Rafael Gómez Ortega: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox person |
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| name = Rafael Gómez Ortega |
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| image = Rafael Gómez Ortega.png |
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'''Rafael Gómez Ortega''', (July 16, 1882 - May 25, 1960) also known as ''El Gallo'' ("the [[rooster]]") was an early twentieth century [[bullfighter]]. He came from a family of famous bullfighters, including his matador father, Fernando Gómez García and matador younger brother, [[José Gómez Ortega]]. He is today remembered for several of his unique fighting techniques such as the ''espantada'' - or "sudden flight", which simply consisted of him fleeing when the bull entered the ring. Other techniques included fighting bulls from a chair. He is remembered by the phrase, "all of us artists have bad days." His fights were considered amusement to the audience, and he was brought out of retirement seven times because of this "sportsmanship". In his last fight, in October 1918, he claimed he spared the bull because it "winked" at him. The audience again felt this was hilarious, but Ortega's brother, José (also known as "Joselito El Gallo"), concerned about the family honor, hopped into the ring and killed the bull. |
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| caption = '''Rafael Gómez "Gallito" Ortega''' in a "monumental pass" given to his first bullfight on October 8, 1912 in Madrid |
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1882|06|16}}<ref name="abc">{{cite news|first=Jesús|last=Bayort|date=2019-03-05|title=Rafael Gómez Ortega "el Gallo"|publisher=[[ABC (newspaper)|ABC]]|url=https://sevilla.abc.es/sevilla/feria-abril/sevi-rafael-gomez-ortega-gallo-201905031741_noticia.html |language=Spanish|location=[[Madrid]]|access-date=2019-12-29}}</ref> |
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| birth_place = [[Madrid]], [[Spain]] |
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| death_date = {{Death date and age|1960|05|25|1882|06|16}}<ref name="abc"/><ref name="death"/> |
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| death_place = [[Seville]], Spain |
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| resting_place = [[Cemetery of San Fernando]], Spain |
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| nationality = [[Spaniard]] |
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| occupation = bullfighter |
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| other_names = Gallito, El Gallo (''The Rooster'') and Divine Bald |
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| father = Fernando Gómez García |
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| mother = Gabriela Ortega Feria |
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| spouse = {{marriage|Pastora Imperio<br />|1911|1912|end=divorced}} |
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| family = Familia Gallo |
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| relatives = José Gómez Ortega (brother) and Fernando Gómez Ortega (brother) |
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}} |
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{{family name hatnote|Gómez|Ortega|lang=Spanish}} |
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'''Rafael Gómez Ortega''', (1882 – 1960) also known as ''El Gallo'' ("the [[rooster]]") was an early twentieth century [[bullfighter]]. He came from a family of famous bullfighters, including his matador father, Fernando Gómez García and matador younger brother, [[José Gómez Ortega]]. He is today remembered for several of his unique fighting techniques such as the ''espantada'' - or "sudden flight", which simply consisted of him fleeing when the bull entered the ring.<ref>{{cite news |author=Juan-José López Burniol|date=2016-01-29|title=La 'espantá'|publisher=[[La Vanguardia]]|trans-title=The 'scare'|url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/opinion/20160130/301768117542/la-espanta.html |language=Spanish|location=[[Barcelona]]|access-date=2019-12-29|quote=Cuando veía que no podía dominar al toro, daba la espantá. Yo he sido siempre un hombre lógico. Estaba delante del toro y veía que me iba a coger, porque cuando los toros van a coger, avisan. Hay un presentimiento. Y si sabes que el toro te va a coger, ¿te vas a quedar delante de él? Por supuesto que no. Y ahí está el porqué de la - espantá (translates to "When I saw that I could not dominate the bull, I was terrified. I have always been a logical man. I was in front of the bull and saw that he was going to charge, because when the bulls are going to charge at you, they warn you. You can feel it. And if you know that the bull is going to charge at you, are you going to stay in front of him? Of course not. And there is the reason for the scare.")}}</ref> Other techniques included fighting bulls from a chair. |
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His fights were considered amusing to audiences, and he was brought out of retirement seven times because of this "sportsmanship". He finally retired on October 4, 1936.<ref name="db-e">{{citation|title=Rafael Gómez Ortega|url=http://dbe.rah.es/biografias/10124/rafael-gomez-ortega|publisher=[[Real Academia de la Historia]]|work=[[Diccionario biográfico español|Diccionario Biográfico]]|author=José Luis Ramón Carrión|language=es}}</ref> Commentators find that his intermittent fear of the bulls was characteristic of his style, noting that he was often brave when it suited him, and gave in to panic when it did not.<ref name="db-e"/> |
