Last updated: 3 hours ago
One of Mexico's seminal songwriters during the pre-war era, Agustin Lara wrote favorites including "Granada," "Solamente una Vez," "Maria Bonita," "Farolito," and "Palabras de Mujer." Lara excelled in a variety of song styles -- ranchera, bolero, tropical songs, even the occasional tango -- and brought a cosmopolitan flair to the Old West while vivifying many early Mexican films with his rich music. Born in 1897 in Mexico City (though he would often name Veracruz as his birthplace), Lara took piano lessons and ended up playing in a bordello until his father sent him to military school. He was soon back in the music world however, playing piano around Mexico City and, by 1928, having his compositions recorded. ("Imposible" was the first, by Adelaido Castelleda's orchestra.) He wrote most of his legendary songs between 1930 and 1939, while touring around South America and performing often on national radio. He also began composing for film, and contributed much to a golden era of Mexican film (basically from the mid-'30s to the late '40s) that roughly paralleled America's. During the '50s and early '60s, Lara cemented his international star status by touring Europe to wide acclaim. Though his popularity diminished in the '60s, he stepped back into the limelight several times before his death from a heart attack in 1970. Dozens of artists have performed Lara's songs, including <a href="spotify:artist:44w5lL6V07MCIaEX3aba8R">Xavier Cugat</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:05b7BsGIAsGlKSzmlWmLhy">Desi Arnaz</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7v4imS0moSyGdXyLgVTIV7">Nat King Cole</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6ZjFtWeHP9XN7FeKSUe80S">Bing Crosby</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0qZlB7IX5lWPhlxsayt31p">Lola Beltran</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:2weA6hhVqTIN2gSn9PUB9U">Celia Cruz</a>. On the centenary of his birth, <a href="spotify:artist:4pU3BpenOZFEBzORx2YBJW">Placido Domingo</a> recorded a full album of Lara compositions, Por Amor. ~ John Bush, Rovi
Monthly Listeners
436,653
Monthly Listeners History
Track the evolution of monthly listeners over the last 28 days.
Followers
356,129
Followers History
Track the evolution of followers over the last 28 days.
Top Cities
65,159 listeners
11,301 listeners
10,176 listeners
8,675 listeners
7,205 listeners
Related Artists
Toña La Negra Y Daniel Santos
Roberto Cantoral
Amparo Montes
Antonio Badu
Lupita Palomera
