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"Manolete" (1917-1947) , is
the most legendary bullfighter
in recent Spanish history. He
imposed his own style, which
although perhaps polemic, gave
way to passionate debates, talks
and articles, leaving its mark
to this day. He was to bring
about a whole new concept in the
art of bullfighting,
establishing a clear distinction
of fighting before and after
Manolete. He was liked by the
new Spanish post civil war
generations (1936-1939), He
almost dispensed with the "lidia",
with the fancy play with the
cape, and especially
concentrated on the "faena" with
the red cloth "muleta". He took
the basics of bullfighting and
turned them into an art. His
characteristic upright stance
throws into relief the
verticality of the bull. It
seems as though the horned
creature charges around a pole,
the bullfighter’s feet do not
move, he lowers his hand, he
holds his "muleta" backwards and
low, turns his profile to the
bull, and challenges, come what
may!
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Valencia. The
matador Manolete
sharing one of his
most victorious
afternoons with his
quadrille. |
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Manolete was always
constant in his
certainty and art at
making the kill. We
may say that the
final thrust was the
basis of his
formation, where he
gave his all. He
always took maximum
risks in his
"muletazos" ( cape
passes), with the
bull’s horns barely
missing his
clothing. The
comfortable shoe
which is used by
bullfighters
nowadays was named
after and made
popular by him, not
merely by the fact
of him being the
inventor but because
of the strong
personality which he
imprinted on them at
the moment of
truth,the kill.
His style was an
extension of his
human character,
austere, basic,
serious and brave,
sober and tough but
always elegant, He
dominated his bull
in the same way as
he dominated his
social life.
Manolete was also
to impose a new kind
of bull, a less
powerful and more
"anovillado" (young
and noble) beast,
which is not
surprising, as the
bloody Spanish civil
war had left the
people with little
inclination to
revive the cruelty
of traditional
bullfighting. Now
more than ever
people wanted to
live and enjoy
themselves, even
though they may have
to do so on an empty
stomach, in an
atmosphere of
national
reconstruction. |
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BIOGRAPHY. |
:
Manuel Rodríguez Sánchez, "Manolote",
born in
Córdoba 1917. Son of
Agustina Sanchez and bullfighter
of same name and artistic name
as himself, He escapes from the
poverty of his home, facing
death, and has by the age of 12
already given several "capotazos"
and the following year makes his
public debut in the Montilla
school of bullfighting
(Cordoba). Soon after becoming
an itinerant member of the
bullfighting show "Los Califas".
In June 1939 he takes his
leave as "Novillero"(novice) and
one month later becomes a fully
fledged bullfighter, receiving
his "alternativa", ( ceremony in
which a bullfighter authorizes a
novice to take his place among
the doctorate bullfighters)in
Chiclanero,
Seville. He confirms his "alternativa"or
doctorate in
Madrid, 12th October of the
same year, at the hands of
Marcial Lalanda, sharing the
bill with Juan Belmonte.His
great success that afternoon was
unforgettable. He closed his
season as a recently iniciated
matador with a total score of 16
bullfights, and with unbeatable
prospects for the coming season.
His name appears on the
posters of all the most
important bullfights. He fights
in
Seville, Alicante, Bilbao,
Barcelona and
Madrid. From that same year
Manolete becomes the star of
Spanish bullfighting. At the end
of the season of ’45 he travels
to the bullrings of Mexico.
Peru, Venezuela and Colombia to
display his characteristic style
of fighting, obtaining
overwhelming success, which
converts him into the most
famous worldwide bullfighter.
He maintains a long lived
rivalry with the Mexican,Carlos
Arruza, and also with the no
less brave young bullfighter
Luis Miguel Dominguin, who
challenges him publically. On
the 16th July 1947 he fights in
the Monumental Bullring of Las
Ventas in
Madrid. It is to be his last
afternoon at this Taurine
Cathedral.
The arrival of other young
swords and his exhaustion from
fighting make him think of
retiring.
Paradoxically his most
outstanding qualities were his
self assurity and his humility.
His closest friends recall his
manliness both inside and
outside the arena, and his
formality within the bullring,
which inspires in them a great
respect.
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His sentimental life on
the other hand is brief.
He falls in love with a
young artist from La
Mancha, a well-known and
rather brazen girl
called Lope Sino , who
had been associated with
other matadors of the
day.As Manolete lies
dying from his mortal
goring,all access is
forbidden to her for
fear of a controversial
deathbed marriage. |
Manolete with his young
and beautiful girlfriend
Lope Sino. |
Days before the 28th August
the announcements appear at the
Linares Bullring (Jaen),
together with Gitanillo de
Triana and Luis Miguel
Dominguin, with the famous
fierce bulls of Miura.
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Poster announcing the
great bullfight in the
bullring of Linares. |
Finally the much awaited
afternoon for the
bullfighting enthusiasts
arrives..At 4.45 the
heat is suffocating
.10,500 people fill the
ring with great
expectation..The
matadors have entered
the arena with their
quadrille. Their golden
suits sparkle under the
relentless sun. The
reporters tell of how
his face was full of
consternation. After a
brilliant "faena" with
the previous bulls ,the
drums and bugles
announce the fifth
Miura, named Islero,
with horrendous horns
and true to his fierce
caste he breaks into the
arena with fury ,
charging anything that
moves.With the
conclusion of the ·lidia"
and the final act of the
"muleta" Manolete
positions himself for
the kill, making the
steel disappear
completely into the loin
of the beast.
Immediately after, the
bull digs his horn deep
into the bullfighter’s
right thigh.The public
shout, appalled by the
terrible goring of their
idol, who complains
bitterly while being
carried to the
infirmary. In spite of
everything he is awarded
both ears.Dr. Garrido
and his team manage to
stop the bleeding,he
undergoes an operation
and is given several
blood transfusions, but
his state remains grave.
Dr. Giménez Guinea ,
then official doctor of
the Madrid bullring is
called upon to attend ,
arriving at 4 o’clock .
Within an hour the great
matador is dead.The
tragedy leaves the whole
of Spain and all the
world enthusiasts in a
complete state of shock
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His nerve and serenity has
remained as an impeccable
example. The bullfighting world
was left with no doubt to
recognize the distinctive
features of a real man.
On each anniversary the
quadrilles in every bullring ,go
around the ring bareheaded in
his memory.
The Controversy of the Plasma
In March of the current year,
1997, Dr. Fabián Garrido, son of
the doctor who attended Manolete,
publically announced that a
doctor from Madrid , applied a
dry plasma of doubtful
efficiency based on statistics.
From World War II, and which
could have been the cause of his
death. However, the expert
stockbreeder Alvaro Domecq
affirms that "Manolete was
killed by Islero"
Throughout this fiftieth
anniversary year of his death,
a series of functions are being
held in his town of birth, in
his memory. A lo largo de este
año en que se cumple el 50
aniversario de su muerte, se
vienen celebrando en su cuidad
natal, .
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