa Criolla. Her song Balderrama is featured in the 2008 movie Che, starring Benicio del Toro as the Argentine Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara.

Awards

She won the Latin Grammy Award for Best Folk Album in 2000 ("Misa Criolla"), 2003 ("Acústico") and 2006 ("Corazón Libre"), as well as many international awards.

Her album Cantora 1 won two awards at the Latin Grammy Awards of 2009. She won Best Folk Album and was nominated for Album of the Year. The album was also awarded Best Recording Package.

Death

Suffering from recurrent endocrine and respiratory problems in later years, the 74-year-old Sosa was hospitalized in Buenos Aires on September 18, 2009. She died from multiple organ failure on October 4, 2009, at 5:15 am. She is survived by one son, Fabian Matus, born during the first marriage. The hospital expressed its sympathies with her relations. Her website featured the following: "Her undisputed talent, her honesty and her profound convictions leave a great legacy to future generations".

Her body was placed on display at the National Congress building in Buenos Aires for the public to pay their respects, and President Fernández de Kirchner ordered three days of national mourning. Thousands had queued by the end of the day. She was cremated on October 5.

Sosa's obituary in The Daily Telegraph said she was "an unrivalled interpreter of works by her compatriot, the Argentinian Atahualpa Yupanqui, and Chile's Violeta Parra". Helen Popper of Reuters announced her death by saying she "fought South America's dictators with her voice and became a giant of contemporary Latin American music". Sosa received two Latin Grammy nominations for her album which is nominated for a total of three awards. She went on to win Best Folk Album about a month after her death.

Discography

She recorded forty albums.

La voz de la zafra (1959)

Canciones con fundamento (1965)

Yo no canto por cantar (1966)

Hermano (1966)

Para cantarle a mi gente (1967)

Con sabor a Mercedes Sosa (1968)

Mujeres argentinas (1969)

Navidad con Mercedes Sosa (1970)

El grito de la tierra (1970)

Homenaje a Violeta Parra (1971)

Hasta la victoria (1972)

Cantata sudamericana (1972)

Traigo un pueblo en mi voz (1973)

Si se calla el cantor (1973) (with Gloria Martín, life in Venezuela)

Niño de mañana (1975)

A que florezca mi pueblo (1975)

En dirección del viento (1976)

O cio da terra (1977)

Mercedes Sosa interpreta a Atahualpa Yupanqui (1977)

Si se calla el cantor (1977) - Recopilacion

Serenata para la tierra de uno (1979)

A quién doy (1980)

Gravado ao vivo no Brasil (1980)

Mercedes Sosa en Argentina (1982)

Mercedes Sosa (1983)

Como un pájaro libre (1983)

Recital (1983)

¿Será posible el sur? (1984)

Vengo a ofrecer mi corazón (1985)

Corazón americano (1985) (with Milton Nascimento and León Gieco)

Mercedes Sosa ´86 (1986)

Mercedes Sosa ´87 (1987)

Amigos míos (1988)

En vivo en Europa (1990)

De mí (1991)

30 años (1993)

Sino (1993)

Gestos de amor (1994)

Live in Argentina (1994)

Live in Europe (1994)

Sera Posible El Sur (1994)

Vivir (1994)

Oro (1995)

Escondido en mi país (1996)

Gracias a la Vida (1996)

Alta fidelidad (1997) '' (with Charly García)

Coleccion Mi Historia (1997)

Al despertar (1998)

Misa criolla (1999)

Serie Millennium 21 (1999)

La Negra (2000)

Acústico (2002)

Grandes Exitos, Vols. 1 & 2 (2002)

40 Obras Fundamentales (2003)

Argentina quiere cantar (2003) (with Víctor Heredia and León Gieco)

Voz Y Sentimiento (2003)

Corazón libre (2005)

Éxitos Eternos (2005)

La Historia del Folklore (2007)

Cantora 1 (2009)

Cantora 2 (2009)

Filmography

Güemes, la tierra en armas (1971)

Argentinísima (1972)

Esta es mi Argentina (1974)

Mercedes Sosa, como un pájaro libre (1983)

Será posible el sur: Mercedes Sosa (1985)

Historias de Argentina en vivo (2001)

References

External links

Mercedes Sosa's website (in Spanish)

Mercedes Sosa's News (in Spanish)

