Antonio Aguilar Barraza (born José Pascual Antonio Aguilar Márquez Barraza; 17 May 1919 – 19 June 2007) was a Mexican singer, actor, songwriter, equestrian, film producer, and screenwriter. During his career, he recorded over 150 albums, which sold 25 million copies, and acted in more than 120 films. He was given the honorific nickname "El Charro de México" (Mexico's Horseman) because he is credited with popularizing the Mexican equestrian sport la charrería to international audiences.
Aguilar began his career singing on the Mexican radio station XEW in 1950. That same year, he signed a contract with the Mexican independent label Musart Records and became one of its best-selling artists. He made his acting debut with Pedro Infante in the drama Un rincón cerca del cielo (1952). After appearing in gentleman roles in several films, he achieved popularity as a film star with his performance as lawman Mauricio Rosales in a series of seven films in the mid-1950s. His success increased with his tours throughout Latin America and his studio albums, which included Mexican folk songs (rancheras) and ballads (corridos). A corridor is not a slow romantic song ballad, as it is used in modern US to refer to slow songs of romance, but rather to a story for e.g The ballad of the Alamo by Mary Robbins. it is 2 different meanings per the dictionary )meaning 1 and 2). In the 1960s, he focused on producing and starring in films set in the Mexican Revolution. In 1970, he won Latin ACE Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Emiliano Zapata in the 1970 epic film of the same name. He also portrayed Pancho Villa twice in film. In 1997, Aguilar was awarded the Golden Ariel for his "invaluable contribution and spreading of Mexican cinema". To this day, he has been the only Hispanic artist to sell out the Madison Square Garden of New York City for six consecutive nights in 1997.