CARLOS & THE BULL

Mark Volman & Howard Kaylan, Barnaby Conrad

    SPOKEN:

On the 23rd of August in 1947

A peon and a bull killed each other in the ring

And plunged an entire nation into deep mourning

The bull’s name was Buddy

And he was of the dreaded Milos strain

The man’s name was Carlos

And he was considered to be

the bravest and most skillful matadors of those times

Ole for the brave matador

Ole for his scarlet muleta

Ole for his ”el naturale“

Ole for the matador

He must face…de bull

   SPOKEN:

Y huela, Carlos, what do they want?

I know very well what they want

And one of these afternoons I may give it to them

And keep them happy

Ole for the man with the sword

Let’s boo the fat Picador

A tear for the death destined Miura

Ole for the matador

He must fight de bull

His suit of light, he wears to fight

It’s not too tight, it fits just right

He prays tonight for he must fight

He must fight…de bull

   SPOKEN:

Chimo, I want the dress cape with the roses

They always brings luck

 I don’t see any reason

Why we should not start this affair

Ole for the bull bread to kill

Ole for the man who must meet him

   Ole for brave matador

Ole for the matador he must kill…

   SPOKEN:

He died?  He died?  And they did not give us anything?

Si, Carlos.  Every thing.  Both ears and the tail

The roses, they did not bring us luck today

how my mother will suffer

I…I can’t feel nothing in my left leg!

I…I can’t feel nothing in my right leg!

Are..are my eyes open?  I cannot see!

And he fell back dead (…thud)

De bull…..

De bull…..

   SPOKEN: 

They kept demanding more and more of him

And more was his life

So he gave it to them

Here is the real story

Of all the bullfighters who have died in bullfights, Manolete is the most famous. He died in the ring in Linares on August 28th in 1947. The Museum of Bullfighting in Cordoba is dedicated to him.

Manuel Rodríguez Sánchez, "Manolete",was born in Córdoba in 1917. By the age of 12 he had already given several "capotazos" and the following year made his public debut in the Montilla school of bullfighting (Cordoba). He then became an itinerant member of the bullfighting show "Los Califas".

In June 1939 he fought as a "Novillero"(novice) and one month later becomes a fully fledged bullfighter, receiving his "alternativa", (a ceremony in which a bullfighter authorizes a novice to take his place among the doctorate bullfighters) in Chiclanero, Seville. He confirmed his "alternativa" in Madrid on 12th October of the same year at the hands of Marcial Lalanda. The great Juan Belmonte was the other matador on that unforgettable afternoon when Manolete proved his brilliance to the bullfighting world. By the end of the season he had fought 16 bullfights and had unbeatable prospects for the coming season.

In 1940 he appeared at all the top bullfights in Seville, Alicante, Bilbao, Barcelona and Madrid and became the star of Spanish bullfighting. At the end of the 1945 season he travelled to South America where his astounding successes in the bullrings of Mexico. Peru, Venezuela and Colombia made him the most famous bullfighter in the world.

An ongoing rivalry existed with the Mexican Carlos Arruza and with the young bullfighter Luis Miguel Dominguin who challenged him publically. The resulting bullfight in which Manolete triumphed in the Bullring of Las Ventas in Madrid would be his last in this cathedral of bullfighting. 

Just days before the 28th August 1947 the announcements appeared at the Linares Bullring (Jaen) that Manolete would fight the fierce Miura bulls alongside Gitanillo de Triana and Luis Miguel Dominguin. The afternoon arrived and 10,500 people packed into the bullring in suffocation heat to watch their idol.

With Manolete's first bull he fought a brilliant faena, then came his second bull, the fifth of the day. The bull was called Islero and it was a truly fierce Miura. After another superb demonstration of bullfighting Manolete prepared for the kill. The steel of his sword disappeared deep into the beast but immediately afterwards the bull's horn dug deep into the bullfighter’s right thigh. Manolete complained bitterly as he was carried to the infirmary. 

In the bullring he is awarded both ears of the bull for his display. But back in the infirmary he is given several blood transfusions but his state remains grave. Dr. Giménez Guinea, then official doctor of the Madrid bullring is called upon to attend, arriving at 4 o’clock. Within an hour the great matador is dead. The tragedy leaves the whole of Spain and all the world enthusiasts in a complete state of shock.