Category:1935 births Category:2009 deaths Category:Latin Grammy Award winners Category:Spanish-language singers Category:Argentine female singers Category:Argentine activists Category:Argentine people of French descent Category:Argentine people of Quechua descent Category:Contraltos Category:Deaths from renal failure Category:People from San Miguel de Tucumán Category:Nueva canción musicians Category:Bombo legüero players

ar:مرسيدس سوسا br:Mercedes Sosa bg:Мерседес Соса ca:Mercedes Sosa da:Mercedes Sosa de:Mercedes Sosa el:Μερσέντες Σόσα es:Mercedes Sosa eo:Mercedes Sosa eu:Mercedes Sosa fa:مرسدس سوسا fr:Mercedes Sosa gl:Mercedes Sosa ko:메르세데스 소사 io:Mercedes Sosa it:Mercedes Sosa he:מרסדס סוסה la:Mercedes Sosa lb:Mercedes Sosa nl:Mercedes Sosa ja:メルセデス・ソーサ oc:Mercedes Sosa pl:Mercedes Sosa pt:Mercedes Sosa qu:Mercedes Sosa ru:Соса, Мерседес fi:Mercedes Sosa sv:Mercedes Sosa tr:Mercedes Sosa uk:Мерседес Соса diq:Mercedes Sosa

Coordinates	39°44′21″N104°59′5″N
Name	Ephesto
Names	Ephesto / HefestoHombre Sin NombrePantera del Ring/Panterita del RingSafari
Height
Birth date	June 10, 1965
Birth place	Gomez Palacio, Durango, Mexico
Trainer	Halcon SurianoAsteriónSatánicoBlue Panther
Debut
Website	}}

Ephesto (born June 10, 1965) is a Mexican Luchador Enmascarado (Spanish for "Masked professional wrestler). Ephesto's real name has not been officially documented, a tradition in Mexican Lucha Libre where masked wrestlers' real names often are not a matter of public record. The wrestler currently known as Ephesto made his debut in 1982 and worked for almost 20 years as Pantera del Ring with limited success.

His current ring name "Ephesto" is derived from the Spanish name for Hephaestus, the Greek God of fire, Hefesto, in fact his name is sometimes spelled Hefesto in print sources. Ephesto is a member of the stable Los Hijos de Averno (Spanish for the sons of Hell) with Averno and Mephisto, with whom he currently holds the CMLL World Trios Championship, while also being a former CMLL World Light Heavyweight Champion.

Professional wrestling career

He made his debut in 1982 at the age of 16 after training with Halco Suriano, Asterión, Satánico and Blue Panther. His first ring persona was Pantera del Ring (Spanish for the Panther of the Ring), a masked luchador with a panther inspired mask and trunks, inspired by his trainer Blue Panther. As Pantera del Ring, also referred to as Panterita del Ring', he signed with Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in the very early 1990s and began working as a low card Technicó (the Lucha Libre term for a "Good guy"). When Antonio Peña, the head booker of CMLL at the time broke off to form the rival promotion Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA), Pantera del Ring was one of the CMLL workers that went with Peña in 1992. In AAA he teamed up with Latin Lover to win the Mexican National Tag Team Championship from the team of Fuerza and Juventud Guerrera on June 1, 1995. The team only held the Tag Team titles for three and a half months before losing them back to the Guerreras. By 1997 Panterita del Ring was working for the newly formed Promo Azteca promotion, this time as a Rudo (the Lucha Libre term for "bad guy"). He won the tournament to crown the first ever Aztecas Middleweight Champion defeating Ángel Azteca and Black Dragon in the finals. He eventually lost the title but kept working for Promo Azteca as an upper card worker until Promo Azteca folded in the late 1990s.

In 2000 he returned to CMLL and began working under the ring persona Safari, a mid-card Technico. Safari did not gain much momentum, generally working random tag matches until he was teamed up with Mr. Niebla and Olímpico and defeated the team of Blue Panther, Fuerza Guerrera and El Signo for the Mexican National Trios Championship on March 30, 2001. The team had a rather uneventful title reign that lasted 15 months but rarely saw the team defended the title until Los Nuevos Infernales (Averno, Mephisto and Satánico) won the titles from them on June 23, 2001. In late 2003 Safari teamed up with El Felino and Volador, Jr. to win a tournament for the vacant Mexican National Trios Championship, defeating Alan Stone, Super Crazy and Zumbido in a tournament final to claim the title. Safari's second run with the title proved to be about as long as the first one, 16 months, but once again did not result in many memorable matches or a sustained push for Safari. When Pandilla Guerrera (Doctor X, Nitro and Sangre Azteca) defeated Safari's team for the titles it signaled the last time the Safari character was given the spotlight.

