Azteca S.A. de C.V.

150px
Traded as	BMV: TVAZTCA
Headquarters	Mexico City
Key people	Mario San Román, (CEO)
Revenue	US$ 850.0 million (2011)
Net income	US$ 158.4 million (2011)
Employees	5.655
Parent	Grupo Salinas
Website	www.tvazteca.com/

Azteca (BMV: TVAZTCA) is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate owned by Grupo Salinas. It is the second largest mass media company in Mexico after Televisa.^[1][2] As of 2011, it competes in Mexico with Televisa. It operates two television networks, Azteca 7 and Azteca Trece in Mexico with repeaters and affiliate stations in most major and minor cities.

History[link]

Azteca was founded on July 18, 1993. When two of three networks and all repeater stations owned by Instituto Mexicano de la Televisión were auctioned off by the Mexican government. Imevisión also owned the channel 22 of the Mexican Federal District, it was not included at the privatization package by popular demand of intellectuals and was delivered to Conaculta.

On July 18, 1993, the Mexico's Finance Ministry, Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público (SHCP) announced that Radiotelevisora del Centro, a group controlled by Ricardo Salinas Pliego, was the winner of the auction process to acquire the "state-owned media package". The winning bid amounted to US$645 million. Other bidders included Grupo Cosmovision, a joint venture between different radio companies of Mexico (led by Grupo Radiorama), came in a distant second place with its US$495 million bid and Grupo Medcom, affiliated to Grupo Radio Red and controlled at the time by Clemente Serna Alvear and came in third with its US$454 million bid.

On March 7, 2011, TV Azteca changed the name to Azteca, for the subdivision simplification.^[3]

Broadcast television networks[link]

In Mexico, TV Azteca operates two networks: Azteca 7 and Azteca Trece. Both have had near-national coverage, mostly via over the air TV, cable TV, DBS, and FTA. Both networks are available in HDTV. Azteca 13 can also be seen live online via Azteca's website. Both Azteca 7 and Azteca Trece were established in 1983 as the state-owned Instituto Mexicano de la Televisión ("Imevisión"), a holding of the national TV networks Canal 13 (1968, state-owned since 1972) and Canal 7. In 1993, they were both privatized under their current name, and now it is part of Grupo Salinas. Its flagship program is the newscast Hechos. TV Azteca also operates Azteca 13 Internacional, reaching 13 countries in Central and South America. TV Azteca operates part of the Azteca América network in the United States.

Acting school[link]

The network has set up an acting school, Centro de Estudios y Formación Actoral (CEFAC). Alumni include Iliana Fox, Luis Ernesto Franco, Adriana Louvier, Fran Meric, Bárbara Mori, Laura Palma and Adrián Rubio.

Controversies[link]

Financial improprieties allegations[link]

On 5 January 2005, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) accused TV Azteca executives (including chairman Ricardo Salinas Pliego) of having personally profited from a multi-million-dollar debt fraud committed by TV Azteca and another company in which they held stock.^[4] The charges were among the first brought under the provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002,^[4] introduced in the wake of the corporate financial scandals of that year.

Legal and commercial problems with TVM[link]

TV Azteca has an unresolved ownership dispute with the original owners of Mexico City's XHTVM-TV, (flagship station of the pay TV network Proyecto 40). In 1998, TV Azteca had a commercial alliance with Javier Moreno Valle, who had serious financial problems with his channel, Televisora del Valle de México (TVM). The contract was to sell spots and advertising in TVM of TV Azteca's sponsors while TV Azteca used half of the air time with their own programming. TV Azteca invested 25 million dollars for restructuring TVM and accommodating of Azteca's Hi-TV technology (13 additional subchannels from the three Azteca operated stations in Mexico City)^[5] in TVM's installations in Cerro del Chiquihuite in Mexico City as part of the contract. TVM later stopped transmitting TV Azteca programming because the company was losing money. TV Azteca took over the station with armed security guards and later accused TVM of breaching their contract and won their case.^[6]

Federal Radio and Television Law[link]

Federal Radio and Television Law, a bill concerning the licensing and regulation of the electromagnetic spectrum. The LFRT was favourable to both TV Azteca and Televisa (who together control 95 percent of all television frequencies) because it allowed them to renew their licenses without paying for them. According to The Economist, the Ley Federal de Radio y Televisión "raced through Congress confirming the country's longstanding television duopoly" and constituted a "giveaway of radio spectrum and a provision that allows broadcasting licenses to be renewed more or less automatically".^[7]

Carriage disputes[link]

Since February 13, 2012, TV Azteca networks (Azteca 7, Azteca 13, and Proyecto 40) are being dropped by Mexican cable-TV carriers representing more than 4 million subscribers in a dispute over terms. Cableoperators claim that Azteca wants to charge a fee by packaging its over-the-air stations with cable networks, such as news and soap opera channels, which may represent a higher cost for their suscribers.^[8]

See also[link]

