Farewell to Ricardo Finkel, the legendary producer of Frank Sinatra’s historic visit to the country

Ricardo Finkel, the music producer and manager of Frank Sinatra’s historic visit to Argentina in 1981, died 77 years later from health problems that affected his respiratory system, his relatives confirmed.

Among his long history, having spent most of his life in the world of entertainment, but also in football due to his possession of television rights in the country of FIFA, the chapter on Sinatra has always had a special place in his career.

Managing to bring Sinatra

Forty years ago, Sinatra came to the country for her presentations at Luna Park and at the Sheraton Hotel thanks to long negotiations sponsored by Finkel, with Palito Ortega as a partner.

“He was the main architect when Sinatra came to the country. An absolute lover of his music and his legend. I understand that this is the jewel of his life: who carried his idol as a boy,” he told the Télam agency. . journalist Diego Mancusi, co-author with Sebastián Grandi, of Operation Sinatraa book that narrates the details of that visit and does justice to the figure of the deceased producer.

With an almost unprecedented event in our country, since it has not been a regular venue for great international artists, “La Voz” has offered an exclusive dinner show on August 5, 6, 7 and 8 at the Sheraton Hotel, and then offered two other concerts on the 9th and 10th at Luna Park.

“The only reason Sinatra came to Argentina was because of my father. Palito Ortega joined as a financier just a year before he came. In ’75, my father started traveling to the United States to talk to people. of Sinatra: first with his secretary, then with Sinatra’s lawyer secretary and manager, until he finally found the lawyer, ”detailed his son Robbie Finkel.

After six years at the helm of these efforts, the Argentine producer got the go-ahead: “That possibility was taken because of the relationship he built, because he was someone who was linked to music. He had already taken it. Lalo Schiffrin, and they instead chose him.he for the relationship, though the offer was also good.

“When Sinatra’s lawyer arrived in Buenos Aires, big promoters came to the Sheraton from here with blank checks. And the lawyer complied, even though it wasn’t closed and the contract was signed and they had a verbal agreement,” he added.

ran out of money

The economic derivations that crossed the country threatened the return of the business economy and, like Ortega who went bankrupt, Finkel — with a smaller percentage — ended up losing his family’s home, although fulfilled he had the dream of his life.

The link between the two was created thanks to his father José Finkel, who discovered the singer’s talent, signed him as director for RCA and put him on screens across the country with the clan club.

Ricardo Finkel was a friend and partner of the singer at Relay, the first music publisher in Argentina, where he began a long journey as a producer and where he befriended talented entertainment and sports figures, from Diego Armando Maradona to Aníbal Troilo.

More production

Manager of other historic visits such as Al Di Meola, Billy Preston, Joan Báez and Tony Bennett, also promoted the careers of other figures in the world of entertainment such as Raúl Lavié and even Marcelo Tinelli as a football announcer.

News of his death reached the offices of Sinatra’s estate, and even his daughter Tina Sinatra contacted his family by phone in recent hours to express his condolences.

Finkel also envisioned in 2017 the “Sinatra Centennial Experience” exhibition at the Borges Cultural Center, which displayed endless photos and testimonies about that historic visit to celebrate the singer’s hundredth birthday anniversary.

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