El Cariño Es Como Una Flor

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}

{{Infobox song

| name = El Cariño Es Como Una Flor

| cover =

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Rudy La Scala

| album = Cuando Yo Amo

| released = {{start date|1990}}

| recorded = 1989–1990

| studio = Audio Uno
(Caracas, Venezuela)

| venue =

| genre = Latin

| length = 4:13

| label = Sonotone

| writer = Rudy La Scala

| producer = Rudy La Scala

| prev_title = Mi Vida Eres Tú

| prev_year = 1985

| next_title = Por Qué Tu Eres La Reina

| next_year = 1990

}}

"El Cariño Es Como Una Flor" ("Love is Like a Flower") is a song written, produced and performed by Italo-Venezuelan singer-songwriter Rudy La Scala. It was released as the lead single from Scala's fourth studio album Cuando Yo Amo (1990), and became his first number-one single in the Billboard Top Latin Songs chart while the aforementioned album peaked at number four in the Latin Pop Albums chart.{{cite web |title=Rudy LaScala — Cuando Yo Amo — Billboard Albums |work=Allmusic |publisher=Macromedia Corporation |url={{Allmusic|class=album|id=r565600/charts-awards|pure_url=yes}}|accessdate=July 23, 2010}} The song became one of his better-known compositions after the success of the theme song from the soap opera Cristal, "Mi Vida Eres Tú", which broke sales records.{{cite web |title=Biografía de Rudy La Escala |language=Spanish |publisher=musica.com|url=http://www.musica.com/letras.asp?info=9163&biografia=17689&idf=5 |accessdate=July 23, 2010 }}

The song debuted on the Billboard Top Latin Songs chart (formerly Hot Latin Tracks) at number 35 on April 14, 1990 and rose to the top ten two weeks later.{{cite web |title=El Cariño Es Como Una Flor — April 14, 1990 |publisher=Billboard |date=April 1, 1990|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/1990-04-14/latin-songs?order=gainer |accessdate=July 7, 2010 }}{{cite web |title=El Cariño Es Como Una Flor — April 28, 1990 |publisher=Billboard |date=April 1, 1990|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/1990-04-28/latin-songs|accessdate=July 7, 2010 }} It reached the top position of the chart on June 23, 1990, replacing Mexican singer-songwriter Ana Gabriel's "Quién Como Tú" and being succeeded by "Tengo Todo Excepto a Tí" by Luis Miguel four weeks later.{{cite web |title=El Cariño Es Como Una Flor — June 23, 1990 |publisher=Billboard |date=June 2, 1990|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/1990-06-23/latin-songs|accessdate=July 23, 2010 }}{{cite web |title=Tengo Todo Excepto a Tí — July 21, 1990 |publisher=Billboard |date=July 2, 1990|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/1990-07-21/latin-songs |accessdate=July 23, 2010 }} The same week the song peak atop the Hot Latin Tracks chart, "Tesoro Mío" performed by Guillermo Dávila and Kiara and written by La Scala, also reached its peak at number three.{{cite web |title=Rudy LaScala — Songs — Songs Composed By (page 2) |work=Allmusic |publisher=Macromedia Corporation |url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p29219/songs/songs-composed-by|pure_url=yes}} |accessdate=July 23, 2010}} At the end of 1990, "El Cariño Es Como Una Flor" ranked as the best performing Latin single of the year.

{{cite magazine

| last =

| first =

| date = November 2, 1998| title = Topping The Charts Year By Year

| magazine = Billboard

| publisher = Nielsen Business Media, Inc.

| volume = 110

| issue = 48

| page = LMQ3

| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=MAoEAAAAMBAJ&q=rudy+la+scala&pg=RA1-PA38

| accessdate = August 3, 2010}} The song spent 25 weeks within the Top 40 and became the first top ten single for the singer in the chart, and first number-one hit.{{cite web |title=Rudy LaScala — Charts & Awards |work=Allmusic |publisher=Macromedia Corporation |url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p29219/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}} |accessdate=August 4, 2010}} "El Carino Es Como Una Flor" was nominated for Pop Song of the Year at the Lo Nuestro Awards and has been covered by several performers including Grupo Sonni, José Antonio Santana, Jossie Esteban y la Patrulla 15, Vinicio Quezada and Oscar Sánchez.{{cite news|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1991-05-24/features/9102280309_1_latin-music-awards-nuestro-mexican-singer|title=Hispanic Music Industry Salutes Its Best Wednesday|work=Sun-Sentinel|publisher=Tribune Company|last=Lannert|first=John|date=May 24, 1991|accessdate=August 16, 2013|archive-date=October 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002050941/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1991-05-24/features/9102280309_1_latin-music-awards-nuestro-mexican-singer|url-status=dead}}{{cite web |title=Rudy LaScala — Songs — Songs Composed By (page 1) |work=Allmusic |publisher=Macromedia Corporation |url={{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p29219/songs/songs-composed-by|pure_url=yes}} |accessdate=July 23, 2010}} In 2013, Dominican singer Alex Matos covered the song in salsa for his album El Salsero de Ahora.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/el-salsero-de-ahora-mw0002483500|title=Alex Matos – El Salsero de la Ahora|work=Allmusic|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|accessdate=June 23, 2013}} A bachata version was also recorded by Matos in a duet with Andy Andy which was released as a single.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Cari%C3%B1o-Como-Flor-Bachata-Version/dp/B008QPTVOW|title=El Cariño Es Como Una Flor|website=Amazon |accessdate=June 23, 2013}} The bachata version peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Tropical Songs chart.{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=alex matos|chart=Tropical Airplay}}|title=Alex Matos: Chart history – Latin Tropical Airplay|magazine=Billboard|publisher=Prometheus Global Media|accessdate=June 23, 2013}}