Biography
Peret was a Spanish singer, born in Mataró, Catalonia. In 1947 he made debut at a children’s festival at the age of 12, as half of the duo “Los Hermanos Montenegro”. He also recorded a single that year, but it went unnoticed. Just like his father, Peret continued to sing and play the guitar while working as a seller. By performing he gradually became more famous in Catalonia. In 1957 he married Fuensanta, a gypsy to whom he dedicated the song “Mi Santa”. In the 1960s Peret rose to fame in Spain. He was best known for the way he played the guitar. He used the front and back of the sound box to drum rhythmically. He also swung the neck of his guitar from left to right. His style was later called “El ventilador” (The ventilator). In addition to being a musician, Peret was also a film actor. He made his acting debut in “Los Tarantas”, a film from 1963.
In 1971, Peret’s number Borriquito was a summer hit all over Europe. In various countries, the song reached the #1 spot in the charts. Outside of Spain Peret remained a one hti wonder. In 1974 he tried to break through again at the Eurovision Song Contest in Europe, but his song “Canta y sé feliz” finished in ninth place.
The king of the rumba, as Peret was called, stopped his musical career in 1982. Only in 1991 did he record another album. In 1992, Peret was once again in the international spotlight when he was allowed to sing at the closing ceremony of the Barcelona Olympics. After that Peret only sporadically performed in public. He passed away in Barcelona at 27 august 2014.