• Grupo Salinas
  • TV Azteca
    • Azteca 7
    • Azteca Trece
    • XHTVM-TV
    • Azteca América
  • Grupo Elektra
  • Banco Azteca
  • Seguros Azteca
  • Iusacell

References[link]

External links[link]

• TV Azteca Official website
• Sub-official blog website (in spanish)
• TV Azteca Investor Relations
• SEC accusation
• Denying of the Azteca 13 Internacional by Canadian Authorities
• SEC accuses Mexican firm of fraud (BBC)
• TV Azteca's legal accusation against Francisco Gil Díaz (PDF format)(Spanish)

v t e IPC companies of Mexico Alfa Alsea América Móvil Arca Continental ASUR Axtel Banorte Bolsa Mexicana de Valores Casas GEO Cemex Chedraui Comercial Mexicana Compartamos Banco Consorcio ARA FEMSA Genomma Lab Internacional GAP Grupo Bimbo Grupo Carso Grupo Elektra Grupo México Grupo Modelo Gruma Homex Inbursa Industrias CH ICA Kimberly-Clark de México Liverpool Mexichem Minera Frisco OHL México Peñoles Soriana Televisa TV Azteca Urbi Walmart México

Juan Ramón Francisco González (born June 24, 1987 in Bonao, Dominican Republic) is a Dominican professional baseball third baseman for the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball.

The then switch-hitting Francisco was signed as a non-drafted free agent on May 6, 2004 by Juan Peralta. He lives in Villa Altagracia, Dominican Republic.

Professional baseball[link]

Cincinnati Reds[link]

He spent his first professional season, with the Gulf Coast League Reds. He batted .280 in 182 at-bats with three home runs. He enjoyed a nine game call up at the season's end to the Billings Mustangs rookie class team, where he went 12-for-36.

Francisco spent 2007 with the single-A Dayton Dragons. He hit .268 in 534 at-bats, slugging 25 home runs and driving in 90. Juan was a Midwest League mid-season All-Star and post-season All-Star for the Dragons.

Promoted again in 2008, this time to the single-A advanced Sarasota Reds, he again spent the entire season with the same team. In 516 at-bats, he hit .277 with 23 homers and 92 RBI. Francisco earned All-Star status again, for both the mid-season and post-season in the Florida State League. In addition, he was selected to play in the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Futures Game. Francisco was named Reds' Minor League Hitter of the Year for 2008. Juan played winter ball for Gigantes del Cibao of the Dominican Winter Baseball League. In 40 games for the team, he .360 with 37 RBI, and his 12 home runs set the DWL record for regular season homers by a left-handed hitter. He continued to produce in the playoffs, hitting six more homers and 18 more RBI.^[1] His performance earned him the DWL Rookie of the Year accolade. He was added to the 40-man roster on November 20.

Originally a switch-hitter, Francisco abandoned hitting right-handed in 2009 to become a full-time lefty.

Juan began the year in double-A Carolina. He played in 109 games for the Mudcats, where he hit .281 with 22 home runs and 78 RBI in 437 at-bats. For the third year in a row he earned mid- and post-season All-Star recognition, this time in the Southern League. He was promoted to the triple-A Louisville Bats. He played in 22 games, getting 92 at-bats, and hit .359 with 5 homers and 19 RBI. Juan again earned a promotion, this time to the Cincinnati Reds.

Francisco made his debut for the Reds as part of a 3–1 win over the Houston Astros on September 14, 2009 at Great American Ball Park. Pinch hitting for left fielder Darnell McDonald in the seventh inning, Francisco faced pitcher Jeff Fulchino and struck out in his first Major League at bat.^[2] He finished his September call-up batting .429 (9-for-21) with his first career big-league homer and seven RBI.

He was again named Minor League Hitter of the Year, and Baseball America rated him the organization's best power hitter and best infield arm.

He headed back to the Gigantes for the 2009–10 DWL season. He played in 46 games this time, batting .302 with 11 doubles, 11 homers, and 42 RBI. The Gigantes were runner-ups in the playoffs, and in 22 games of post-season play he hit 3 home runs with 18 RBI. This performance earned him the title of 2009 DWL Most Valuable Player.

Francisco spent 2010 mainly with the Louisville Bats. Ironically, in his best statistical season to date, he was not named to any All-Star roster for the first time in four years. For the Bats, he played in 77 games and hit .286 in 308 at-bats, slugging 18 homers and 59 RBI in his shortened season. He spent the rest of the season with the Reds, and saw action in 36 games. He hit .273 with one homer and seven RBI in 55 at-bats.

He played winter ball with Cibao again, and continued to be one of the top players. In 39 games and 152 at-bats, he hit .322 with 8 homers and 30 RBI. They lost in the championship game again, but this time without Francisco, who fouled a pitch off his leg under his right knee on December 10 and missed the rest of the season. He was hospitalized when it became infected and inflamed and the knee had to be drained, but Walt Jocketty, Reds GM, said that it was nothing serious.^[3] Despite missing part of the season, Francisco won his second consecutive DWL MVP award. This and his other trips to the DWL playoffs, which are taken very seriously in the Dominican Republic, have given Juan post-season experience which he can bring with him to the big leagues.

