Charo

María Rosario Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza, known professionally as Charo, is a Spanish-born entertainer. Born in Murcia, Spain, she claims to have been born on January 15, 1951, though official records suggest a birthdate of March 13, 1941. Her parents were Luis Martinez Oliva and Carmen Molina Baeza. Charo is recognized as an actress, singer, comedian, and flamenco guitarist, demonstrating versatility across several artistic disciplines. She began playing classical guitar at age nine under Andrés Segovia and studied Flamenco and Classical Guitar in Murcia.

During the 1960s, Charo became widely known internationally through appearances on American television, a rise significantly influenced by her marriage to Xavier Cugat in 1966. Cugat "discovered" her in 1964 while filming a television special and they married on August 7, 1966, becoming the first couple to wed at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. She is known for her energetic performances and catchphrase "cuchi-cuchi." Charo released disco recordings with Salsoul Records in the 1970s, including the album Dance a Little Bit Closer (1977), and other albums like Cuchi, cuchi (1977) and Olé, olé (1978). She also appeared in films such as Tiger by the tail (1968) and Aeropuerto 80 (1979).

Charo’s career continued with appearances on The Hollywood Squares from 1982 to 1988, and a role in Chico and The Man after Freddie Prinze's death. Additionally, Charo featured as a participant in the third season of The Surreal Life and had a brief role on The Simpsons, where she performed the song “My name is Charo, I shake my Maracas.” Her flamenco recording, Guitar Passion (1994), received the award for Female Pop Album of the Year at the Billboard International Latin Music Conference in 1995. She became a U.S. citizen in 1977 and later remarried Kjell Rasten in 1978, having one son, Shel Rasten, who is a drummer for Treazen. Charo has lived in Hawaii, performing regularly at the Outrigger Hotel and running a restaurant on Kauai. She is considered a social media icon with a presence on Instagram where she posts about upcoming shows, nutrition, and exercise tips; a vinyl record featuring "Dance a Little Bit Closer" was released in 2023, including signed copies dedicated to each purchaser.