Walter Mercado was a Puerto Rican astrologer, actor, dancer and writer, best known as a television personality for his show As an Astrologer. He was also known as ‘Shanti Nanda’ and ‘Walter of Miracles’.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Walter Mercado was born as ‘Walter Mercado Salinas’ on Wednesday, March 9, 1932 (age 87 at death) on a ship that departed from Spain for Puerto Rico. He grew up in Ponce, Puerto Rico. His zodiac sign is Pisces. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacology from the University of Puerto Rico. He also majored in psychology, astrology, cosmology, parapsychology, theater and dance. He took music lessons from Dr. Ludwig Szajovics. He is also an expert in dream interpretation and numerology. He learned astrology from a Jamaican teacher. She studied classical ballet from the Austrian teacher Madame Herta Brauer. Her teachers, Ruth Vera, Gloria Belmonte, and Gilda Navarra, taught her flamenco, Ana García taught her modern ballet, and Luisa Navas taught her folk ballet.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 9″
Eye colour: dark brown
Hair Color: Golden Blonde
Family and ethnicity
Walter Mercado’s father, José María Mercado, was from San Germán, Puerto Rico, and his mother, Aida Salinas, was from Catalonia, Spain. He had a brother named Henry. In 2003, he revealed that he was in a relationship with Mariette Detoto, with whom he shared a TV show.
Walter Mercado and Marriott Detoto
livelihood
as a dancer
He began his career as a dancer and was one of the most prolific dancers in Puerto Rico. He danced with famous Puerto Rican dancer, actress, comedian, politician and former senator Velda Gonzalez. She also partnered with Zaida Acosta, Irma Toro and Candy Cameron in the dance.
Walter Mercado strikes a sexy dance pose
as an actor
He made his debut with the production of Esther Pelás, and the telenovelas, Un adios en el recuerdo (A Farewell to the Memory) and Larga distancia (Long Distance), are his best-remembered works. She starred in the TV serials, Yo no pedi vivir historia de mi vida (1963), Ana rosa (1965), La mujer de aquella noche (1968), Recorder (1968), Entre el punal y la Cruz (1969), Una . Sombra (1970), and La Intrusa (1970). Later, he started doing stage tours and did theater in many countries. He is remembered for his performances in the theatrical plays Anastasia, Bodas de Sangre, La Dama de las Camelias, Androcles y el León, Los Cuatro Coronels, El Tripítico de Amor Dolar y Muerte, Todos los Hijos de Dios Tienen Alas (1960) goes. , and Look Back in Anger (Mirando hacia atras con ira) (1970).
As a celebrity astrologer
His career as a TV personality began when he was called in as a replacement for a guest who had failed to appear on a show produced by Puerto Rican actor, comedian and producer Elin Ortiz. He had to fill a 15-minute show slot by making astrological predictions. Impressed by his performance, he was made a regular feature on the show, where he would give astrological predictions. In 1970, he became a regular on the show, El Show de las 12. He hosted a weekly astrology show on the WKAQ-TV network. Years later, when the channel changed its programming, he moved his weekly program to WRIK-TV. In the 1980s, his show was broadcast on several channels in Latin America and the United States. After a brief stint at WRIK-TV, he moved his show to WKBM-TV. He also appeared in several radio broadcasts.
An old photo of Walter Mercado before his astrology show
In addition to TV channels, he also wrote forecasts for various newspapers, magazines and web pages, and was a daily columnist for the Miami Herald, El Nuevo Día in Puerto Rico, Hoy in Chicago, Hoy in Los Angeles, Listin Diario. Dominican Republic, and other newspapers in South and Central America. From the 1910s to the 1980s, his shows aired on the Univision network throughout the United States. From 1994 to 2009, he also appeared in the show Primer Impacto, broadcast on the Univision network.
Walter Mercado at Primer Impacto
In 2014, she became a business partner with Entertainment Events Edge, a Phoenix-based marketing and mobile application development company.
Other work
By the late 1980s, Mercado had written seven books. Among them, the book Más alla del Horizonte (Beyond the Horizon) (1997) was published in three languages, Spanish, English and Portuguese.
He has also written the books Menaces para vivir, co-authored with Dr. León Alberto Vásquez (date unknown), Encyclopédia de Walter Mercado (Tomo 1) (1983), Gua para una vida mejor (1997), and El mundo secreto de. Walter Mercado (Spanish version) (2010). He also founded a dramatic arts school, Walter Actors Studio 64, serving as its director, with Estrella Artou (a musician) as co-director, and Laura Martel as one of its teachers. She also taught dance and drama in school.
Awards and Achievements
- Titled Mister Television by the Association of Latin Entertainment Critics of New York
- Señor Television title at the Festival de Codazos in the Dominican Republic in 1972
- Awarded by the New Jersey House of Representatives
- The United States General Assembly proclaimed June 21 as Walter Mercado Day.