Francisco made the club out of spring training in 2011 as a backup to Scott Rolen, backup left fielder, and a left handed bat off the bench. He switched his number from 64 to the more conventional number 25. On September 12, 2011, Francisco hit a home run off Chicago Cubs pitcher Rodrigo López that cleared the right field bleachers at Great American Ball Park. It was estimated to have gone 502 feet. It was the second longest homerun in Great American Ballpark history behind Adam Dunn's 535 ft home run in 2004.^[4]

Atlanta Braves[link]

On April 1, 2012, Francisco was traded to the Atlanta Braves for pitcher J. J. Hoover.^[5] Debuted at 3rd base on April 7, 2012 for the Braves against the Mets.

Scouting report[link]

Francisco plays first base and left field in addition to third base. He is known as a free swinging power hitter with a high strikeout rate. He also has a good throwing arm, as evidence by his recognitions from Baseball America in 2009.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• [1] - Juan Francisco Stats, Bio on MLB.com
• [2] - Juan Francisco Stats, Bio on MiLB.com

Medal record
Competitor for  Philippines
Men's Boxing
World Amateur Championships
Gold	Houston 1999	Light Flyweight

Brian Viloria (born November 24, 1980 in Waipahu, Hawaii) is a Filipino-American professional boxer He is the reigning WBO Flyweight champion. He also won the WBC Light Flyweight and IBF Junior Flyweight titles. His nickname "The Hawaiian Punch" was first given to to him by Jesus Salud, another former world champion in boxing.

Amateur career[link]

In 1999, he won the US championships, the national Golden Gloves and the world title as an amateur at the 1999 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Houston, Texas but lost early at the Sydney Olympics 2000 against Brahim Asloum, who he had beaten in the 1999 World Championships in Houston, Texas. His overall record was 230-8.

He went to Northern Michigan University as part of the United States Olympic Education Center. Viloria bested both Glenn Donaire in the quarter-finals, and future world champion Nonito Donaire in the semi-finals of the 2000 US Olympic Trials. Won a spot on the 2000 Olympic Team by defeating his one time Team mate, Karoz Norman.

Viloria went to the Sydney Olympics as a medal favorite, but lost to eventual gold medalist Brahim Asloum of France, 6-4. Viloria landed dozens of body punches but the judges did not award points for his blows.^[1]

Amateur Highlights[link]

• 1995 National Junior Olympics Gold Medalist at 100 lbs.
• 1996 National Junior Olympics Gold Medalist at 106 lbs.
• 1996 World Junior Olympics Gold Medalist at 106 lbs.
• 1997 National Junior Olympics Bronze Medalist at 112 lbs.
• 1998 National Amateur Championships Bronze Medalist at 106 lbs.
• 1999 National Amateur Championships Gold Medalist at 106 lbs.
• 1999 National Golden Gloves Light Flyweight Gold Medalist
• 1999 World Amateur Championships Gold Medalist
• 1999 USA Boxer of The Year
• Member of the 2000 US Olympic Team. His results were:
  • Defeated Sergey Kazakov (Russia) 8-6
  • Lost to Brahim Asloum (France) 4-6

Professional career[link]

On September 10, 2005, Viloria dropped down to light flyweight and won the WBC title by knocking out Eric Ortiz in the first round with a powerful right.

He defended it once successfully in 2006 and was undefeated in 20 bouts (1 was a no-contest). Viloria's unbeaten streak ended when Mexican Omar Niño Romero won by decision.

In a rematch held on November 18, 2006 at Las Vegas, Nevada, Romero held onto his title with a controversial majority draw decision, with Viloria knocking down Niño twice. Following the fight, Niño was stripped of his title when he failed a post fight drug test being tested positive for methamphetamines and the second match between them was declared a no-contest.

On April 14, 2007, he fought Edgar Sosa for the vacant WBC title but lost a decision. Viloria then decided to move up to the super flyweight division and began training under former champion, Roberto Garcia, at La Colonia Gym in Oxnard, California.^[2]

Brian Viloria (20-2) won a unanimous decision against Jose Garcia Bernal (26-11-1) in his debut at the super flyweight division at the Alameda Swap Meet in Los Angeles, California on January 5, 2008. Viloria knocked Bernal down in the 8th (final) round. All 3 judges scored 78-72 for Viloria.^[3] Viloria followed that win by scoring four more victories (Cesar Lopez by Unanimous Decision, Fred Heberto Valdez by a 3rd round KO, Juan Javier Lagos by Unanimous Decision, and Benjamin Garcia by 2nd round KO).

Light Flyweight[link]

On April 19, 2009, Viloria moved back down to junior flyweight to challenge Mexican Ulises "Archie" Solís for the IBF Junior Flyweight title, putting in what perhaps is the best performance of his career. Pressured by a fading career due to his past losses in big fights, Viloria defeated Solis, whom at the time of the fight was rated the #1 Jr. Flyweight by The Ring^[4] in the 11th round with a vicious right to the jaw. The official bout stoppage was a KO 2:56 into the 11th round.^[5] The fight was held at Araneta Coliseum in the Philippines, site of Thrilla in Manila, as the co-main event of the Donaire-Martinez fight. Along with the win, Viloria snapped Solis' 11-fight unbeaten streak, 8 of which were title defenses while extending his win streak to 6.

