Nino Bravo
Who is Nino Bravo?
Luis Manuel Ferri Llopis, known artistically as Nino Bravo, was born on August 3, 1944, in the Valencian town of Aielo de Malferit, and died on April 16, 1973, in a car accident near Villarrubio (Cuenca), at just 28 years old. His family moved to Valencia while he was still very young, and as a teenager he began working as an apprentice jeweller and diamond polisher at Casa Amat, while cultivating his true passion in his free time: music, singing in neighbourhood folk groups with friends such as Vicente López, who would go on to become his band’s bassist.
Career
His first bands were Los Hispánicos and, later, Los Supersónicos, with whom he performed during summers in Benidorm before having to pause his music career for compulsory military service in the Navy, in Cartagena. Back in Valencia, a local media director gave him the stage name Nino Bravo, under which he signed with the Fonogram label after being turned down by RCA. His first single, released in 1969, barely sold, but in 1970 came the turning point with “Te quiero, te quiero,” written by Augusto Algueró, which became a massive hit and launched him to fame in Spain and Latin America.
From there he released a string of albums and toured Europe and the Americas: in 1972 he put out “Un beso y una flor” and “Mi tierra,” which established him as one of the most popular voices of the moment, both in Spain and across much of South America. On April 16, 1973, while travelling from Valencia to Madrid for professional reasons, he died in a road accident near Villarrubio. A few months later his second daughter, Eva María, was born; she never got to know him.
Notable discography
Among his best-remembered songs are “Te quiero, te quiero,” “Un beso y una flor,” “Libre” and, above all, “América, América,” included on the posthumous album ”…Y volveré,” which became a true anthem for his fans on both sides of the Atlantic. In 1995, an album of virtual duets released for the anniversary of his birth revived his popularity and sold over a million copies.
Legacy
Despite a career of barely five years, Nino Bravo left a legacy of songs that continue to be played and to move listeners decades later. In his honour, a museum was created in his hometown of Aielo de Malferit, along with several monuments, including one at the site of the accident, and his name remains synonymous with one of the most powerful and beloved voices of 20th-century Spanish music.