Oscar Athié
Óscar Eduardo Athié Furlong (born 3 February 1958) is a Mexican singer and songwriter of romantic ballads. He was a popular recording artist in Mexico during the 1980s, and his best-known song is "Fotografía" (1983).[1] He stopped recording in the early 1990s to concentrate on the hospitality sector in Acapulco.[2]
Early life
Athié was born in Acapulco.[3] He studied medicine at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, qualifying as a surgeon and obstetrician.[3]
Career
Athié turned professional in 1981 after winning La Voz, a singing competition run by the Mexico City newspaper El Heraldo de México; the actress Verónica Castro acted as his sponsor in the contest.[3] The win led to a contract with the label Discos Gamma.[4]
His debut album Conóceme ("Get to know me") appeared in 1982 and included "Perdóname por no poder quererte" ("I'm sorry I couldn't love you"), the first song he recorded and one of his own compositions.[3] "Fotografía" ("Photograph"), released in 1983, became the song most closely associated with him.[1]
In 1984 Athié reached the final of the OTI Festival with "Tengo que empezar a amarme un poco más" ("I have to start loving myself a little more"), which he had written himself.[5]
Athié's relationship with the actress Érika Buenfil during the 1980s attracted press attention; Buenfil has said the two were together for around eleven years and that the relationship ended when Athié did not attend a family gathering arranged to announce their engagement.[6] Athié has said that "Fotografía" was written after one of their separations.[1]
As a songwriter he worked with Aleks Syntek and Omar Alfanno, among others.[5] "Y ahora juntos" ("And now together"), co-written with Lorena Tassinari, was recorded as a duet with Yuri and later with Laura Flores and with Tassinari.[1] He released eight albums between 1982 and 1990.[2] In October 2010 Mexico's Society of Authors and Composers(es) recognized his career.[5]
Later life
After leaving music Athié ran hotel and restaurant businesses in Acapulco. By 2014 he was deputy director of the Promotora Turística (State Tourism Agency) of Guerrero, the state where Acapulco is located.[2]
In 2015 he described himself as returning to the city to invest as a restaurant partner in the Zona Dorada district.[7]
In May 2014 he was detained in Acapulco by the Federal Ministerial Police in connection with alleged violations of Mexico's federal tax code, alleging that he had changed his registered fiscal address without notification and concealed accounting records involving approximately one million pesos (about 75230 U.S. dollars at the time). He was released three days later on bail of 20,000 pesos (about 1505 U.S. dollars at the time).[2]
After Hurricane Otis struck Acapulco in October 2023, Athié joined a caravan of residents that travelled to Mexico City to request additional federal relief funding.[8]
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Translation | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Conóceme | "Get to Know Me" | Gamma |
| 1983 | Quiero llenarme de ti | "I Want to Fill Myself with You" | Gamma |
| 1984 | Historias | "Stories" | Gamma |
| 1985 | Desde muy hondo | "From Very Deep Within" | Gamma |
| 1986 | Realidades | "Realities" | Gamma |
| 1987 | Eterna Navidad | "Christmas Eternal" | Gamma |
| 1988 | Encuentros | "Meetings" | Gamma |
| 1990 | Ilusión divina | "Divine Illusion" | Gamma |
Selected songs
Songs released by Athié include:[6][3]
- "Perdóname por no poder quererte" ("I'm sorry I couldn't love you")
- "Fotografía" ("Photograph")
- "Tengo que empezar a amarme un poco más" ("I have to start loving myself a little bit more")
- "Y ahora juntos" ("And now together")
- "La Marimorena", a traditional Christmas carol in the Spanish-speaking world
- "Soy tuyo" ("I'm yours")
- "Voy a amarte" ("I'm going to love you")
- "Nos equivocamos" ("We made a mistake")
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Óscar Athié, el cantante que le rompió el corazón a Erika Buenfil y le dio la espalda a la fama" [Óscar Athié, the singer who broke Erika Buenfil's heart and turned his back on fame]. La Voz de Michoacán (in Spanish). 9 November 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Por delito fiscal, Óscar Athié pisó la cárcel tres días". El Universal (in Spanish). Mexico City. 21 May 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Óscar Athié". El Norte (in Spanish). Grupo Reforma. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- ↑ "Óscar Athié". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Detienen al cantante Óscar Athié por fraude contable". Sipse (in Spanish). 20 May 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- 1 2 "¿Qué fue de Óscar Athié, que dejó plantada a Érika Buenfil?". Mural (in Spanish). Guadalajara: Grupo Reforma. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
- ↑ Serna, Salvador (6 July 2015). "Invierte el cantautor Oscar Athié en el ramo restaurantero en Acapulco". El Sur (in Spanish). Acapulco. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
- ↑ "Oscar Athié, el cantante que le rompió el corazón a Erika Buenfil". Yahoo Vida y Estilo (in Spanish). 31 December 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2026.