Viloria won his first defense of his IBF light flyweight title on August 29, 2009 by unanimous decision against Jesus Iribe.

For his second defense, Viloria fought Carlos Tamara of Colombia on January 23, 2010. Though leading in points, the referee called a halt to the bout in Tamara's favor as Viloria was close to passing out in the twelfth round. Thus ended Viloria's title reign. Moments following the bout, Viloria passed out due to extreme exhaustion.

Return to Flyweight[link]

In his next fight, Brian Viloria returned to the flyweight division. He fought Mexico's Omar Soto on July 10, 2010 in the Philippines, at the Yñares Sports Arena, Pasig City, Metro Manila. .^[6]

WBO World Flyweight Defenses[link]

On December 10, 2011. Brian Viloria knocked down Giovani Segura in 8th Round TKO. After his fight against Segura, He fought Omar Nino Romero on May 13, 2012 in Ynares Sports Arena, Pasig City, Philippines. In the 9th round, He caught Romero with face and body powerful punches until the referee stops the fight. He retains again his WBO Flyweight title.

Professional record[link]

31 Wins (18 Knockouts), 3 Losses, 0 Draws, 2 No Contests
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Rd., Time	Date	Location	Notes
Win	31-3-0 2 NC	Omar Niño Romero	TKO	9 (12)	2012-05-13	Yñares Sports Arena, Pasig, Metro Manila	Retained WBO World Flyweight title.
Win	30-3-0 2 NC	Giovani Segura	TKO	8 (12)	2011-12-10	Yñares Sports Arena, Pasig, Metro Manila	Retained WBO World Flyweight.
Win	29-3-0 2 NC	Julio Cesar Miranda	UD	12	2011-07-16	Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, Hawaii	Won WBO World Flyweight title.
Win	28-3-0 2 NC	Liempetch Sor Veerapol	TKO	7 (10), 2:09	2010-11-05	Yñares Sports Arena, Pasig, Metro Manila
Win	27-3-0 2 NC	Omar Soto	SD	10	2010-07-10	Yñares Sports Arena, Pasig, Metro Manila
Loss	26-3-0 2 NC	Carlos Tamara	TKO	12 (12), 1:45	2010-01-23	Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay City, Metro Manila	Lost IBF World Light Flyweight title.
Win	26-2-0 2 NC	Jesus Iribe	UD	12	2009-08-29	Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, Hawaii	Retained IBF World Light Flyweight title.
Win	25-2-0 2 NC	Ulises Solís	KO	11 (12), 2:56	2009-04-19	Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City, Metro Manila	Won IBF World Light Flyweight title.
Win	24-2-0 2 NC	Benjamin Garcia	KO	2 (10), 1:17	2008-12-12	Alameda Swap Meet, Los Angeles, Los Angeles
Win	23-2-0 2 NC	Juan Javier Lagos	UD	8	2008-09-25	Sycuan Resort & Casino, El Cajon, California
Win	22-2-0 2 NC	Fred Heberto Valdez	KO	3 (10), 2:10	2008-05-17	Plaza de Toros Monumental, Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes
Win	21-2-0 2 NC	Cesar Lopez	UD	8	2008-02-16	MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada
Win	20-2-0 2 NC	Jose Garcia Bernal	UD	8	2008-01-04	Alameda Swap Meet, Los Angeles, Los Angeles
Loss	19-2-0 2 NC	Edgar Sosa	MD	12	2007-04-14	Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas	For vacant WBC World Light Flyweight title.
NC	19-1-0 2 NC	Omar Niño Romero	ND	12	2006-11-18	Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada	For WBC World Light Flyweight title. Officially a majority decision for Romero, but Romero failed his post fight drug test.
Loss	19-1-0 1 NC	Omar Niño Romero	UD	12	2006-08-10	Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	Lost WBC World Light Flyweight title.
Win	19-0-0 1 NC	José Antonio Aguirre	UD	12	2006-02-18	The Aladdin, Las Vegas, Nevada	Retained WBC World Light Flyweight title.
Win	18-0-0 1 NC	Eric Ortiz	KO	1 (12), 2:59	2005-09-10	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California	Won WBC World Light Flyweight title.
Win	17-0-0 1 NC	Ruben Contreras	TKO	6 (8), 0:55	2005-05-28	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Win	16-0-0 1 NC	Angel Antonio Priolo	KO	7 (12), 0:54	2004-12-16	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
Win	15-0-0 1 NC	Gilberto Keb Baas	KO	11 (12), 2:42	2004-06-04	Desert Diamond Casino, Tucson, Arizona	Retained NABF Flyweight title.
Win	14-0-0 1 NC	Juan Alfonso Keb Baas	UD	12	2004-02-13	Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut	Retained NABF Flyweight title.
Win	13-0-0 1 NC	Luis Doria	TKO	1 (10), 1:14	2003-07-22	Venture Resort, Pismo Beach, California	Retained WBC Youth Flyweight title.
Win	12-0-0 1 NC	Valentin Leon	TKO	8 (10)	2003-04-15	Sheraton Waikiki Hotel, Honolulu, Hawaii
Win	11-0-0 1 NC	Alejandro Moreno	UD	12	2003-04-15	Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut	Retained NABF Flyweight title.
Win	10-0-0 1 NC	Alberto Rossel	MD	12	2002-11-24	Sports Plus Events Center, Lake Grove, New York	Retained NABF Flyweight title.
Win	9-0-0 1 NC	Juan Javier Lagos	UD	12	2002-08-30	Cipriani's Restaurant, New York, New York	Won NABF Flyweight title.
NC	8-0-0 1 NC	Alberto Rossel	UD	12	2002-08-30	Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack and Resort, Chester, West Virginia	The fight was declared a no contest due to a headbutt that opened a cut on Rossel's head before the end of round 3. The fight was originally a technical draw, but was overturned by the West Virginia Athletic Commission.
Win	8-0	Francisco Soto	TKO	5 (10), 1:18	2002-06-18	Thoroughbred Club, Del Mar, California	Won WBC Youth Flyweight title.
Win	7-0	Sandro Orlando Oviedo	KO	1 (8), 0:38	2002-05-17	Blaisdell Center Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii
Win	6-0	Leonardo Gutierrez	TKO	4 (6)	2002-03-15	Cipriani's Restaurant, New York, New York
Win	5-0	Antonio Perez	TKO	3 (6), 2:40	2002-01-05	Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, Texas
Win	4-0	Mike Thomas	UD	4	2001-11-23	Roseland Ballroom, New York, New York
Win	3-0	Sheldon Wile	TKO	1 (4)	2001-11-09	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Win	2-0	Kenny Berrios	TKO	4 (4), 1:35	2001-09-28	USF War Memorial Gym, San Francisco, California
Win	1-0	Benjamin Escobia	UD	4	2001-05-15	Convention Center, Honolulu, Hawaii	Viloria' professional debut.