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One of his sentences made it to be a common phrase in Spanish: "Lo que no pue ser no pue ser y ademas es imposible" <ref>Sopena Saber frases celebres</ref> which can be translated into "what can't be, can't be and moreover it is impossible". |
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Ortega later wasted his fortune, and was supported by [[Juan Belmonte]]. He was briefly married to [[Pastora Imperio]], a famous flamenco dancer.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.es/estilo/gente/abci-boda-pastora-imperio-y-gallo-primera-gran-union-entre-torero-y-folclorica-201802200156_noticia.html |title=La boda de Pastora Imperio y "El Gallo": así fue la primera gran unión entre un torero y una folclórica |trans-title=The wedding of Pastora Imperio and «El Gallo»: this was the first great union between a bullfighter and a flamenco singer|first=E. |last=Bárcena |date=20 February 2018 |access-date=29 December 2019 |location=Madrid |newspaper=[[ABC (Madrid)|ABC]] |language=es |publisher=[[Vocento]]}}</ref> |
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Ortega later wasted his fortune, and was supported by [[Juan Belmonte]]. He was married to [[Pastora Imperio]], a famous flamenco dancer. |
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He died on 25 May 1960 at the age of 77.<ref name=death>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9m8NAAAAYAAJ&q=Muere+Rafael+G%C3%B3mez+Ortega |title=Historia del toreo en México |publisher=Editorial Diana |year=1979|language=es|page=125|isbn=9789681303976 }}</ref> |
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Radio artist [[Joe Frank]] briefly tells Gómez's story in 'The Eighty-Yard Run' |
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<ref>https://www.joefrank.com/shop/80-yard-run-the/</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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[[Category:1960 deaths]] |
[[Category:1960 deaths]] |
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[[Category:Spanish bullfighters]] |
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[[Category:Spanish Romani people]] |
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Latest revision as of 10:52, 6 May 2024
Rafael Gómez Ortega | |
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![]() Rafael Gómez "Gallito" Ortega in a "monumental pass" given to his first bullfight on October 8, 1912 in Madrid | |
Born | [1] | June 16, 1882
Died | May 25, 1960[1][2] Seville, Spain | (aged 77)
Resting place | Cemetery of San Fernando, Spain |
Nationality | Spaniard |
Other names | Gallito, El Gallo (The Rooster) and Divine Bald |
Occupation | bullfighter |
Spouse |
Pastora Imperio
(m. 1911; div. 1912) |
Parents |
|
Relatives | José Gómez Ortega (brother) and Fernando Gómez Ortega (brother) |
Family | Familia Gallo |
Rafael Gómez Ortega, (1882 – 1960) also known as El Gallo ("the rooster") was an early twentieth century bullfighter. He came from a family of famous bullfighters, including his matador father, Fernando Gómez García and matador younger brother, José Gómez Ortega. He is today remembered for several of his unique fighting techniques such as the espantada - or "sudden flight", which simply consisted of him fleeing when the bull entered the ring.[3] Other techniques included fighting bulls from a chair.
His fights were considered amusing to audiences, and he was brought out of retirement seven times because of this "sportsmanship". He finally retired on October 4, 1936.[4] Commentators find that his intermittent fear of the bulls was characteristic of his style, noting that he was often brave when it suited him, and gave in to panic when it did not.[4]
Ortega later wasted his fortune, and was supported by Juan Belmonte. He was briefly married to Pastora Imperio, a famous flamenco dancer.[5]
He died on 25 May 1960 at the age of 77.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Bayort, Jesús (2019-03-05). "Rafael Gómez Ortega "el Gallo"" (in Spanish). Madrid: ABC. Retrieved 2019-12-29.
- ^ a b Historia del toreo en México (in Spanish). Editorial Diana. 1979. p. 125. ISBN 9789681303976.
- ^ Juan-José López Burniol (2016-01-29). "La 'espantá'" [The 'scare'] (in Spanish). Barcelona: La Vanguardia. Retrieved 2019-12-29.
Cuando veía que no podía dominar al toro, daba la espantá. Yo he sido siempre un hombre lógico. Estaba delante del toro y veía que me iba a coger, porque cuando los toros van a coger, avisan. Hay un presentimiento. Y si sabes que el toro te va a coger, ¿te vas a quedar delante de él? Por supuesto que no. Y ahí está el porqué de la - espantá (translates to "When I saw that I could not dominate the bull, I was terrified. I have always been a logical man. I was in front of the bull and saw that he was going to charge, because when the bulls are going to charge at you, they warn you. You can feel it. And if you know that the bull is going to charge at you, are you going to stay in front of him? Of course not. And there is the reason for the scare.")
- ^ a b José Luis Ramón Carrión, "Rafael Gómez Ortega", Diccionario Biográfico (in Spanish), Real Academia de la Historia
- ^ Bárcena, E. (20 February 2018). "La boda de Pastora Imperio y "El Gallo": así fue la primera gran unión entre un torero y una folclórica" [The wedding of Pastora Imperio and «El Gallo»: this was the first great union between a bullfighter and a flamenco singer]. ABC (in Spanish). Madrid: Vocento. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
External links
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)