Lucho Gatica

Luis Enrique Gatica Silva, better known as Lucho Gatica (born August 11, 1928), is a Chilean bolero singer, film actor, and television host. It is estimated that Gatica has released more than 90 recordings. He has toured a vast portion of the world, having performed in concerts in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He is the uncle of the record producer Humberto Gatica.

Luis Gatica Silva was born in Rancagua. He attended school at Instituto O'Higgins. He and his brother Arturo were struggling singers before they released their first album, in 1949, when Gatica was 21 years old.

Chileans generally experienced a change in their taste in music during the 1950s, when bolero music overtook tango as Chileans' preferred music genre for some time. Singers like Cuba's Olga Guillot, and Argentinian Leo Marini and Mexican Elvira Ríos, among others, were very popular during that time. So were Xavier Cugat and his orchestra, which included Puerto Rican Bobby Capó. These singers would influence Gatica.

Gatica's first record, 1951's Me Importas Tú (You Matter to Me) became a mega hit across Latin America, opening many doors for Gatica. He followed that with 1952's Contigo en la Distancia (With You in the Distance). Gatica recorded his version of Consuelo Velázquez's Bésame Mucho (Kiss Me a Lot) in 1953, a year in which he produced two more albums, Las Muchachas de la Plaza España (The Girls from Spain Square) and Sinceridad (Sincerity). The following year his hit "Sinceridad" was released.

By 1957, Gatica moved to Mexico, a country that would be of great importance in his life. In Mexico, he released No me Platiques Más (Don't Talk to me Anymore), Tú me Acostumbraste (You Accustomed Me) and Voy a Apagar la Luz (I'm Turning the Lights Off), which was released in 1959.

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