The Manolete Book

Manolete, by Dale Pierce, takes a rare and unique look into the life and death of this celebrated matador. Aside from the obligatory chapter on his final corrida in Linares, there are several other segments as well that are unique.

One chapter deals with what other people who knew or came on the scene later and knew only of Manolete is included.

Another chapter deals with the darker side of Manolete and some of his flaws, including his drinking, the horn shaving scandals and his misuse of power to keep potential rivals down. Most curiously, his fear of dentists is noted. When in Mexico, a dentist/aficionado offered to repair a painfully decayed tooth for free, but the torero refused.

Luis Miguel Dominguin is examined very carefully and it is considered whether or not he received a fair shake in history, while being blamed in lore as the culprit who pushed Manolete to his death,

There is also a chapter on the Manolete movie that came out a few years back.

The book is available on book and e book at Lulu.Orders at http://www.lulu.com/content/6804368

San Isidro 2014

Cartels have been announced for Madrid's San Isidro fair for 2014.

Juan Jose Padilla, the one-eyed superman of the bullring, will be one of the most emphasized of performers this month long set of bullfights.

David Galan will also be included, as a rising star of the arena.

Other toreros  include Rafaelillo, El Juli, Castella, Victor Puerto and many more.

Mexicans, Joselito Adame and Diego Silveti will likewise be included. Both established themselves previously in Las Ventas.

Old favorites, Uceda Leal and Enrique Ponce will also be on hand.

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Tales From The Bullring

Tales From The Bullring is available at http://www.lulu.com/content/5828139    now. It is a huge book of over 400 pages in the style of Cossio. An economical e book version is also available.

Topics and corrida results from the past include Reynosa, Nogales, Mexicali, Madrid, San Luis Rio Colorado, and other places  Toreros featured include Manolo Martinez, Manolo Moreno, Gaston Santos, Fernando Dos Santos, Manolo Arruza, Manolo Urena, Antonio Urrutia, Curro Rivera, El Gallo, Manuel Granero, Fundi, Fandi, Julio Aparicio, Marcial Lalanda, Manolete, Cordobes, Glison, Juan Belmonte, Paco Pallares, Arturo Ruiz Loredo, Vitor Carresqueira, Ricardo Chibanga, Hugo Galindo, Dennis Borba, Gitanillo de Triana, Fabian Barba, Luis Miguel Dominguin, Eloy Cavazos, Alfredo Leal, Mayito, Leonardo Manzano,  Mauro Liceaga, Cagancho, Nicanor Villalta, Carlos Arruza, Luis Procuna, Calesero, Chilolin, Mariano Ramos, David Renk,  Finito and many more.....

Nacho's Rise

When  the Manolete movie came to dvd and was first seen in the USA as The Matador's Mistress, I was excited. After I saw this film, I was rolling my eyes at the countless mistakes made in the film.  Now I know the movie worlds embellishes quite a bit when it comes to real-life people, but I expected something a little more accurate.

This movie, however, sold me on one actor I had not heard of named Nacho Aldeguer, Since this time, I have noted his rise in popularity in his native Spain and am glad to see it. He has been involved in both music and a number of other movies since the Manolete project.

When I first saw him as Luis Miguel Dominguin I was counting this up to bad casting thinking of how he was much too short to be the cocky matador. After all, if I recall properly, Dominguin was  taller than me, which would have pout him at really close to six feet in height.

Then Nacho smirked on camera as he mad the paseo in what was supposed to be the fatal day where Manolete was gored to death.

The mannerisms were perfect.

The real Dominguin had a particular arrogance about him that for all practical purposes was impossible to duplicate.

Yet Aldeguer did so.

Hi performance was one of the redemptive parts of the movie.

Since then, he has continued to rise in popularity with the Spanish audience.

But no more bullfight films as of this date.

Hey, if anyone wishes to make my bullfight/horror film Toqueme la Cancion de la Muerte to film form the book, as the late Armando de Ossorio wished before he died, Nacho would make a great Jaime Sublaran.

