By Denny Patterson

Hola, amigos! Your favorite music and pop culture icon is coming to South Florida! 

Entertaining millions throughout her career and instantly recognizable by her trademark expression “Cuchi Cuchi,” Charo is a virtuoso guitarist, singer, composer, actress, and comedienne, who has been an integral proponent of contemporary Latin music. She was named “Female Pop Album of the Year Award” at the Billboard International Latin Music Conference for her flamenco inspired platinum album, Guitar Passion, and she has appeared in countless hit television shows and more than 45 appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

Charo will be at the Broward Center’s Aventura Arts & Cultural Center on Saturday, February 11, 2023, and OutClique caught up with the artist before her upcoming visit. Full of charm, wit, and life, you just can’t help but smile by talking with her. 

Denny Patterson: Hello, Charo! Thank you for taking some time to chat with me. What can we expect from your upcoming performance at the Broward Center in South Florida?

Charo: Hola, Denny! I love Florida, and we’re going to have a great fiesta! It’s very exciting as a performer when audiences are happy, applauding, and dancing, and that’s why I am so excited to bring this brand-new show. It’s going to be fantastic. I guarantee you, and I’m not bragging, but I guarantee it’s going to be a big fiesta with the concept of flamenco and guitar classical masterpieces. Thank you so much for this opportunity and inviting me to Florida!

DP: Of course, we’re excited to see you!  What do you enjoy the most about performing live?

C: I only have happiness when I’m performing. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it’s the truth. When I am performing in front of an audience, it’s like magic. You connect with the audiences and everybody is in perfect harmony, it’s priceless. 

DP: Have you always had a passion and desire to pursue entertainment?

C: Yes, 100 percent. Music and people saved my life. There’s just a certain energy that people give, and it can either bring you up or bring you down. For me, they bring me up, and we need each other. We need each other more than ever, and we are looking for ways to escape. Allow me to do my job and entertain you.

DP: You began playing guitar at the age of nine and have been declared the best classical flamenco guitarist in the world, twice. What drew you to that particular instrument?

C: That’s a good question, thank you so much for asking. First of all, the guitar, you don’t need an orchestra with these six strings. If you have a good teacher, they will teach you where each finger needs to go. You can make your own concert just by playing that beautiful instrument. You listen to your heart, listen to your heartbeat, and let it go, but you have to practice, practice, practice. It’s a beautiful instrument. You will never catch me playing the drums or anything because the guitar is so sensual and intimate. Like I said, if you have a good teacher, each finger will know what job to do. They’re your accompaniment. You don’t need a big orchestra to make people listen, and my passion for the guitar started at an early age. I was born in a city that is now much bigger called Murcia, which is near Valencia, and it was Gypsy musicians that piqued my interest in the guitar. I was fascinated by the music they played and the dances they did. I was hooked by the age of seven or eight, and the technique that they use is very different from what schools teach now. I knew this was my instrument to play. 

DP: How often do you still practice playing guitar?

C: Believe it or not, three hours a day! To play the guitar, skill is necessary, and when I say skill, I’m not playing guitar with a pick, but with each finger. You get to know exactly the delight of where each finger goes in every case you’re performing. So, practicing for this girl is like vitamins. I need it. I go through all my favorite pieces like I am performing for an audience. If I don’t practice, then I feel guilty. I feel like I did something very wrong.

DP: Of course, you are known for your trademark expression, “Cuchi Cuchi!” How did that come about?

C: I am so happy with the “Cuchi Cuchi” expression because it has really taken me to the bank (laughs). What a legacy it has become, but honestly, it was an accident. What “Cuchi Cuchi” came from is such a disappointment for everybody when they know because everybody thinks that is sex. Cuchillo was the name of my dog, and he had a problem with his back. He couldn’t wiggle from side to side, he would wiggle back and forth, and I would copy his movement. I called him Cuchi for short, and it caught on with people. Now, of course, audiences expect me to say it all the time, but I don’t. I only say it once or twice in my shows.

DP: Are you currently working on any other music or acting projects?

C: Right now, I am working in business because my husband passed away a couple years ago, and I accumulated a lot of his business. I’m trying to teach my son and introduce him to business people and lawyers, and I’m not doing a good job (laughs). I was born to entertain people. 

DP: What are some future goals you hope to accomplish with your career?

C: I am a Capricorn, so there is much, much more that I want to accomplish. People think Capricorns are crazy, we are, but it’s because we’re passionate about what we do. We keep going, and right now, I’m excited to come to Florida to test the new show and some new music. It’s so exciting, and it keeps me going. I don’t know how to say goodbye!