For a Mexican singer with 9 Grammy nominations, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame may seem like an impossible dream. For José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz, this turned out to be a reality. He is the owner of a charming baritone, as well as an incredibly soulful manner of performance, which became the impetus for the world recognition of the performer.
Parents, childhood of the future star of the Mexican scene
José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz was born into a musical family. It happened on February 17, 1948. The Jose family lived in Azcapotzalco, one of the municipalities of present-day Mexico City. José Sosa Esquivel, the boy's father, was an opera singer. Mother, Margarita Ortiz, also earned money by singing. Jose had a younger brother.
In 1963, at the peak of his career, his father left the family. The children stayed with their mother. In 1968, Jose Sosa Sr. died as a result of the negative effects of alcoholism.
Interest in the music of Jose Romulo Sosa Ortiz, the first steps towards creative development
Jose Sosa Ortiz became interested in music early, but his parents did not encourage this hobby. They motivated the ignoring of such interest by the difficulties in the career of a musician. Parents did not want to see the boy's future in the musical environment.
At the age of 15, the young man had to earn extra money helping his mother to support his family. He, along with Francisco Ortiz, his cousin, and friend Alfredo Benitez created the first musical group. The children performed at various events.
One of 17-year-old Jose Sosa Ortiz's friends invited him to sing at his sister's birthday party. The speech turned out to be significant. Incredibly, the birthday girl worked at Orfeon Records. Highly appreciating the boy's talent, she organized an audition for him in the company where she worked. So Jose Romulo Sosa Ortiz received his first contract with a recording studio.
The beginning of the solo activity of José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz
Despite the grandiose start, the aspiring singer, working with Orfeon Records, did not receive success. He tried to show himself from the best side, but they did not see him as a star that would bring a good income. In 1967, Jose Sosa Ortiz recorded a couple of singles.
The songs "El Mundo", "Ma Vie" were not noticed by the listeners, and the company did not want to spend money on their promotion. At this point, Jose decided to break off relations with the label.
After parting ways with Orfeon Records, Jose Sosa Ortiz joined Los PEG. As part of the team, he actively performed in nightclubs in Mexico City. His serenades were listened to with pleasure, praising the singer's work. This made the young man think about the need to find ways to develop a solo career.
First steps towards success José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz
Jose Romulo Sosa Ortiz met Armando Manzanero in 1969, who had already become known as the country's best romantic composer. With his help, the young singer released his first album "Cuidado". The contract was signed with RCA Victor.
The first work was created under the pseudonym José José. Double spelling meant the name of the singer himself and his father. Critics gave high marks to the singer's debut, but recognition among the audience at this stage could not be obtained.
Sudden rise in popularity
In 1970 Jose released his second album La Nave Del Olvido. The public noticed and appreciated the title single "La nave del olvido". The popularity of the song went beyond the singer's home country, becoming a hit in many Latin American countries.
Jose Romulo Sosa Ortiz was asked to represent Mexico at an international festival. He sang "El Triste", which earned an honorary bronze at the Festival de la Canción Latina. After that, they started talking about the performer of romantic ballads. He began to be called the best singer of the generation in this genre.
Start of an active stage of a career
After the success at the festival, Jose released his 2nd album of the year "El Triste". From that moment began his active studio activity. The singer annually recorded 1-2 albums. He quickly captivated the audience of Mexico, as well as neighboring countries.
International recognition José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz
In 1980, Jose presented his most striking album to the world. The singer recorded the disc "Amor Amor". It is this collection, as well as the album "Romántico", released a year later, that are called landmarks in the artist's career.
From that moment on, Jose Jose is called the best lyric singer of Hispanic origin. At the beginning of the 80s, the peak of its popularity falls. In 1983, the Secretos album sold over 2 million copies in just the first 7 days of sales.
Gradual movement towards the decline of a career
Since the beginning of the 90s, the pace of the singer's activity begins to decline. He releases fewer albums, less often shown in public. The reason for everything was the addiction that the singer's father suffered from. In 1993, Jose underwent treatment. After that, he began to gradually return to creativity.
The singer took part in the shooting of the film "Perdóname Todo". He recorded several more albums. In 1999, Jose performed in the USA at Noche Bohemia. In 2001, the singer released his latest album "Tenampa". On this he decided to end his career. In 2019, Jose Romulo Sosa Ortiz passed away.
Singer's achievements
They began to recognize the merits of the singer when approaching the dawn of glory. In 1989, he was named the best male pop artist of the year. In 1997, he topped the Billboard Latin Music rankings. Seven years later, in 2004, the singer received a Latin Grammy, as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2005, Jose Romulo Sosa Ortiz was the Latin Music Artist of the Year. In 2007, a monument was erected to the singer in his native city during his lifetime. The artist spent the last years of his life in Miami, USA.
