Leonardo Favio was a multifaceted artist who excelled as a singer, actor, and filmmaker. He was one of Argentina’s most influential cultural figures, as well as a popular singer-songwriter throughout Latin America. He died on November 5, 2012, at the age of 74, after suffering from chronic illnesses. In this article, we will explore his life, his works, and his impact on the world of art and music.
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Early Life and Career
Leonardo Favio was born as Fuad Jorge Jury on May 28, 1938, in Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina. He was the son of Syrian-Lebanese immigrants Jorge Jury Atrach and Laura Favio. He had a brother, Jorge Zuhair Jury, who also became a writer and director. He grew up in a poor family and faced many hardships in his childhood. He dropped out of school at the age of 13 and worked as a shoeshine boy, a newspaper vendor, and a street performer.
He developed a passion for cinema and music at an early age. He started acting in radio plays and later in films. He made his film debut in 1958 with the movie El Secuestrador (The Kidnapper). He also began singing in nightclubs and recording songs. He adopted the stage name Leonardo Favio, inspired by his mother’s surname and the Italian actor Leonardo Cortese.
He rose to fame as a singer in the 1960s and 1970s, with hits like Ella ya me olvidó (She Already Forgot Me), Fuiste mía un verano (You Were Mine One Summer), O quizás simplemente le regale una rosa (Or Perhaps I’ll Just Give Her A Rose), Ding Dong, son las cosas del amor (Ding Dong, These Are The Things Of Love), Quiero aprender de memoria (I Want To Learn By Heart), and La cita (The Date). His romantic ballads captivated millions of fans across Latin America and beyond. He was known as El Juglar de América (The Troubadour of the Americas) and La voz del pueblo (The Voice of the People).
Film Director and Exile
While he was enjoying his success as a singer, Favio also pursued his dream of becoming a film director. He made his directorial debut in 1965 with Crónica de un niño solo (Chronicle of a Boy Alone), a poignant drama about a young orphan who escapes from a reformatory. The film won several awards and was praised by critics as one of the best Argentine films of all time.
He continued to make acclaimed films such as El romance del Aniceto y la Francisca (The Romance of Aniceto and Francisca) in 1967, El dependiente (The Clerk) in 1969, Juan Moreira (Juan Moreira) in 1973, and Nazareno Cruz y el lobo (Nazareno Cruz and the Wolf) in 1975. His films were characterized by their realism, humanism, social criticism, and poetic style. He also starred in some of his films as well as in other directors’ works.
Favio was also a passionate follower of Argentina’s former leader Juan Domingo Perón. He supported the Peronist movement and its ideals of social justice and national sovereignty. However, this put him in danger when the military staged a coup in 1976 and established a brutal dictatorship that persecuted and killed thousands of dissidents. Favio had to go into exile to save his life from the state-sponsored terrorism. He lived abroad for 11 years, mostly in Colombia and Venezuela.
Return to Argentina and Later Years
Favio returned to Argentina after democracy was restored in 1983. He resumed his artistic career with renewed vigor. He made two documentaries about Perón: Perón: Sinfonía del sentimiento (Perón: Symphony of Feeling) in 1999 and Perón: La revolución justicialista (Perón: The Justicialist Revolution) in 2002. He also made two biopics about famous Argentine figures: Gatica, el mono (Gatica, the Monkey) in 1993, about the boxer José María Gatica; and Aniceto (Aniceto) in 2008, about the dancer Aniceto Arce.
Favio received many honors and awards for his achievements as a filmmaker and singer. He was appointed Argentina’s Ambassador of Culture by President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner in 2010. He also received tributes from other countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Spain, Italy, France, and Russia.
Favio died on November 5, 2012, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after suffering from chronic illnesses. He had been diagnosed with polyneuritis, a nerve disorder that affected his mobility, and also contracted pneumonia and hepatitis. He was buried in the Chacarita Cemetery, where thousands of fans and admirers paid their respects.
Legacy and Influence
Leonardo Favio left behind a legacy of art and music that transcended borders and generations. He was one of the most influential and beloved artists in Argentina and Latin America. His songs and films touched the hearts and minds of millions of people with their beauty, emotion, and message. He was also a voice of the people, a defender of their rights and dignity, and a promoter of their culture and identity.
His works have been recognized and praised by other artists and critics from different fields and countries. Some of his admirers include Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Vargas Llosa, Federico Fellini, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, Pedro Almodóvar, Luis Miguel, Ricardo Montaner, Juanes, Shakira, Alejandro Sanz, Ricardo Arjona, and many others.
He has also inspired many young artists who have followed his footsteps and continued his legacy. Some of them include Juan José Campanella, Pablo Trapero, Damián Szifron, Ricardo Darín, Natalia Oreiro, Diego Torres, Axel, Abel Pintos, Luciano Pereyra, Soledad Pastorutti, and many others.
Leonardo Favio was a legend who left an indelible mark on the world of art and music. He was a man who lived with passion, creativity, and courage. He was a man who loved his country and his people. He was a man who made history. He was Leonardo Favio.