In late 2005, only months after losing the Trios titles Safair became El Hombre sin Nombre (Spanish for "The Man without name"), a ring persona & name that indicates that the wrestler is a "blank slate", as he has no name and wrestles in plain black clothes & mask. CMLL started a contenst for the fans to come up with a new name and ring persona for this wrestler. As Hombre sin Nombre he worked as a Rudo with no public reference given to the fact that he was previously known as Safari. By the end of 2007 it was announced that El Hombre Sin Nombre finally had a name, Ephesto as suggested by a fan after the Greek God of fire, Hephaestus.

Working as Ephesto

Along with the new name came a new look, dressing mainly in black with a mask with a ram's horn design and a new group of allies. Ephesto joined forces with Averno and Mephisto to form the stable La Triada del Terror (Spanish for the Trio of Terror), and although he was considered the low man in the group associating with two of CMLL's top Rudo acts meant he got more exposure as Ephesto than he ever did as Safari or El Hombre Sin Nombre. When Averno and Mephisto formed Los Hijos del Averno (Spanish for the Sons of Hell) Ephesto was one of the first to join up with them. In late 2008 Ephesto received a couple of shots at La Sombra's NWA World Welterweight Championship, his first chance at a singles title in CMLL. While he did not win the title the matches with La Sombra were very competitive and well received. In the spring/summer of 2009 Ephesto began targeting rival Rey Bucanero, challenging him for the CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship. At first the storyline between the two saw Rey Bucanero turn down the challenge, only to late accept after Ephesto brought a ringside ticket for a show where Bucanero was in the main event and interfered in the match. On May 26, 2009 the two met with the title on the line, after each winning one fall the match was stopped by the referee as Rey Bucanero had suffered a serious knee injury. The referee awarded the match and the title to Ephesto, his first CMLL singles title. Bucanero's injury was so severe that it required surgery and he was out of action for six months. By virtue of holding the CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship Ephesto participated in the 2010 Universal Championship tournament. He was part of "Block A" that competed on the July 30, 2010 Super Viernes show. He co-won the eight-man seeding battle royal, but was eliminated from the tournament when he lost to El Texano, Jr. in the first round of the actual tournament. On August 16, 2010 it was announced that Ephesto was one of 14 men putting their mask on the line in a Luchas de Apuestas steel cage match, the main event of the CMLL 77th Anniversary Show. Ephesto was the third man to leave the steel cage as all three members of Los Hijos del Averno quickly left the cage, keeping their masks safe. The match came down to La Sombra pinning Olímpico to unmask him. On February 22, 2011, Ephesto lost the CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship to Rush, ending his reign at 637 days. On July 15, Los Hijos del Averno defeated La Generación Dorada (Máscara Dorada, La Máscara and La Sombra]]) to win the CMLL World Trios Championship.

Personal life

It has until recently been a common misconception that Ephesto, Ultimo Guerrero and Hooligan were all brothers. All three come from the "Lagunero" area in Mexico and early in their professional wrestling career the three stuck together to try and break into wrestling. This shared experience caused them to sometimes refer to each other as "Brother".

In wrestling

Finishing moves

:*La Safarina (Inverted three–quarter figure four surfboard) – innovated :*Shoulderbreaker

Signature moves

:*Fallaway slam

:*Suicide dive

Championships and accomplishments

Asistencia Asesoría y Administración

:*Mexican National Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Latin Lover

Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre

:*CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship (1 time) :*CMLL World Trios Championship (1 time, current) – with Averno and Mephisto :*Mexican National Trios Championship (2 times) – with Olimpico and Mr. Niebla (1), and Volador, Jr. and El Felino (1)

Promo Azteca

:*Aztecas Middleweight Championship (1 time)

Pro Wrestling Illustrated

:*PWI ranked him #152 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI 500 in 2007

