Carmelo Torres
Encyclopedia
Bernardo del Carmen Fregoso Cázares, who worked and lived under the name Carmelo Torres Fregoso (La Barca, Jalisco
, Mexico, July 16, 1927 – Caracas
, Venezuela, January 29, 2003) was a matador
, businessman, journalist
, author and TV producer. He lived in Venezuela
from 1952. His first bullfight as "matador
" was in Barranquilla
, Colombia
in 1949 and last in Nezahualcóyotl
City, Mexico in 1986. With 37 years of uninterrupted activity this was one of the world's longest careers as a matador.
, Palomo Linares, Cesar Girón, Ortega Cano, Pepe Cáceres
, Ernesto San Román and represented Mexican stockbreeders in Venezuela; Los Martínez, Javier Garfias, San Martin and The Glory. For this work and his friendship with Mexican president Jose Lopez Portillo
and Venezuelan presidents Rafael Caldera
and Carlos Andrés Pérez
he was also known as "The Bullfighting Diplomat". In 1959 Miguel Aceves Mejía
plays the role of a bullfighter named Carmelo Torres in the Mexican hit movie "Stray Bullet" (Bala Perdida). This shows his fame as a manager of bullfighters. He also was a pioneer on world wide advertising for bullfighters, in 1966 Carmelo Torres travelled in his first around the world tour loaded with his swords and suits been interviwed in many of his stops ending that travel in Spain, that was the year of the Soccer World Cup
in England. During that trip, the slogan for the advertising campaign in the "Dígame" madrilean magazine was "Carmelo Torres, a world tour in order to fight in Spain".
He was bullfighting correspondent of Venezuelan Television in 1979 and 1980 and for the Mexican Channel 13 XHDF from 1979 to 1982. With Felo Gimenez he co-produced bullfighting programs for Sports Venevisión
. He was executive producer of the documentary Sport in Mexico City and its Function in the Social Development of the Population which won the UNESCO Prize in 1982. From 1982 to 1985 he contributed to the program Bulls and Bullfighters XEIPN-TV, Once-TV channel 11 Mexico (1982–1985). His last production was The Bulls in the World (2002).
As bullfighting columnist for the newspaper El Universal from 1970 to 1973 he wrote under the penname Cartof. He was also a correspondent for the Mexican paper El Redondel and the Spanish Digame.
In Mexico he wrote under the nickname "Granero", a famous matador killed by a bull named "Pocapena" (Little ashame). Carmelo Torres says of this: "- Granero was killed by "little shame" and I have very little shame to be a writer.
Dr Pepe Cabello published "Redondel de Ilusiones" based on the chronicles that, written as Cartof, were in the newspaper "El Universal" of Caracas. Carmelo Torres co-wrote with Dr Pepe Cabello a book called Illusions Ring.
In 1991 "Boldness" (Audacia) is published, Carmelo Torres being the author, under the seal of International Television Studios. This was his third work and his second to be printed.
was a nephew.
, caused by an old cerebral wound due to a bullfight.
Jalisco
Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states...
, Mexico, July 16, 1927 – Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
, Venezuela, January 29, 2003) was a matador
Matador
A torero or toureiro is a bullfighter and the main performer in bullfighting, practised in Spain, Colombia, Portugal, Mexico, France and various other countries influenced by Spanish culture. In Spanish, the word torero describes any of the performers who actively participate in the bullfight...
, businessman, journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, author and TV producer. He lived in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
from 1952. His first bullfight as "matador
Matador
A torero or toureiro is a bullfighter and the main performer in bullfighting, practised in Spain, Colombia, Portugal, Mexico, France and various other countries influenced by Spanish culture. In Spanish, the word torero describes any of the performers who actively participate in the bullfight...
" was in Barranquilla
Barranquilla
Barranquilla is an industrial port city and municipality located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port in the Colombian Caribbean region with a population of 1,148,506 as of 2005, which makes it Colombia's...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
in 1949 and last in Nezahualcóyotl
Nezahualcoyotl
Nezahualcoyotl was a philosopher, warrior, architect, poet and ruler of the city-state of Texcoco in pre-Columbian Mexico...
City, Mexico in 1986. With 37 years of uninterrupted activity this was one of the world's longest careers as a matador.
Business career
He was the founder of "Lucy Venetian Blinds" (1952–1982) and manager for Levolor-Lorentzen in South America (1969–1982). He introduced the concept of miniblinds into the South American market with the "Magic Wand"'Manager of bullfighters and stockbreeders
From 1960 to 1982 he managed and represented many figures of the world of bullfighting including Luis Miguel Dominguín, Manolo Martínez, Eloy CavazosEloy Cavazos
also known as "The Little Giant"Born: August 25, 1949, Ciudad Guadalupe, Nuevo León, México.Resides in Guadalupe, Nuevo León, a suburb of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon México...
