José Padilla has died aged 64
José Padilla, the legendary Ibiza DJ and chillout pioneer, has died aged 64.
A statement posted to Padilla’s Facebook page confirmed that he had sadly passed away over the weekend after a battle with colon cancer.
“It is with great sadness that we bring you the news that José passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday night here on his beloved island of Ibiza”, the statement reads.
“Now he has gone and the sunset in Ibiza will never be the same without him , but the beautiful music of Jose Padilla will stay with us forever.”
In early ’90s, Padilla pioneered chillout music via his residency at the Café Del Mar bar, a compilation series that sold thousands of copies across the world and became synonymous with the island’s sunsets. During his extended sunset sessions, José’s blend of dub, downtempo electronica, lounge, ambient and beyond, laid the foundations for the development of the balearic beat sound.
Tributes to Padilla have poured in from the electronic community, including from Café del Mar, who posted on Twitter: “José Padilla chilled a generation of clubbers and his art touched the lives of millions. He will always be remembered as the Godfather of Chillout, creator of ‘Café del Mar’ compilations, and true Ibiza Legend.”
José Padilla chilled a generation of clubbers and his art touched the lives of millions. He will always be remembered as the Godfather of Chillout, creator of Café del Mar compilations, and true Ibiza Legend. 🌅 pic.twitter.com/KRtMluYkQv
— Café del Mar (@CafedelMar_Ibz) October 19, 2020
RIP José Padilla. 🙏
Pioneer of the Balearic sound, and the legend behind Café del Mar. 🌅 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/Lb7B6YGm7f
— Ministry of Sound (@ministryofsound) October 19, 2020
So sad to hear about Jose Padilla passing.. he was a massive influence on me as a DJ from the first time @graphite1 took me to the Cafe Del Mar and Jose made me cry with a beautifully synced sunset… he made so many moments like that for people … RIP Jose xx pic.twitter.com/aqcURwmY9N
— Rob da Bank (@RobdaBank) October 20, 2020
