Vicente ‘Chente’ Fernández, ‘El Rey’ of ranchera music, has died at 81

Vicente Fernández, an icon of traditional Mexican music, has died. He was 81. The announcement from his family did not give a cause of death, but the singer had been hospitalized since August, after a fall at his Guadalajara ranch in the central state of Jalisco required an emergency spinal surgery.

While in the hospital, he had also been diagnosed with Guillain–Barré syndrome, an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the body’s nerves, his family had reported to media. Following months of steady improvement, his health had taken a turn for the worse in recent days.

Fernández was largely considered the last living legend of the Mexican ranchera, the style of song deeply rooted in the values and traditions of rural Mexico. He sang about honor and courtship, cockfights and rodeos, love and heartbreak – all while dressed in the elegantly embroidered costume of the charro, Mexico’s chivalrous cowboy, and accompanied by a full mariachi ensemble.