Outside the ring[link]

On September 6, 2009, Viloria, who was in attendance at the World Cup of Pool, was chosen to perform the ceremonial break shot before the start of the final match. Because he never played pocket billiards before, Viloria miscued on his first attempt but finally achieved the shot on his second.^[7]

See also[link]

• List of WBC world champions
• Reigning boxing champions
• List of Filipino boxing world champions

External links[link]

• Professional boxing record for Brian Viloria from BoxRec
• 2000 Olympics team info
• Profile

References[link]

Fernando Arau began his career at the age of 5, tap dancing with his parents.^[1] In his early twenties, he hosted a kids' TV show. In 1991 he starred in Alcanzar una estrella II alongside a young Ricky Martin. In 1994, he moved to Miami, where he eventually became one of the hosts on Despierta América, along with Rafael Jose, Giselle Blondet, Ana Maria Canseco, and news anchor Neida Sandoval.^{[citation needed]} He is the son of Alfonso Arau. He became an Evangelical Christian in the early 1990s.

Achievements[link]

In 2006, the National Academy of Arts and Sciences awarded Arau an honorary Spanish Emmy Award.^[1] In June 2009, he was awarded the Esperanza Image Award at the eight annual Hispanic Prayer Breakfast and Conference in Washington D.C..^[2][3]

Filmography[link]

Films[link]

Stand-Up[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

Silver Ariel

INTE Awards[link]

• 2004 TV Host of the Year (Animador de TV del año)

And the best person.

Departure from Univision[link]

On February 2, 2010, a series of interviews with rival network Telemundo's show Al Rojo Vivo revealed that Arau was unexpectedly let go along with 300 other employees. Arau mentions the network having spoken to him about his leaving but cited other possible reasons for his removal, namely his large compensation, his failed projects with the network, and even a small mention of past issues with his religious beliefs.^[4]

Although he leaves the network mostly grateful for his twelve years of service and experience gained, he regrets the "unprofessional manner" in which he was let go. Part of his grievances include his not being allowed to say good bye to his audience. His departure was mentioned in a two minute section the Monday of the first show that aired without him. In an interview with Mexican gossip website Notimex, Arau contends that even the show's dog mascot was allowed a few minutes on air to say good bye before he was taken off the show.^[5]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Fernando Arau Official Website
• Fernando Arau at the Internet Movie Database
• Fernando Arau at AllRovi
• Fernando Arau at commedycentral.com

This Mexican biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

José Pedro Infante Cruz (November 18, 1917^[1][2] – April 15, 1957), better known as Pedro Infante, is one of the most famous actors and singers of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema and is an idol of the Latinamerican people, together with Jorge Negrete and Javier Solís, who were styled the Tres Gallos Mexicanos (the Three Mexican Roosters). Infante was born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico. He was raised in Guamúchil. He died on April 15, 1957, in Mérida, Yucatán, in a plane crash during a flight that he was piloting himself en route to Mexico City.