Silveti In Spain

Diego Silveti is confirmed for the San Isidro  Fair and the April Fair in Sevilla this season.

Bulls To A Mexican Pueblo

Bullfights return to Tequisquiauan, Queretaro on March 28 in an elaborate corrida featuring Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza, the most famous rejoneador in the world today. Alternates on foot are Fermin Spinola and Amaya.

Zotoluco In Spain

The Mexican bullfighting sensation and veteran torero, Zotoluco,  is in Spain in preparation for the 2014 temporada. He has been training and having practice  on several ranches at the moment

Happy Birthday To Ricardo Santana

Happy birthday to one of  the noted Colombian banderilleros, Ricardo Santana, who turns 38 today.

Another Triumphant Autlan Corrida

Another triumphant corrida took place  in Autlan with an interesting cartel and each torero maintaining a certain degree of success.

Famed rejoneador Pablo Hermoso de Mendoza was cheered, but did not have luck. He was applauded.

Zotoluco, for his age, turned in two incredible performances, proving again that he is one of Mexico;s top veteran toreros.

Fernando ochre proved the surprise of the day, with a two ear award winning performance that was one of the man's best  in  several seasons.

Fermin "Armillita III" who is  the newest of a long bloodline of toreros, also cut a pair of ears.

Triumphant Corrida in Autlan

 During the first corrida of the Carnival in Autlan, Diego Silveti emerged as triunfador again and left on the shoulders of the crowd, proving he is an upcoming figura and also ready, as noted in a past blog, ready to return to Spain.

El Payo also triumphed in this corrida.

Payo and Silveti both cut an ear for their labors, showing great skill in both cases with the muleta.

Joselito Adame had an uncharacteristic difficult afternoon, marred by problems with the sword that are generally unusual for him

The rejoneador, Garnero, received a vuelta. .

Remembering Mario Coehlo

Mario Coelho now lives in retirement in his native Portugal, while his son has followed him into the bullring. The father, however, rests on the fact that if not one of his country's greatest toreros overall, he would undoubtedly go to the books as one of the most spectacular banderilleros of all time. His work with the sticks in the past could compare easily to those of Fandi or any other contemporary torero.

Coelho was born in 1937 in Villafranca de Xira in Portugal and makes his home there to this day.

Though seen regularly in both Spain and Portugal, one of his biggest triumphs came in the broider town of Nogales, Mexico in 1977,  when alternating with Gaston Santos and bulls from this rejoneador's ranch.

With his first bull, Coelho stunned the crowd, though while placing a set of banderillas el quiebro, his white and gold suit of lights was badly torn by the horn. With tape holding his pants together, he returned to the bull, gave a solid faena and cut an ear.

It was with his second bull that he really came alive. After solid veronicas, he again placed three spectacular sets of banderillas and gave what may have been the greatest faena of his career, climaxed when he tossed the muleta away and knelt with his back to the animal, showing open defiance. A tremendous swordthrust dropped the bull in seconds and he cut a tail. He also left on the shoulders of the crowd.

Also at certain points in his career, Coelho made it to California to appear in a set of uncanny bloodless bullfights where the animals were not killed, did not face the picador and the banderillas were tipped with Velcro rather than points.

The oles and cheers might have faded away, but the memories still remain.

Plus on occasion he will  still cape a small bull or calf on a ranch if the mood fits him

Mario Coelho was and always will be a grand torero.

Antonio Prates Continues To Triumph

Childhood and teenage bullfighters are nothing new on foot or on horseback. Cavazos, Francisco Fonton, the Ruiz Loredo family, Cavazos, Armillita, Dominguin, the Bienvenidas, Manolo Mejia....the list goes on and on.

After a spectacular season in Portugal last year, the teen hearth-throb Antonio prates, looks for yet another successful run in the Portuguese plazas this year.

The young rejoneador continues to improve more and more. By the time he reaches maturity, he may well become one of the finest bullfighters on horseback in the world.

Keep an eye on this kid.