José Padilla, a Spanish disc jockey known as the Emperor of Chill for the chill-out music he played at sets in Ibiza, has died
MADRID — José Padilla, a Spanish disc jockey known as the Emperor of Chill for the chill-out music he played at sets in Ibiza, has died. He was 64.
Padilla died Sunday night at a hospital on the Mediterranean island, Spanish private news agency Europa Press reported Tuesday.
The report provided no cause of death. Padilla tweeted in August that he had undergone surgery for cancer.
The Café del Mar bar in Ibiza, where Padilla made his name with sets played at sunset, said in a tweet that he “chilled a generation of clubbers and his art touched the lives of millions” through album sales.
Padilla was behind the celebrated Café del Mar musical compilation series. He had a wide range of musical tastes, including pastoral groups such as the Penguin Café Orchestra, maverick singer songwriters like John Martyn, flamenco, bossa nova and dub.
Padilla arrived in Ibiza from Barcelona in 1975 and worked as a waiter before starting as a DJ.