Lucha de Apuesta record

{|class="wikitable" width=100% |- !style="background: #e3e3e3;" width=5%|Wager !style="background: #e3e3e3;" width=20%|Winner !style="background: #e3e3e3;" width=20%|Loser !style="background: #e3e3e3;" width=20%|Location !style="background: #e3e3e3;" width=15%|Date !style="background: #e3e3e3;" width=20%|Notes |----- align="center" |Hair || Pantera del Ring || Acuario || Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes || ||   |----- align="center" |Hair || Pantera del Ring || Guerrero Negro || Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes || ||   |----- align="center" |Mask || Pantera del Ring || Dragon || Torreón, Coahuila || ||   |----- align="center" |Mask || Pantera del Ring || Astro Flash || Torreón, Coahuila || ||   |----- align="center" |Mask || Pantera del Ring || Megatron || Monterrey, Nuevo León || ||   |----- align="center" |Hair || Pantera del Ring || Principe Island || Monterrey, Nuevo León || 1992 ||   |----- align="center" |Hair || Pantera del Ring || Kendo || Monterrey, Nuevo León || 1992 ||   |----- align="center" |Mask || Pantera del Ring || White Wolf || Monterrey, Nuevo León || ||   |}

Footnotes

References

External links

Category:1965 births Category:Mexican professional wrestlers Category:Living people

ja:エフェスト

Coordinates	39°44′21″N104°59′5″N
name	Las Ketchup
background	group_or_band
origin	Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
genre	Flamenco, Pop, Chill out
years active	2002–present
label	Shaketown-SKT Music, Warner Music, Sony BMG
current members	Rocío MuñozLucía MuñozLola MuñozPilar Muñoz
past members	}}

Las Ketchup is a Latin Grammy Award nominated 4-girl group composed of sisters Lola Muñoz, Pilar Muñoz, Lucía Muñoz and Rocío Muñoz from Córdoba in Andalucia, Spain. They are the daughters of Juan Muñoz, a flamenco guitarist known as El Tomate (The Tomato). Before Rocío's addition to the group in 2006, the other three girls had success with their worldwide hit "Aserejé", also known as "The Ketchup Song".

Career

Las Ketchup was originally discovered by the noted flamenco producer Manuel “Queco” Ruiz, who signed them to his newly formed independent Córdoba-based label Shaketown Music, which he ran together with Manuel Illán. They recorded the songs “Asereje” and “Kusha Las Payas" with Ruiz producing, and shopped the demo to a number of large record companies with the intention of securing a distribution deal. The demo was received by Columbia/Sony A&R; Javier Portugués and director Raúl López who, on listening the recordings, stared at each other in delight exclaiming, "Wow, this is fantastic!". At first the intention was to arrange a distribution deal with Shaketown Music but on hearing the song they realised its international potential and so negotiated for Las Ketchup to sign with Sony.

In the summer of 2002 they had a major flamenco Europop fusion hit with "Aserejé" (released as "The Ketchup Song" in the UK and other countries), which reached the top of the charts in many countries including Spain, Portugal, Colombia, UK, Italy, Greece, France, Finland, Turkey, Syria, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Netherlands, Philippines, Switzerland, Germany, Romania, Argentina, Hungary, Poland, Venezuela, Mexico, Peru, Canada, India, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Egypt and Puerto Rico. However, it failed to hit the Top 40 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Still worldwide, the trio became instant rivals to another Spanish female trio, Lunae, who released their debut single in Europe at the same time in 2003. The title and part of the lyrics were in Spanish. The hit also had an accompanying dance.

The group re-released the Ketchup Song later in the same year, with a new video, as a Christmas song.

The name of the group is a reference to their father Juan Muñoz, a flamenco guitarist known as El Tomate (The Tomato). This also explains why their debut album carried the title Las hijas del Tomate (Daughters of Tomato).

In 2006 they were joined by Rocío, their fourth sister, to represent Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006. The girls have said themselves that Rocío has always been a member of Las Ketchup, but she wasn't in the photographs, videos or performances because she was pregnant.

The group sold over 12 million copies with the first album, but the second did not achieve the same success.

Recent events

Las Ketchup came back as a 4-girl group, with a new album titled Bloody Mary. Their long absence was due to their writing songs for the album and Pilar's pregnancy. The album release was delayed till the beginning of 2006. They planned to release 1 million copies and their producer "Queco", who also produced and wrote their worldwide single "Asereje", indicated that this album retains their original sound. Their first single from the CD was also titled "Bloody Mary". This song was the Spanish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006. The song did not perform as well as expected, ending 21st with only 18 points.