His film career began in 1939 with him appearing in more than 60 films, and starting in 1943, he recorded about 350 songs. For his performance in the movie Tizoc, he was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 7th Berlin International Film Festival.^[3]

Childhood and early career[link]

Son of Delfino Infante García, who played the double bass in a band, and Refugio Cruz Aranda, he was the third of fifteen children, of which nine survived. Although the Infante Cruz family stayed for some time at Mazatlán, in the early 1919 they moved to Guamuchil. Later in 1920, they moved to Rosario, Sinaloa.

From teenager, Infante showed talent and affection for music. He managed to learn strings, wind, and percussion instruments in a short time. He was a guitar student of Carlos R. Hubbard.

His wife María Luisa León, who was somewhat well-off economically, convinced him of the need to move to Mexico City where they would find opportunities for this talented young man.

In Mexico City, he sang the songs of composers including Alberto Cervantes (Alberto Raúl Cervantes González [1]), José Alfredo Jiménez, Cuco Sánchez, Tomás Méndez, Rubén Fuentes, Salvador Flores Rivera (Chava Flores) and others. His first musical recording El Soldado Raso (The Soldier) was made on November 19, 1943, for the Peerless Records Company. Infante first appeared as an extra in the movie En un Burro Tres Baturros (Three Men from Aragon on a Donkey), literally translated as "On a Donkey, Three Baturros'"'. His career as an actor in leading roles started with La Feria de Las Flores (The Fair of Flowers), literally translated as "The Flower Carnival" in 1943. In that same year, a friend and neighbor of Infantes' wife, Carmen Barajas Sandoval, offered to introduce them to Jorge Negrete, a singer whom he admired. Barajas, who knew people in the business as she was the aunt of the child actress Angélica María, worked then at The Sindicat Of Workers of the Movies Production, S.T.P.C. (Workers of the Cinematographic Production Union). She succeeded in convincing Negrete to recommend Infante to the producer Ismael Rodríguez, and others. As a result, he was invited to appear in different pictures, such as Vuelve el Ametralladora (The Machine Gun Returns)

While married to María Luisa León, he met the dancer Lupita Torrentera, with whom he had three children, Graciela Margarita (b. 1947), Pedro Infante Jr. (March 31, 1950 - April 1, 2009) and Guadalupe Infante Torrentera (b. 1951), solidifying his reputation as a ladies' man. Irma Infante was born from his relationship with the young actress Irma Dorantes, whom he met when she was only 16 years of age. Irma Infante has had a career as an actress and a singer.

Actor[link]

His natural talent for acting was made evident in such pictures as:

• Tizoc, along with María Félix, which gained him the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the 7th Berlin International Film Festival.^[3]

• The massive migration from the countryside to the cities (mostly to Mexico City) during the 1940s fed the required labor force for rising manufacturing industries. This urbanization created the "working neighborhoods" and the culture of "la vecindad" (group of small apartments around a common patio), and found in Pedro Infante an identifiable icon for these, the new urban working class, with his character Pepe el Toro (Pepe the Bull) in the melodramatic trilogy made up of Nosotros los pobres, Ustedes los ricos, and Pepe el Toro (We the Poor, You the Rich, and Pepe the Bull), costarring with Evita Muñoz "Chachita".

• He worked with Sara García ("Mexico's grandmother") in many movies for Mexican cinema. Sara Garcia frequently played the role of his loving but "no nonsense" grandmother in their movies together, in which she constantly tried to get him to behave, but never succeeded.

• If that same urbanizing population had the nostalgia for the rural life, and with it the popularity of ranchera music and the idealized charro, it was not until he played the poor carpenter with a strong chilango (Mexico City) accent that Pedro Infante achieved a status, at least in Mexico, at the same level of celebrity such as Cantinflas, the Soler Brothers and even Jorge Negrete and María Félix. Despite that, he kept on playing the role of the charro and even the northern Mexican rancher (perhaps his most authentic character) in Ahí viene Martín Corona (Here comes Martín Corona) in 1951 and Los Hijos de María Morales (The Sons of María Morales) in 1952. When Jorge Negrete died in 1953, Pedro was no longer in the shadow of the international idol, even though Pedro was very affected by the disappearance of his idol. During his burial service some saw him slightly inebriated, a rare sight given that Infante was not a drinker.

• The Mexican child star María Eugenia Llamas, who was only four at the time, made her screen debut with him in the 1948 movie classic, "Los Tres Huastecos" ("The Three Men from Hausteca") as "La Tucita", a screen name she has used ever since.^[4] She played with him again under the sceen name La Tucita in his classic 1949 film comedy, "Dicen que Soy un Mujeriego" ("They Say I am a Womanizer").

• One of his better roles was that of Juventino Rosas in the movie "Sobre las Olas" ("Over the Waves"), based on the life of the Mexican waltz composer. Infante's natural musical abilities contributed to helping him to get into character.

