Rafael Conde "El Titi"
Who is El Titi?
Rafael Conde, known artistically as “El Titi,” was born in Talavera de la Reina (Toledo) on September 10, 1938. He spent his early years between Málaga and that Castilian town before settling, in the 1960s, in Valencia, the city where he would spend the rest of his life and which eventually adopted him as one of its own.
The author of songs such as “Libérate” and “El gitano colorines,” he was a much-loved figure in the world of Valencian variety shows and cuplé, cherished by audiences for his generous artistry and his gift for connecting with people.
Career
It was in the 1960s that El Titi began making a name for himself on Valencia’s stages, winning over audiences with his performing style and stage presence. Over time he became one of the most recognizable figures of cuplé and variety entertainment in the city, to the point that Valencian cultural institutions came to regard him as a symbol of cabaret and variety shows in the Valencian Community.
His repertoire also included copla pieces such as “Noche de Fallas,” “Vida privada,” “Vicenteta” and “Añorando a la Piquer,” songs that reveal his ties to the copla tradition alongside the variety numbers that brought him his greatest popularity.
Final years and legacy
El Titi died on August 19, 2002, at the Doctor Peset Hospital in Valencia, the city where he had lived for more than four decades, from a serious heart condition complicated by bronchial and liver illness. His body lay in state at the Teatro Principal in Valencia, and after his death there were public calls for him to be named an adoptive son of the city, a recognition that reflected the affection ordinary Valencians felt for him. With his passing, Spanish copla and variety entertainment lost one of their most beloved figures.