Discography

Albums

2002 Hijas del Tomate — #1 Spain

2006 Un Blodymary - #250 Spain

Singles

Year

Title

Chart Positions

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2002

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2002

2006

Awards

2002 'Ondas awards'

- Best New Artist/group

2004 Billboard Latinos awards

- Best pop album from new generation ("Las hijas del Tomate")

- Most tropical-salsa song played by Duo or Group ("The Ketchup Song" (Aserejé)

2003 Latin Grammy Award

- Best Pop Album By a Duo or Group with Vocals Las hijas del Tomate (Nominated, lost to Bacilos Caraluna.)

2003 Record Fair MIDEM (Cannes)

- Best New Artist/group

2003 Amigo Awards

- Best New Group

- Best New Artist

2004 Record fair MIDEM (Cannes)

- Breakers of borders (Best-selling Album out of its country and inside of Europe with "Las hijas del Tomate") Song)

Parody

In 2002, the German comedian Elmar Brandt wrote (using the tune of Aserejé) a Gerhard Schröder parody called "Der Steuersong" (The Tax Song) for the radio program The Gerd Show.

In 2002, a satirical version to the tune of Aserejé by El Groupo Mayonessa circulated in Gibraltar prior to the referendum on a proposal of joint sovereignty, entitled 'Vota Que No, Que No, Que No No No'

See also

Ketchup

Son de Sol

One-hit wonder

References

External links

Las Ketchup at AskMen.com

Las Ketchup at Answers.com

Category:People from Córdoba, Spain Category:Spanish dance music groups Category:Spanish Eurovision Song Contest entrants Category:Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 2006 Category:Family musical groups Category:Girl groups Category:Musical groups established in 2002 Category:Spanish pop music groups

da:Las Ketchup de:Las Ketchup es:Las Ketchup eo:Las Ketchup fr:Las Ketchup id:Las Ketchup it:Las Ketchup ka:Las Ketchup lv:Las Ketchup lt:Las Ketchup hu:Las Ketchup nl:Las Ketchup ja:ラス・ケチャップ no:Las Ketchup pl:Las Ketchup pt:Las Ketchup ru:Las Ketchup fi:Las Ketchup sv:Las Ketchup tr:Las Ketchup

Coordinates	39°44′21″N104°59′5″N
name	Charles Trenet
background	solo_singer
birth name	Louis Charles Auguste Claude Trenet
born	May 18, 1913Narbonne, France
died	February 19, 2001Créteil, France
years active	1933–2000
notable instruments	}}

Charles Trenet (born Louis Charles Auguste Claude Trenet, 18 May 1913, Narbonne, France – 19 February 2001, Créteil, France) was a French singer and songwriter, most famous for his recordings from the late 1930s until the mid-1950s, though his career continued through the 1990s. In an era in which it was exceptional for a singer to write his or her own material, Trenet wrote prolifically and declined to record any but his own songs.

His best known songs include "Boum !", "La Mer", "Y'a d'la joie", "Que reste-t-il de nos amours ?", "Ménilmontant" and "Douce France". His catalogue of songs is enormous, numbering close to a thousand. While many of his songs mined relatively conventional topics such as love, Paris, and nostalgia for his younger days, what set Trenet's songs apart were their personal, poetic, sometimes quite eccentric qualities, often infused with a warm wit. Some of his songs had unconventional subject matter, with whimsical imagery bordering on the surreal. "Y'a d'la joie" evokes 'joy' through a series of disconnected images, including that of a subway car shooting out of its tunnel into the air, the Eiffel Tower crossing the street and a baker making excellent bread. The lovers engaged in a minuet in "Polka du Roi" reveal themselves at length to be 'no longer human': they are made of wax and trapped in the Musée Grévin. Many of his hits from the 1930s and 1940s effectively combine the melodic and verbal nuances of French song with American swing rhythms.

