Paco de la Huerta
Who is Paco de la Huerta?
Francisco Antonio Ruiz Fuentes, known as Paco de la Huerta, was born on June 13, 1936, in Río Martín, near Tetouan (Morocco), a town known today as Martil. He was the son of the farmer Francisco Ruiz Valero, and the very nickname by which he was known among friends, “el de la Huerta” (“the one from the orchard”), points precisely to that rural family origin. He completed primary schooling at the Colegio Asín Palacios in Río Martín and later finished secondary studies with private tutors.
His brother, José María Ruiz Fuentes, shared much of his youth with him, including the family’s move to Spain once they were adults.
Career
Before taking up anything else, he did his military service in Tetouan, in the Regulares Número Uno regiment, under the command of Captain Valiño. In October 1959 he moved to Madrid together with his brother José María, and in 1965 he married Eusebia, with whom he had a daughter, Isabelita. He later lived in Talavera de la Reina (Toledo) and then in Barcelona, until a company transfer finally took him to France, where he spent his final years.
Practically self-taught, with no documented teachers, he sang among friends and never devoted himself professionally to flamenco, even though those who heard him agree that he mastered his styles with unusual perfection. He never sought the applause of the public and never performed at any public event, and his talent remained confined to his closest circle.
Palos and discography
He is credited with the composition “Mi Marruecos Querido,” with lyrics by José María Ruiz Fuentes, dedicated to the land of his birth. Years after his death, the cantaor Juan Manuel Real recorded “Milongas con Fandangos” in his honor, precisely the styles — milonga and fandango — in which he was said to achieve a particularly perfect interpretation. He left, however, no commercial recording of his own.
Legacy
He died in France on March 20, 1969, at the age of 32, from anemia, having never achieved public recognition in his lifetime. His is the story of a talent who stayed away from the stage by his own choice, known only to those fortunate enough to hear him in private, and rescued from oblivion thanks to the recorded tribute Juan Manuel Real dedicated to him.