María Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza, professionally known by her stage name
Charo, is a Spanish-born actress, singer, comedian, and flamenco guitarist who rose to international prominence in the 1960s on American television, as well as starring in several films.
Charo began playing classical (Spanish-style) guitar at the age of nine, training under the famed guitarist Andrés Segovia. In 1966, she married 66-year-old bandleader Xavier Cugat and moved to the United States with him. In the late 1960s and 1970s, she became a ubiquitous presence on American television, frequently appearing as a guest star on series such as Laugh-In, Fantasy Island,
The Love Boat, and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. She is known for her uninhibited and exuberant manner, high energy levels, vague age, heavy Spanish accent, and catchphrase "cuchi-cuchi". She frequently pokes fun at herself, while also pointing out the potential judgment of others, through her accent. As a musician,
Charo has pe...
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