Vicente Fernández, symbol of Mexican ranchera music, dies at age 81

MEXICO CITY — Vicente Fernández, the beloved Mexican singer who became the symbol of Mexican ranchera music to the world, died Sunday. He was 81.

“It was an honor and a great pride to share with everyone a great musical career and give everything for the audience,” Fernández’s family said on his official Instagram account, confirming his passing after months of illness. “Thank you for continuing to applaud, thank you for continuing to sing.”

Fernández, known also by his nickname ″Chente,″ died at 6:15 a.m. in a hospital in Jalisco state, his family said. He had been hospitalized since August after suffering a serious fall.

“Vicente was the last giant interpreter of Mexican music, and now he’s gone,” said Martín Urrieta, author of “Mujeres Divinas” and “Acá entre nos”, two of Chente’s most popular songs.

Fernández’s booming voice captivated Mexicans on both sides of the border, making fans of blue- and white-collar workers alike, coming from rural and big cities and from several generations.

“More than any other artist, Vicente Fernández kept millions of Mexican immigrants tethered to home,” said Cecilia Ballí, a cultural anthropologist and Visiting Scholar at the University of Houston’s Center for Mexican American Studies. “His music allowed them to maintain a living, breathing relationship to Mexico — to experience their country viscerally even from a distance, and to feed the memories that kept it alive.”

News of his death was mourned both in Mexico and the United States.

President Joe Biden sent his condolences to Fernández’s family on Twitter. He said Fernández’s music created memories for millions and that “the music world has lost an icon.”

Country music superstar George Strait also lamented the singer’s death on Twitter. Strait said Fernández was “One of my heroes. May he Rest In Peace and may God bless and comfort his family. Hasta la Cruz Chente!!”

Both Spanish-language TV networks Univision and Telemundo interrupted the normal sports-heavy Sunday programming to break the news of Fernández’s passing and replay interviews, concerts and documentaries.

“Songs, in their most powerful moments, rise up and speak directly to the fact that people cannot walk safely to a corner store and back without the risk of being arrested, incarcerated and removed to some other city which, besides being in the country of their birth, is almost equally foreign to them,” said Tim Johnson, who co-hosts a weekly show on Marfa Public Radio focused on Mexican music, and long avid fan of ranchera music.

“The airwaves, here and there, is full of the beauty of this music. And one of the greatest voices of them all belonged to Vicente.”

Death coincided with Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration

At homes, parks, restaurants and cafes in Mexico City, some people instantaneously broke into songs. Street musicians played some of his most popular songs.

Fernández’s death coincided with the celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of the most religious holidays in the majority Catholic country.

“Maybe he died on this day, 12th of December, to serenade the Virgin of Guadalupe,” América Cárdenas Brea, 25, said after learning the news. “Who better than Vicente to serenade our beloved, iconic Virgin to bring her some happiness on her day?”

“Where there was a Mexican happy or sad, there was a Vicente Fernández song,” added Cárdenas Brea. She said her grandfather Jaime Rea would serenade his wife, Juana Rosales Reyes, with songs like “Estos Celos” and “Mujeres Divinas.”

At the restaurant Maiz de Cacao, a dueto — two singers — paid homage to a mural of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Then, in mourning, they proceeded to play some Fernández songs.

Arturo Rodriguez, a journalist and host of a podcast focusing on urban music in Mexico City, said Fernández’s passing ends an era.

“He doesn’t have a reliever. His own son, Alejandro, is more considered a ranchero pop.”

César Juárez Joyner, a composer of traditional Mexican music, added: “What we will miss the most is his voice. He had an incredible, rich voice.”

Political parties courted ‘Chente’ to reach Hispanic voters

Throughout his career, “Chente” made an annual stop in Dallas, usually in October, as part of his tour in the U.S. His concerts were guaranteed to sell out, a celebration of Mexican culture and identity.

His concerts lasted more than three hours. He sometimes took the stage riding a horse, impeccably dressed as a Mexican charro.

His songs were a staple of ranchera music stations throughout the U.S. for decades.

His influence went beyond his music. Even political parties courted him, hoping to reach Hispanic voters.

He performed at the 2000 Republican Convention in Florida, at which George W. Bush was nominated for president. Then in 2016, he sang a song endorsing Hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee.

For decades, radio stations along the U.S.-Mexico border aired “La Hora de Vicente Fernández” every evening, featuring some of the over 300 songs Fernández recorded in his career.

During his career, Fernández was awarded three Grammys and nine Latin Grammys. He inspired a new generation of performers, including his son Alejandro Fernández Jr., a recording artist himself.

Fernández was known for hits such as “El Rey,” “Volver, Volver” and “Lástima que seas ajena,” and his command of the ranchera, bolero and mariachi styles of music attracted fans far beyond Mexico’s borders.

“One of the most important artists of Mexican popular culture, the undisputed symbol of ranchera music, dies. A million mariachis accompany you on your way,” Alejandra Frausto, Mexico’s culture secretary, said on Twitter.

She alluded to the fact that Fernández often sang on Dec. 12 to mark the Catholic pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, an event that attracts vast crowds. The commemoration was being held Sunday after being canceled last year because of the pandemic.

Fernández sold more than 50 million records and appeared in more than 30 films. In April 2016, he said goodbye to the stage in front of about 85,000 people at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Spectators had traveled from northern Mexico as well as the United States, Colombia and other Latin American countries for the occasion.

In Mexico City, hundreds gathered around the Angel of Independence, an iconic monument on Reforma Avenue and a symbol of the city.

“He was iconic. Not everyone was a fan, but he was our last ambassador of mariachi music,” said Eduardo Ávila, a fan from Mexico City.

The Associated Press and Agencia Reforma contributed to this report.