José Padilla, the highly influential Ibiza DJ who helped define chillout with his Café del Mar compilations, has died aged 64 from colon cancer. The news was confirmed by his family on social media.
“His family and friends would like to say thank you to everybody who sent donations and messages of support to help make his last few months easier, and to all the staff of Can Misses Hospital for taking care of him until the end,” a message on his Instagram reads. “Now he has gone and the sunset in Ibiza will never be the same without him, but the beautiful music of José Padilla will stay with us forever. Adiós maestro.”
Padilla was born in Barcelona in 1955 but moved to Ibiza in 1976, where he made his name as resident DJ at Café del Mar, the San Antonio bar that became synonymous with playing chillout music while patrons enjoyed the island’s beautiful sunsets. He created the widely successful Café del Mar compilation series in 1993, which went on to sell thousands of copies around the world. In addition to being an active DJ for over four decades, he also made his own music, releasing his first album Souvenir in 1998 via Mercury Records. His final album, So Many Colours, came out in 2015.
“José Padilla chilled a generation of clubbers and his art touched the lives of millions,” Café del Mar wrote in a statement on Twitter. “He will always be remembered as the Godfather of Chillout, creator of Café del Mar compilations, and true Ibiza Legend.”
