AGUSTIN LARA
Ángel Agustín María Carlos Fausto Mariano Alfonso del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Lara y Aguirre del Pino known as Agustin Lara was a Mexican singer, actor and song writer born in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz on October 30 1900. His family later moved to Mexico City settling in the district of Coyoacán. After his mother’s passing, Lara and his family lived in a hospice run by their aunt; It was there that he had his first contact with music. Lara’s first musical composition was “Marucha,” written in honor of his first love. He composed about 700 songs although only about 420 are documented. He created a very personal style of composition that transformed Urban Song in Mexico and strongly influenced those of Latin America and Spain. In 1927 Lara started working for tenor Juan Arvizu as composer and accompanist, he was performing in cabarets, had a successful radio career and acted and composed songs for films. Although he had no academic training he understood and learned diverse musical legacies such as the habanera, danzón, tango, foxtrot, and above all the “trova yucateca” (a strongly modified the Cuban bolero).
His lyrics and music was influenced by popular genres of his time, notably the tango, traditional Mexican songs, waltz, and ranchera songs. His songs of Spanish genres gained international success, especially his boleros (a genre of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance). In 1933 he had many successful tours in South America as well as new masterpieces such as “Solamente Una Vez,” “Veracruz,” “Tropicana,” and “Pecadora” increased his fame. Solamente Una Vez (Only One Time) was later by artist such as Luis Miguel, Nat King Cole, and Julio Inglesa . By the beginning of the 1940’s, Lara had conquered fame in Spain. As an appreciation for Lara’s Spanish themed songs, such as “Toledo,” “Granada,” and “Madrid,” Spain’s ruler Franco gave him a house in Granada; and a statue of Lara sculpted by Humberto that still stands in Madrid. He sustained a remarkable public presence from 1930 until his death. In 1968 after his health began to decline Lara fractured his pelvis in an accident which worsened his wellbeing. On November 6, 1970 Lara died and was buried in Mexico City.
DISCOGRAPHY
“Solamente Una Vez” (Only One Time) released in 1933
*there were no other records of Lara’s musical work.
Bibliography
Eduardo Contreras Soto. "Lara, Agustín." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. <http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/16022>.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agustin_Lara
Ángel Agustín María Carlos Fausto Mariano Alfonso del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Lara y Aguirre del Pino known as Agustin Lara was a Mexican singer, actor and song writer born in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz on October 30 1900. His family later moved to Mexico City settling in the district of Coyoacán. After his mother’s passing, Lara and his family lived in a hospice run by their aunt; It was there that he had his first contact with music. Lara’s first musical composition was “Marucha,” written in honor of his first love. He composed about 700 songs although only about 420 are documented. He created a very personal style of composition that transformed Urban Song in Mexico and strongly influenced those of Latin America and Spain. In 1927 Lara started working for tenor Juan Arvizu as composer and accompanist, he was performing in cabarets, had a successful radio career and acted and composed songs for films. Although he had no academic training he understood and learned diverse musical legacies such as the habanera, danzón, tango, foxtrot, and above all the “trova yucateca” (a strongly modified the Cuban bolero).
His lyrics and music was influenced by popular genres of his time, notably the tango, traditional Mexican songs, waltz, and ranchera songs. His songs of Spanish genres gained international success, especially his boleros (a genre of slow-tempo Latin music and its associated dance). In 1933 he had many successful tours in South America as well as new masterpieces such as “Solamente Una Vez,” “Veracruz,” “Tropicana,” and “Pecadora” increased his fame. Solamente Una Vez (Only One Time) was later by artist such as Luis Miguel, Nat King Cole, and Julio Inglesa . By the beginning of the 1940’s, Lara had conquered fame in Spain. As an appreciation for Lara’s Spanish themed songs, such as “Toledo,” “Granada,” and “Madrid,” Spain’s ruler Franco gave him a house in Granada; and a statue of Lara sculpted by Humberto that still stands in Madrid. He sustained a remarkable public presence from 1930 until his death. In 1968 after his health began to decline Lara fractured his pelvis in an accident which worsened his wellbeing. On November 6, 1970 Lara died and was buried in Mexico City.
DISCOGRAPHY
“Solamente Una Vez” (Only One Time) released in 1933
*there were no other records of Lara’s musical work.
Bibliography
Eduardo Contreras Soto. "Lara, Agustín." Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. <http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/16022>.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agustin_Lara