Real name: Israel Rafael Esmar Rojas

Chilean born (Cerro Navia, a commune near Santiago, the capital of Chile, May 3, 1970 - Buenos Aires, Argentina, February 3, 2011), Rafael and his family had to leave Chile after the military coup and settled in Argentina, with such bad luck that in 1976 the arrival of the military to power forced them to emigrate again. During the next eight years in Germany, Rafael began to be known for his powerful voice while singing rancheras with his brothers. At 14 began to sing tangos in the style of Carlos Gardel.
His imitation of Gardel, which he improved over the years, made him be known as "El Gardel chileno" (The Chilean Gardel). After finishing one of his performances in "La esquina de Gardel", on his way home, he suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest that ended his life. Instead of helping him, some petty thieves stole his wallet and the valuables he was carrying, so the body was not identified for his family until four days later.