Emilio Aragón

Cast · Director · Writer

Born

April 16, 1959 · Havana, Cuba

Birth name

Emilio Aragón Álvarez

Emilio Aragón comes from one of the most cherished artistic families in Spain that have travelled their art throughout Europe, Latin America and the U.S. for several generations. Gabriel, Emilio's great-grandfather, was a young seminarian pertaining to the bourgeoisie in the Granada of the XIX century. Just when he's about to become a priest, he hangs his cloth for love. Virginia Foureaux, a magnificent ecuyere, daughter of the owner of the "Grand Cirque Foureaux" is the responsible for such a drastic turn in his life. Gabriel was hired by the circus and travels half the world to be with the love of his life. But the young acrobatic-horsewoman did not make it any easy for him, after various times of asking her in marriage she confessed: "I will only marry the most famous clown in Europe"...and Gabriel decided to do just that. This is how he became the famous Gran Pepino, creating a new trend in clown history. Clown and ecuyere got married and had 15 children. Here is where the saga of great comedy artists begins and generation after generation have made from their artistic work a way of life. Pompoff, Thedy and Emig; their children Gaby, Fofó and Miliki (the latter being the father of Emilio Aragón). Miliki (Emilio's father) and his two brothers embark bound to Cuba with a four month contract in 1945 that, with their starting to work in a whole new media from the very beginning of its existence - the television media - transformed into a life of work and success in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela and the United States during 27 years. They shared stage with great talents of their time such as Buster Keaton or worked in TV programs such as The Ed Sullivan Show or The Jack Parr Show. In this context of an artistic nomad family, citizens of the world, Emilio Aragón is born in Havana in 1959. Since his very early age music, comedy, rehearsals, stages, TV studios are his playing companions. This environment of creativity and opening, the different experiences that Emilio accumulates while attending different schools at each new country where he arrives are responsible for his generous and enterprising spirit. His experiences shape a mosaic of culture, languages, music, faces that make his way of understanding life an integral artistic expression. Since his beginnings as an artist, Emilio seems to interpret life on a musical scale. This his how the first time he sets foot on a stage as a professional he does it representing a mute character and his only link to the world is an instrument. From that moment on, Emilio Aragón has turned into one of the most versatile and prestigious artist in Spain. His work develops with the same intensity and quality both in front as well as behind the cameras producing, writing, and directing scripted series for television with great success. In Classical music, among many other projects, he was commissioned by Plácido Domingo to orchestrate songs from his most recent work "Pasión Española" (Spanish Passion), winner of a Grammy Award. He has been invited to conduct the major and most prestigious Symphonic orchestras in Spain, being commissioned works such as his latest and most recently premiered (January,2011) Cantatafor Baritone,Choir and Orchestra "Largo Suspiro de Vida" (Long Sigh of Life) with text from Nobel Prize winner José Saramago. In the year 2007 he produced his first approach to the film world producing "Carlitos y el campo de los sueños" (Carlitos and the Field of Dreams), film that has achieved numerous International Awards around the world. Musician, scriptwriter, actor, producer. All these years of experience in the audiovisual world have led him in a natural way to the Cinematographic language. The production and directing of his opera prima "Pájaros de Papel" (Papaer birds), a lifelong dream, seems he has been dedicating his whole life to. Recently Emilio was nominated for Best First Director Award at 2011 GOYAS (Spanish Oscars). It is in films, by way of directing, where Emilio Aragón today has his home. Additionally, Emilio received Cum Laude degree in History as well as an Honorary PhD. in Art awarded to him by the University of Suffolk in Boston for his contribution to the world of communications and the arts. Emilio serves as the Vice President of the Action Against Hunger Foundation. He has travelled with the foundation on several occasions to get a closer look at the work it does on site and to promote its work. Within the framework of these trips several documentaries have been produced and shown on television. In Guatemala, "Mil colores y una esperanza" (A Thousand Colors and One Hope) was aired on Channel 2 in 2003, and in Mali, "Mali, el corazón del Sahel" (Mali, the Heart of the Sahel), was aired on Antena 3 in 2004. "Armenio" (Armenian) will be aired on La Casa Encendida on July 1st, 2010. Emilio serves as the President of the Stanza Foundation, which promotes projects and activities geared towards strengthening music in children, including productions like the CD recording "The Brave Tin Soldier" and the ballet "Snow White." Board member of the Dales la Palabra Foundation that organized the construction Tres Olivos, the first integrated school in Spain for children with hearing disabilities. Member of the Intermon Oxfam advisory board.