Charo is still somewhat of an unknown celebrity despite everything she’s done in Hollywood. Do you think she deserves to be better recognized for her contributions to the silver screen and the world of music? Or do you think the Cuchi-Cuchi Girl was overrated, even at the height of her fame in the 1960s and 1970s?
▬Contents of this video▬ 00:00 - Intro 00:46 - Charo Joined a Convent As a Toddler 01:21 - She Married a 66-Year-Old Man When She Was (Maybe) a Teen 01:56 - Her Birth Year is Mired in Controversy 02:43 - She First Became Famous on The Ed Sullivan Show 03:32 - She Was Mostly Type-Cast in “Charo” Type Roles 04:18 - Her Fame Exploded With the “Cuchi-Cuchi” Catchphrase 05:03 - The Late 70s Were a Weird Time for Charo 05:35 - Charo Is Considered the World’s Best Flamenco Guitar Player 06:04 - Charo Can Speak Japanese 06:40 - Charo’s Second Husband Committed Suicide 07:10 - Despite It All, Charo Never Seems to Quit 07:44 - Outro
Do you think you know a lot about TV? Try our quiz and enter to win $500! Click below to check the trivia question https://bit.ly/3rEeMxk
Charo was born in Murcia, Spain, and attended school in a convent from a young age. After she graduated in her teen years, she trained in classical guitar, first under the tutelage of virtuoso Andres Segovia and later with Spanish-born Xavier Cugat. In fact, the 66-year-old Cugat became Charo’s first husband. And yes, she was only a teen or young adult when they married. Her marriage to Cugat was one of convenience: Charo wanted a ticket into the United States. Once there, she quickly made a name for herself as a bubbly, energetic comedic performer on shows like The Ed Sullivan Show, Laugh-In, Hollywood Squares, and The Love Boat.
During this time, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, she developed her now-iconic catchphrase, “cuchi-cuchi.” In the late 70s, her popularity began to take a nose-dive, and she retreated into her family life. She and her second husband, businessman Kjell Rasten, moved to Hawaii to bring up their son and also built a vast Beverly Hills compound for dozens of Charo’s family to live in. She also turned back to her first love: classical Spanish guitar, performing at Vegas and across the world and winning numerous accolades for her songs and albums. The 2010s were tumultuous for Charo—she saw fame on Dancing With the Stars but also had to experience the tragic death of her beloved husband.
Despite all the tragedy she’s experienced in her life, Charo remains optimistic: “My goal is to try new things, to make people forget their problems, make them laugh, and for them to talk about it the next day.” If you’ve already watched and loved this video about Charo, one of the 1960s and 1970s most famous Spanish musicians, share it with friends and family and give it a thumbs up. If you want to see more like it, head over to the FactsVerse channel and subscribe. Don’t forget to ring that little red notification bell while you’re there, too!