His song "La Mer", which according to legend he composed with Léo Chauliac on a train in 1943, was recorded in 1946. "La Mer" is perhaps his best known work outside the French-speaking world, with over 400 recorded versions. The song was given unrelated English words and under the title "Beyond the Sea" (or sometimes "Sailing"), was a hit for Bobby Darin in the early 1960s, and George Benson in the mid-1980s. "La Mer" has been used in many films such as Bernardo Bertolucci's 2003 The Dreamers, and more recently in the closing scene (on the beach) of Mr. Bean's Holiday. The song was also used in the opening credits of the 2007 film, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, which used the song to highlight the paralyzing effects of a stroke that felled his fellow Frenchman, Jean-Dominique Bauby. It was also used as the opening title song in Steve Martin's L.A. Story in 1991, and in a popular commercial for South Australia, promoting the wine region of Australia. Other Trenet songs were recorded by such popular French singers as Maurice Chevalier, Jean Sablon and Fréhel.

Early life

When Trenet was seven years old, his parents divorced and he was sent to boarding school in Béziers, but he returned home just a few months later, suffering from typhoid fever. It was during his convalescence at home that he developed his artistic talents, taking up music, painting and sculpting. In 1922, Trenet moved to Perpignan, this time as a day pupil. A water-colourist friend of the family André Fons-Godail, the "Catalan Renoir", used to take him out painting. His poetry is said to have the painter's eye for detail and colour. Many of his songs had references to his surroundings such as places near Narbonne, the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean coast.

He hated mathematics with a passion but passed his "baccalauréat" with flying colours in 1927. After leaving school he left for Berlin where he studied art, and later he also briefly studied at art schools in France. When Trenet first arrived in Paris in the 1930s, he worked in a movie studio as a props handler and assistant, and later joined up with the artists in the Montparnasse neighbourhood. His admiration of the surrealist poet and Catholic mystic Max Jacob (1876–1944) and his love of jazz were two factors that influenced Trenet's songs.

Before World War II

From 1933 to 1936, he worked with the Swiss pianist Johnny Hess as a duo known as "Charles and Johnny". They performed at various Parisian venues, such as Le Fiacre, La Villa d'Este, the Européen and the Alhambra. They recorded 18 discs for Pathé, the most successful of which was "Quand les beaux jours seront là/Sur le Yang-Tsé-Kiang". The Charles and Johnny records feature Hess on piano, with the two frequently singing in two-part harmonies with quickly alternating solo spots for the two. Around 1935, the duo appeared regularly on the radio on a broadcast called Quart d'heure des enfants terribles.

The duo continued until 1936 when Trenet was called up for national service. It was after his national service that Trenet received the nickname that he would retain all his life: "Le Fou chantant" (The Singing Madman). In 1937, Trenet began his solo career, recording for Columbia, his first disc being "Je chante/Fleur bleue". The exuberant "Je chante" gave rise to the notion of Trenet as a "singing vagabond", a theme that appeared in a number of his early songs and films.

World War II

At the start of World War II, Trenet was mobilized. He was in barracks at Salon-de-Provence until he was demobilized in June 1940, when he moved back to Paris. There he would perform at the Folies Bergère or at the Gaîté Parisienne (two famous cabarets) in front of a public often consisting of German officers and soldiers. The collaborationist press tried to compromise his name and published that "Trenet" was the anagram of "Netter" – a Jewish name. He was able to show his family tree to the authorities, proving that he had no Jewish origin. This act of self-defence was held against him long after the end of the war. Like many other artists of the time, he chose to go on entertaining the occupying forces rather than sacrifice his career, showing little interest in the Jewish issue. He agreed, when asked by the Germans, to go and sing for the French prisoners in Germany. It is only fair to note that, as a homosexual, (see the section Return to France below) Trenet was himself in grave danger of deportation to the camps and may have had little choice but to co-operate and keep a low profile.

The refrain from the song Verlaine, "Blessent mon cœur d'une langueur monotone...", ("Wound my heart with a monotonous languor...") from Paul Verlaine's Chanson d'automne, (popularized by Trenet) was used as the Allied code to the French "underground" signaling that the Normandy invasion in June 1944 was imminent.

After the war

After the war he decided to move to United States where he lived for a few years and where he quickly became a success. After a few triumphant concerts at the Bagdad in New York, Trenet became a big hit and was approached by Hollywood. He met the likes of Louis Armstrong and began a long-lasting friendship with Charlie Chaplin.

Return to France

On 14 September 1951, Trenet returned to Paris and made a comeback at the "Théâtre de l'Étoile". He incorporated ten new songs into his act, including "De la fenêtre d'en haut" and "La Folle Complainte". In 1954 he performed at the "Olympia" music-hall in Paris for the first time. The following year he wrote the famous "Route nationale 7" (a tribute to the introduction of paid holidays).

