Charo proves her
staying power

By Rita Charleston
For the Times

Charo, the highly charged entertainer known for her catch phrase "cuchi-cuchi," is performing through tomorrow at the Atlantic City Hilton.
But underneath the flamboyant, glamorous and sexily wrapped façade is a woman who claims to be very family-oriented, practical, loving and completely content with her life. And one conversation with Charo, albeit in fractured English that is sometimes difficult to understand, strongly convinces you that she indeed is telling the truth.
Born in Murcia, a small town in Spain, and possessing a name that is "so very, very long that no one has the patience to hear it all," Charo now maintains three residences: one in Hawaii, one in Beverly Hills and still another in Las Vegas, where she works quite often. Still, she insisted, she has never forgotten her Spanish roots and returns to her beloved country as often as she can.
Educated in the Sacred Heart Catholic convent, she claimed that one special nun there took a real interest in her, transforming her life.
"When I was little I used to get a piece of music, close my eyes and imagine myself either singing or dancing or playing it," Charo said. "I think you are born with that inclination, with that ability."
The nun, Charo remembered, was a very good music teacher who contacted Charo’s family and said that the little girl should develop her talent for singing and dancing. Convinced the nun was right, Charo began taking music seriously, even studying guitar with virtuoso maestros like Andres Segovia, becoming one of his serious students.
"I remember one of his classes when he taught me and other students the best way to make the guitar sing — or cry at the same time. It was the most beautiful experience I ever had," she said. "Segovia said to hold the guitar tight to your heart so you will play from your heart. And that’s what I did, and am still doing now."
Later, discovered by bandleader Xavier Cugat while doing a children’s show, the equivalent of Sesame Street on Spanish television, Charo debuted in the United States in 1968 at the old Latin Quarter with Cugat’s band.
"Then I went back to Spain for almost three years, then came back here again and started on my own," recalled Charo, whose Las Vegas marriage to Cugat lasted for 12 years.
She soon became one of the hottest acts on the Las Vegas strip. And Dance a Little Bit Closer, her breakout international hit recorded in 1978, is revered for the creation of a "bilingual salsa style."
Today, her Latin-inspired music has won numerous accolades, including the "Female Pop Album of the Year" award in 1993. The album, Guitar Passion, a flamenco-influenced recording, went platinum and she has been hailed in music polls for her style of flamenco guitar. While she continues to probably be known best as a colorful singer, dancer, comedienne and actress who fractures the English language, it is the classical guitar, she says, that remains "close to my heart."
"When I first came here, the American audience and producers weren’t ready for me. They didn’t know what to do with me. So cuchi-cuchi brought me much money," Charo said. "But now I am back to my love, my flamenco. They say I will lose money and not sell my records. And I say, well, if that happens, I can always be an English teacher!" ••
For ticket information, call 1-800-736-1420.