• An important point in his career as an actor was winning the Ariel Award given by the Mexican Academy of Arts and Cinematographic Sciences for Best Actor for his role in La Vida No Vale Nada (Life is Worth Nothing, a line from the song Camino de Guanajuato).

Musical interpretations[link]

Waltzes, cha-cha-chas, rancheras and boleros placed him among the most popular singers of the mariachi and ranchera music.

Some of his most popular songs include: Amorcito Corazón (approximately My Little Love and Heart), Te Quiero Así (I Love You Like This), La Que Se Fue (She Who Left), Corazón (Heart), El Durazno (The Peach), Dulce Patria (Sweet Fatherland), Maldita Sea Mi Suerte (Cursed Be My Luck), Así Es La vida (Life Is Like This), Mañana Rosalía (Tomorrow Rosalía), Mi Cariñito (My Little Darling), Dicen Que Soy Mujeriego (They Say I Am A Womanizer), Carta a Eufemia (Letter to Eufemia), Nocturnal, Cien Años (Hundred Years), Flor Sin Retoño (Flower Without Sprout), Pénjamo, and ¿Qué Te Ha Dado Esa Mujer? (What Has That Woman Given You?). He sang "Mi Cariñito" to his frequent on screen grandmother, Sara Garcia, so many times in so many of their movies together, that it was played at her funeral.^[5]

The world famous song Bésame Mucho ("Kiss Me a Lot", or more loosely translated to get its elusive Spanish meaning closer to its English meaning, "Give Me a Lot of Kisses"), from the composer Consuelo Velázquez, was the only melody that he recorded in English and he interpreted it in the movie A Toda Máquina (ATM) (At Full Speed), with Luis Aguilar.

"Amorcito Corazón", by Manuel Esperón is one of Infante's most famous interpretations.

Infante was very often accompanied by the great musical ensembles of the time like the Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán, Noé Fajardo's Orchestra, the Trío Calaveras and Antonio Bribiesca, among others.

By then, Pedro Infante had already created his characteristic mariachi shout

Death and homages[link]

Infante was a fanatic of aviation, a hobby that would lead to his death. According to Wilbert Alonzo-Cabrera, his biographer, the actor was piloting a Consolidated Aircraft X B-24-D (a variant of the B-24 Liberator), which had been converted from heavy bomber war airplane to air cargo in San Diego, California. The plane crashed 5 minutes after taking off from Mérida, Yucatán, in southeast Mexico.

The death of Pedro Infante on the morning of April 15, 1957, was announced by radio personality Humberto Rodríguez, of radio station XEMH of Mérida, after one of the firefighters discovered the bracelet engraved with the name "Pedro Infante", plus the winged insignia that symbolized his aviator license. This was around 8:15 am; at 11:12 am, Manuel Bernal, of Mexico City radio station XEW, gave the news saying: "this Monday, April 15, 1957, Pedro, our beloved Pedro...this has been confirmed, has died in a tragic accident in Mérida, Yucatán".

Year after year Pedro Infante attracts a great number of fans of every age to his shrine in the Panteón Jardín of Mexico City, as well as one at 54th through 87th streets in the center of Mérida. Pedro Infante died amongst friends: mechanic Marciano Bautista, and copilot Manuel Vidal. Many friends, family and fans still dress up as the characters that he played in film: Pedro Chávez, Pepe el Toro, Tizoc and a number of people incarnated from the Mexican culture that Infante symbolized. His fans honor him every year with a mass, honor guards, music and the songs made famous by the Idol of Guamúchil. Until now they have all been spontaneous, without any official authority or institution organizing them.^[6]

Four statues have been erected in his honor. The one in Mexico City was made out of thousands of bronze keys donated by his fans to a Mexico City TV station after a request by TV director Raúl Velasco. For the statue in Mérida another TV presenter (Manuel Pelayo) made a request and received keys. The third statue is in his birthplace, Mazatlán, Sinaloa. At the Paseo de Olas Altas at Mazatlán there is a statue of Pedro Infante on a motorcycle, in honor of his role in the movie A Toda Máquina ("ATM") with Luis Aguilar and "¿Qué te ha dado esa mujer?" also with Luis Aguilar, Rosita Arenas and Carmen Montejo. The fourth statue is in the town square of Guamúchil, his adopted home town.

The social phenomenon of Pedro Infante[link]

The Mexican idol died intestate. [2] Because of this, the main beneficiaries of his legacy have been the producers of the extremely successful movies in which he starred, as well as the "Peerless" music company [3] (now associated with Warner Music), and thanks to the large income his pictures and songs still generate, they are the ones who have contributed greatly to promoting and updating him.

He represented not only the fun-loving and partying charro, but also the urban hero of the working class, and it was this character that won him the love and admiration of the public in Mexico and other countries, such as Venezuela and Guatemala.^[7]

According to producer Jorge Madrid y Campos, who was also his legal representative, Pedro Infante's fame has increased greatly since his death. The presence of so many admirers at his shrine on the anniversary of his death is remarkable, as are the musical tributes from singers of the ranchera and mariachi genres that pay homage to him. As Mexican American author, Denise Chavez, in her book "Loving Pedro Infante" put it humorously, "If you're a [Mexican], and don't know who he is, you should be tied to a hot stove with a yucca rope and beaten with sharp dry corn husks as you stand in a vat of soggy fideos. If your racial and cultural background ethncity is Other, then it's about time you learned about the most famous of Mexican singers and actors."^[8]

Some fanatics even speculated that his death was faked.^[9] They believed in the possibility that he was living "in hiding" somewhere; there have also been cases, reported in the Mexican press, of people who claim to be Infante. These cases are similar, in a sense, to other famous deceased celebrities, such as Elvis Presley, Anastasia, 2pac, or Jim Morrison,with people claiming to be these individuals.

Filmography[link]

• El Organillero (The Organ Grinder) (1939)
• En Un Burro Tres Baturros (Three Men of Aragon on a Donkey) (1939)
• Puedes Irte De Mí (You Can Leave Me) (1940)
• Jesusita En Chihuahua (Jesusita in Chihuahua) (1942)
• La Razón De La Culpa (The Reason Of The Blame) (1942)
• La Feria De Las Flores (The Fair of Flowers) (1942)
• Arriba Las Mujeres (Up With The Women) (1943)
• Cuando Habla El Corazón (When The Heart Speaks) (1943)
• ¡Viva Mi Desgracia! (Long Live My Bad Luck!) (1943)
• Mexicanos al grito de guerra (Mexicans at the Cry of War) (1943)
• Escándalo De Estrellas (The Stars' Scandal) (1944)
• Cuando Lloran Los Valientes (When The Brave Weep) (1945)
• Si Me Han De Matar Mañana (If They Should Kill Me Tomorrow) (1946)
• Los Tres García (The Three Garcías) (1946)
• Vuelven Los García (The Garcías Return) (1946)
• Soy Charro De Rancho Grande (I Am a Charro Of Rancho Grande) (1947)
• Nosotros los pobres (We The Poor) (1947)
• La Barca De Oro (The Golden Boat) (1947)
• Cartas Marcadas (Marked Cards) (1947)
• Ustedes los ricos (You The Rich) (1948)
• Dicen Que Soy Mujeriego (They Say I'm A Womanizer) (1948)
• Los Tres Huastecos (The Three Huastecos) (1948)
• Angelitos Negros (Little Black Angels) (1948)
• No Desearás La Mujer De Tu Hijo (You Shall Not Covet Thy Son's Wife) (1949)
• La Oveja Negra (The Black Sheep) (1949)
• La Mujer Que Yo Perdí (The Woman That I Lost) (1949)
• El Seminarista (The Seminarian) (1949)
• Sobre Las Olas (Over The Waves) (1950)
• El Gavilán Pollero (The Chickenhawk) (1950)
• Las Mujeres De Mi General (My General's Women) (1950)
• También De Dolor Se Canta (Singing Also From Pain) (1950)
• Islas Marías (1950)
• A.T.M. A Toda Máquina! (At Full Speed) (1951)
• ¡¿Qué Te Ha Dado Esa Mujer?! (What Has That Woman Given You?) (1951)
• Ahí Viene Martín Corona (There Comes Martín Corona) (1951)
• Necesito Dinero (I Need Money) (1951)
• El Enamorado (The Lover) (1951)
• Un Rincón Cerca Del Cielo (A Place Near Heaven) (1952)
• Ahora Soy Rico (Now I Am Rich) (1952)
• Dos Tipos De Cuidado (Two Guys To Be Afraid Of) (1952)
• Por Ellas Aunque Mal Paguen (For Them Although They Pay Badly) (1952)
• Ansiedad (Anxiety) (1952)
• Sí, Mi Vida (Yes, My Dear) (1952)
• Había Una Vez Un Marido (There Once Was A Husband) (1952)
• Pepe el Toro (Pepe The Bull) (1952)
• Los Hijos De María Morales (The Sons Of María Morales) (1952)
• Gitana Tenías Que Ser (You Had To Be Gypsy) (1953)
• Reportaje (News Article) (1953)
• Cuidado Con El Amor (Beware With Love) (1954)
• Los Gavilanes (The Sparrowhawks) (1954)
• Pueblo, Canto Y Esperanza (People, Song And Hope) (1954)
• La Vida No Vale Nada (Life's Worth Nothing) (1954)
• Escuela De Vagabundos (School Of Vagabonds) (1954)
• El Mil Amores (The Thousands Lover) (1954)
• Escuela De Música (School Of Music) (1955)
• La Tercera Palabra (The Third Word) (1955)
• El Inocente (The Innocent) (1956)
• Pablo Y Carolina (Pablo And Carolina) (1956)
• Tizoc (1957)
• Escuela De Rateros (School Of Thieves) (1957)

References[link]

External links[link]

English

• Pedro Infante at the Internet Movie Database

Spanish

• Pedro Infante at ILCE
• Biography of Pedro Infante at Univisión