In 1958, Trenet was the headlining act at the "Bobino" and the "Alhambra". In 1960 he returned to the "Théâtre de l'Étoile", appearing on stage for the very first time without the famous trilby hat which had for so long been part of his act.

In 1963, Trenet spent 28 days in prison in Aix-en-Provence. He was charged with corrupting the morals of four young men under the age of 21 (they were 19). His chauffeur claimed that Trenet was using him as a pimp. The charges were eventually dropped, but the affair brought to public light the fact that Trenet was homosexual. He was never particularly public about it and spoke of it rarely. In his authorized biography of Maurice Chevalier, author David Brett claims that Chevalier and Mistinguett were the ones who first "shopped" Trenet to the police for consorting with underage boys, around 1940. Trenet never learned of their action.

1970s

In 1970, Trenet flew to Japan to represent France at the Universal Exhibition in Osaka. The following year he left Columbia, his long-time record label, and recorded Fidèle and Il y avait des arbres. He also made a memorable appearance at the "Olympia".

In 1973, Trenet, who had just celebrated his 60th birthday, recorded a new album, Chansons en liberté. The twelve songs on this album were an interesting mix of old and new compositions. His 60th birthday was celebrated in grand style by the French media.

Trenet made a surprise announcement in 1975, declaring that he was retiring from the music world. At the end of his final concert at the "Olympia" he bade his audience an emotional farewell. Following the death of his mother in 1979, he shut himself away from the world for the next two years.

Later career

Nevertheless, in 1981 Trenet made a comeback with a new album, devoted to sentimental memories of his childhood. Trenet then returned to his peaceful semi-retirement in the South of France, occasionally rousing himself to give a special gala performance in France or abroad.

After giving farewell concerts in France, Trenet was persuaded out of retirement by a French Canadian lawyer, Gilbert Rozon, in 1983 for a farewell concert in Montréal. Rozon became Trenet's manager thereafter and as a result Trenet performed many more concerts including a series every night for three weeks at the Palais des congrès in Paris in 1986.

On 21 May 1999, he returned to the forefront of the music scene with a brand new album entitled Les poètes descendent dans la rue (Poets Take to the Streets). Nearly sixty years after writing his legendary classic "La Mer", Trenet proved that he was capable of coming up with fourteen inspired new tracks. Following the success of the album, Trenet returned to the live circuit. His concerts proved a huge success, fans in the audience breaking into rapturous applause.

In April 2000 old age began to catch up with Trenet, and he was rushed to hospital after suffering a stroke. The singer was forced to spend several weeks in hospital recovering, but by the autumn of that year he was well enough to attend the dress rehearsal of Charles Aznavour's show at the Palais des Congrès (on the 25 October). This was his final public appearance. Trenet died 19 February 2001.

In November 2000 the Narbonne house in which Trenet was born – which had become 13 Avenue Charles Trenet – was turned into a tiny museum. Visitors were able to view souvenirs from Trenet's childhood and family life (especially those belonging to his mother, who had spent most of her life in the house), as well as original drafts of the songs which had made his career.

References

External links

Raquel Bitton Pays tribute to Charles Trenet in her CD "I wish you love" (1994)

International Jose Guillermo Carrillo Foundation

Fond In mémory of Charles Trenet

Le portail des amis de Charles Trenet In French. Provides a complete biography and discography.

Radio France Internationale In English. Biography and discography.

Google Music: Charles Trenet

[ Charles Trenet] – on Allmusic

Category:1913 births Category:2001 deaths Category:People from Narbonne Category:French-language singers Category:French male singers Category:French singer-songwriters Category:French pop singers Category:LGBT musicians from France

ca:Charles Trenet de:Charles Trenet es:Charles Trenet eo:Charles Trenet fr:Charles Trenet ko:샤를 트레네 io:Charles Trenet id:Charles Trenet it:Charles Trenet he:שארל טרנה ms:Charles Trenet nl:Charles Trenet ja:シャルル・トレネ no:Charles Trenet nn:Charles Trenet pl:Charles Trenet pt:Charles Trenet ru:Трене, Шарль fi:Charles Trenet sv:Charles Trenet uk:Шарль Трене