Proclamation of the General Assembly
- City of Miami Beach Certificate of Appreciation
- Honored with a bronze cast of his hand in the Gallery of the Immortals in Mexico City
Walter Mercado Bronze Mold
- Received Achievement Award from Alex Penelas, Mayor of Miami
- Doctor Laureate Degree from the Church of the Filobicentina in Valencia, Spain
- Crowned as the King of Astrology in New York in 1990
- Title of Astrologer for the New Millennium in 1999
- In 2000 he received the Life-Time Achievement Award (recognizing a lifetime dedicated to the arts and spirituality) by the Institute of Puerto Rican/Hispanic Elders.
- Benicio del Toro, Justino Díaz and other prominent Puerto Ricans were honored at the Puerto Ricans Gala in 2004.
controversies
- In 1995, Walter and Bart Enterprises International signed an agreement through which the company could produce material featuring Mercado’s psychic services using the “Walter Mercado” trademark as well as Mercado’s name and likeness. Under the arrangement, Walter received $25,000 from Bart on a monthly basis and $7,000 per month for costumes and extra work. However, in 2006, Walter suddenly stops producing material for Bart and, in turn, Bart stops paying Walter. In November 2006, he decided to terminate the contract with Bart citing unpaid compensation and around the same time, his company, Astromundo, also applied for the Walter Mercado trademark. Due to this, both the parties filed a case against each other. The decision came in Bart’s favor; Declaring that Bart can continue to use Mercado’s name and likeness in future commercial projects. Later, he settled the matter and regained rights to his name.
- In 1998, he was sued by a group of fans who had invested in a jewelry brand called Unique Gems International Corp. after Walter endorsed pearls with special healing powers. In 2006, the company’s chairman was sentenced to 14 years in prison for defrauding 16,000 people in a $90 million conspiracy.
Death
In January 2012, he was admitted to the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, following cardiac problems. Later his health became weak. He died at Auxilio Mutuo Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico of kidney failure on the night of Saturday, November 2, 2019. He was buried in the Senorial Memorial Park in Cuépé Barrio, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Burial of Walter Mercado
Facts/General Knowledge
- In his childhood he was known as ‘Walter de los Milagros’. When he was six years old, he made his first prophecy when he warned his teacher that the school bell would fall. His prediction proved true when an earthquake occurred the next day and the bell fell with a loud sound.
- According to Walter, he had spiritual abilities from a very young age. Talking about this he said,
Since I was very young I have had revelations and visions. People followed me so I could touch them for good luck or health. I always keep giving that touch of love and he believes that that touch of love works miracles. That’s why they call me Walter of Miracles.
- In October 2010, he changed his name to ‘Shanti Anand’, a Sanskrit word meaning ‘peace happiness’.
- They named themselves according to different regions, such as Swami Shyam and Swami Ram Chaitanya in New Delhi, Swami Chidvilas in Poona, Bombay and Swami Shanti Anand in Oregon.
- On February 2, 2015, Walter Mercado and Entertainment Events AZ launched ‘www.waltermercado.com’. This site was developed to allow Mercado fans to hear his daily horoscope, get tarot readings, zodiac compatibility, predictions, and ask questions to Walter Mercado.
- In 2014, she launched a dating site ‘www.passionlatinos.com’ and ‘Línea Cautivadora’, which includes Zodiac soaps, body lotions, body mists, scented candles and beaded jewellery.
- In May 2015, Walter Mercado and Entertainment Events AZ launched mobile applications for iOS (iTunes) and Android.
- He was multilingual and was fluent in Spanish, French, English, Italian, Portuguese and Greek.
- He was also noted for his close resemblance to American pianist, singer and actor Liberace.
Liberace
- Whenever Walter appeared on TV, he used to wear a heavy hat. In 2019, he put most of his famous hats and sculpture on exhibit at the HistoryMiami Museum.
Walter Mercado’s capes on display
- He used to end his show with this phrase,
Pero sobre todo, mucho, mucho, mucho armor”
- Walter always challenged the notion of gender. He believed in the philosophy of duality (Ying and Yang) in nature and believed that they contained both male and female energies. When asked about his sexuality he said,
People want to know if Walter is straight, gay, metrosexual, bisexual – I don’t care,” he said. “I’m here, I am who I am, that’s all. I am very connected to people and God for this. That I look feminine with the cape? Everyone knows we have two energies – yin and yang – and I know how to balance them. If I want to be a warrior, that’s what I will be. If I want to be soft and subtle, I can be that too.
- Walter studied many religions, including Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam (Sufism), and Taoism.
- He predicted for many people, two of his most famous predictions were Bill Clinton being elected as US President and Madonna being elected as ‘Eva Peron’ in the film Evita (1996).
- He was an avid dog lover and had a pet dog named Roona.
Walter Mercado with his dog
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn