Biography
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Years Active
1944 – present (80 years)
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Members
- Alfredo Gil (1944 – 1981)
- Chucho Navarro (1944 – 1993)
- Hernando Avilés (1944 – 1958)
- Johnny Albino (1958 – 1968)
Los Panchos were first formed in 1944 in New York City by Alfredo Gil (Mexican), Chucho Navarro (Mexican) and Hernando Aviles (from Puerto Rico). Each member of Los Panchos played a guitar and sang with unequalled harmony. Los Panchos reached fame internationally with their romantic songs, especially in Latin America, where they are still regarded as one of the top trios of all time.
Between 1946 to 1948, Los Panchos performed in the United States, including a performance at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. They became very popular within New York's Puerto Rican and Dominican communities. Los Panchos first began touring internationally in 1946, starting with tours in Venezuela and Puerto Rico. In 1948, they toured across Brazil for several months. Later that year, Los Panchos moved to Mexico, which was considered the capital of Latin music at the time. They were welcomed with open arms and XEW-AM, the most popular radio station in Mexico City, reserved a time slot for their music. In 1951, Los Panchos launched another international tour across Latin America.
Julito Rodriguez joined the group in 1952; he was replaced by Johnny Albino in 1958. They most famously worked with singer Eydie Gorme on a series of bestselling albums in the 1960's. The Albino era was one of the most prosperous ones for Los Panchos, as Albino proved to be a very popular singer among Los Panchos fans for ten years. His departure in 1968 was a tumultuous one, as he did not leave on good terms with the group's management. Alfredo Gil played with Los Panchos until his retirement in 1981 and Chucho Navarro played with the group until his death in 1993.
Trio Los Panchos is currently under the musical direction of Gabriel Vargas Aguilar, the adopted son of co-founder Gil. The new Los Panchos, now based in Veracruz, Mexico, still continue to perform concerts across Mexico, Puerto Rico, the United States and Latin America, with a newer cast of singers
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