, Palomo Linares, Cesar Girón, Ortega Cano, Pepe Cáceres
Pepe Cáceres
José Humberto Eslava "Pepe" Cáceres was a Colombian bullfighter. Born in Honda, Tolima, Colombia, he is often regarded as one of the finest bullfighters ever and the best-known bullfighter Colombia has ever produced...
, Ernesto San Román and represented Mexican stockbreeders in Venezuela; Los Martínez, Javier Garfias, San Martin and The Glory. For this work and his friendship with Mexican president Jose Lopez Portillo
José López Portillo
José López Portillo y Pacheco was the President of Mexico from 1976 to 1982.Born in Mexico City, López Portillo studied Law at the National Autonomous University of Mexico before beginning his political career with the Institutional Revolutionary Party in 1959.He held several positions in the...
and Venezuelan presidents Rafael Caldera
Rafael Caldera
Rafael Antonio Caldera Rodríguez was president of Venezuela from 1969 to 1974 and again from 1994 to 1999.Caldera taught sociology and law at various universities before entering politics. He was a founding member of COPEI, Venezuela's Christian Democratic party...
and Carlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez
Carlos Andrés Pérez Rodríguez , also known as CAP and often referred to as El Gocho , was a Venezuelan politician, President of Venezuela from 1974 to 1979 and again from 1989 to 1993. His first presidency was known as the Saudi Venezuela due to its economic and social prosperity thanks to...
he was also known as "The Bullfighting Diplomat". In 1959 Miguel Aceves Mejía
Miguel Aceves Mejía
Miguel Aceves Mejía was a Mexican actor, composer, and singer.Miguel Aceves Mejía, or "the King of the falsetto" as he was popularly known, was born in Ciudad Juárez in the state of Chihuahua...
plays the role of a bullfighter named Carmelo Torres in the Mexican hit movie "Stray Bullet" (Bala Perdida). This shows his fame as a manager of bullfighters. He also was a pioneer on world wide advertising for bullfighters, in 1966 Carmelo Torres travelled in his first around the world tour loaded with his swords and suits been interviwed in many of his stops ending that travel in Spain, that was the year of the Soccer World Cup
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
in England. During that trip, the slogan for the advertising campaign in the "Dígame" madrilean magazine was "Carmelo Torres, a world tour in order to fight in Spain".
Journalism and Television
Torres founded in 1979 with his son Cat Fletcher, Video Bullfighting System, the first business specializing in recording bullfights in Venezuela. They were the official cameramen of the most important figures in bullfighting of that time. Their business changed its name to International Television Studios (México-Miami-Atlanta-Caracas) in 1982 to reflect its diversification into other fields of broadcasting.He was bullfighting correspondent of Venezuelan Television in 1979 and 1980 and for the Mexican Channel 13 XHDF from 1979 to 1982. With Felo Gimenez he co-produced bullfighting programs for Sports Venevisión
Venevisión
Venevisión is one of Venezuela's largest television networks and a Venezuelan cable and terrestrial television network, which is owned and presided over by Gustavo Cisneros...
. He was executive producer of the documentary Sport in Mexico City and its Function in the Social Development of the Population which won the UNESCO Prize in 1982. From 1982 to 1985 he contributed to the program Bulls and Bullfighters XEIPN-TV, Once-TV channel 11 Mexico (1982–1985). His last production was The Bulls in the World (2002).
As bullfighting columnist for the newspaper El Universal from 1970 to 1973 he wrote under the penname Cartof. He was also a correspondent for the Mexican paper El Redondel and the Spanish Digame.
Literary career
Carmelo Torres' first unpublished work was called "Broken Illusion", a novel, which he did not finish writing.In Mexico he wrote under the nickname "Granero", a famous matador killed by a bull named "Pocapena" (Little ashame). Carmelo Torres says of this: "- Granero was killed by "little shame" and I have very little shame to be a writer.
Dr Pepe Cabello published "Redondel de Ilusiones" based on the chronicles that, written as Cartof, were in the newspaper "El Universal" of Caracas. Carmelo Torres co-wrote with Dr Pepe Cabello a book called Illusions Ring.
In 1991 "Boldness" (Audacia) is published, Carmelo Torres being the author, under the seal of International Television Studios. This was his third work and his second to be printed.
Family
His brother was the composer Teddy Fregoso and the American singer Nathaniel from the rock band The Blood ArmThe Blood Arm
-Band Information:The Blood Arm were formed in LA in 2003 and were nominated for the LA Weekly Music Award for Best New Artist in 2004. They won the Best Live Act award at the 2005 South By Southwest Music Conference. Franz Ferdinand have often mentioned The Blood Arm as their favourite band in...
was a nephew.
Death
He died from complications caused by Parkinson's diseaseParkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
, caused by an old cerebral wound due to a bullfight.