Agustín Lara

Agustín Lara was born in Tlacotalpan, Mexico in 1897. He started playing piano in silent film theaters and nightclubs, and by 1930 he had his first hit with "María Bonita." His father was a military bandmaster, which gave him an early grounding in music.

He wrote over 600 songs, mostly romantic boleros. Some of the most enduring ones are "Granada," "Solamente Una Vez," and "Noche De Ronda." These songs became standards in Latin American music, covered by countless singers over the decades.

Lara worked with vocalists like Toña la Negra and Pedro Vargas, and his music was often backed by groups like Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán. He recorded dozens of albums throughout his career, including collections like "Agustín Lara y sus Boleros Inmortales" from 1960.

But the songs themselves, "Madrid," "Mujer," "Amor de mis amores", kept finding their way into the repertoire of singers and orchestras long after he was gone.