Number one song Besame Mucho

Number one song Besame Mucho
World’s number one song Besame Mucho appeared during the second World War, in 1940. Its author, a beautiful young Mexican girl of sixteen, Consuelo Velazquez. Plain lyrics and passionate Latin American melody became close to people all over the world. Number one song Besame Mucho was sung by Placido Domingo, The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Dalida, and even the State Choir of the Soviet Army under Alexandrov. There are hundreds of its performances in instrumental versions, as well as numerous translations into 120 languages.

Mexico at that time was a pulsating center of culture – there worked David Alfaro Siqueiros, Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo. Consuelito Velázquez lived in this cultural brew, dreaming of Hollywood stardom, luster and gloss. Like any girl, she dreamed of love. The words and music were formed in a moment, like blessing from heaven. A miracle happened – the song of the century was born!

Pianist and composer Consuelo Velazquez was born in Mexico in Sapotlan spruce Grande August 21 (according to other sources 29 August) in 1924. Her parents – Isaac Velazquez del Valle and Maria de Jesus Torres Ortiz de Velázquez. After the early death of her parents, in her upbringing and education were engaged uncle and aunt on the mother’s side. Since childhood, her passion was music. Her best friend was a piano and she soon began writing songs. Consuelito Velázquez quickly learned how to interpret the music she heard.

Later the family moved to the city of Guadalajara, where she spent her childhood and adolescence. Then she moved to Mexico City, where she entered musical school. The song “Besame Mucho” was written by her at the age of 16, under the impression of heard aria from the opera “Goyescas”, written by a famous Spanish composer Enrique Granados (1867-1916). In 1944, “Besame Mucho” became the first Mexican song won the hit parade, held in New York. Number one song “Besame Mucho” was performed by Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra. Within three months the song was at the height of popularity in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Latin America.

But Consuelito was afraid to show “adult” song: sinful song for respectable Catholic, who had not even known the kiss. She dared to show the song only to her best friend. The girlfriend secretly from the young author, anonymously sent words and notes to the editor of Mexican radio. The song began gaining popularity, the award for best song of the month was waiting for the real author. Thus the young talent girl met her future husband, the editor Mariano Rivera.

One morning Consuelito woke up famous throughout the world. Walt Disney invited Mrs. Velasquez to the U.S. in 1946, and although he needed only the song itself for the soundtrack, having seen the real beauty, he gave her the lead role in the film. And her partner was Gregory Peck – the idol of millions.

Consuelo recalled, when she saw him, she felt as if she wrote it for him. And Gregory himself started believing it was for him. He was someone who wanted to kiss her all tight! The idol of millions fell in love with Consuelo, like a boy.

A strict Catholic upbringing and natural modesty did their job: Consuelo fled from the “ringing timpani” home to Mexico City, where she married the famous Mariano Rivera. Although until her last days, the month spent in Hollywood she recalled as the happiest in her long and quite successful life.

She wasn’t mistaken in her choice – she and her husband lived a long happy life. Two their sons, Sergio and Mariano, followed the footsteps of their great ancestor Diego Velázquez, becoming artists, among the best in Mexico.
Consuelo Velazquez had a lot of good songs, “love and live” (“Amar y vivir”), “Cachito”, “Be Happy” (“Que seas feliz”) and others, but only “Besame Mucho” brought her real fame.

From interview to a Russian journalist:
“The most original version I heard when on tour to Mexico came the chorus of the Soviet army. Russian soldiers were singing “Besame Mucho” to the rhythm of a military march. I remember well how one Italian violinists played “Besame” on St. Mark’s Square in Venice. It was so beautiful and touching that I cried”.

“Twenty years ago I was a member of the jury at the International Tchaikovsky Competition. The first Muscovite, who I met, was a taxi driver. All the way from the airport to the hotel, he was whistling my tune. As it turned out, on the screens of the country has been just released film “Moscow does not believe in tears”, where “Besame Mucho” held a kind of leitmotif. Having learned that I was the author of the song, the driver refused to take money from me for the ride”.

Paradoxically: for 60 years of creative activity Consuelo Velazquez wrote a huge number of songs and other musical works – sonatas, symphonies, and even oratorios. But in the history of Latin American and world music she came as the author of “Besame Mucho”. It was this song that provided her a comfortable life. After all, Velasquez got a certain percentage for each of her performance, whether in concert or movie or TV.

The song Besame Mucho was performed by:

Los Panchos, Dalida, Luis Miguel, Cesaria Evora, The Beatles, Trini Lopez, Dean Martin, Esteban, Ray Conniff, Duncan Dhu, Bert Kaempfert, Juan Garcia Esquivel, Perez Prado, Wes Montgomery, Dave Brubeck, Jimmy Dorsey, Xavier Cugat, Luis Ignacio Bustillos, Isabelle Boulay, Erich Kunzel, Valery Kovtun, Charlie Byrd, Alexandr Lebedinsky, Azucar Moreno, Artie Shaw, Richard Clayderman, Salman Gambarov, Banda machos, Placido Domingo, P. Domingo & P. San Basilio, Flamingos, Percy Faith, Red Square, Dom Halpin, Joao Gilberto, Dave Liebman, Prestige Band, Bill Evans, Pedro Vargas, Paquito D’Rivera, Cal Tjader, Lucho Gatica, The Ventures, Andy Russell, Francis Goya, Michel Petrucciani, Dianne Reeves, The Estrada Brothers, Vaya Con Dios, Roger Clown, Maridalia Hernandez, Nat King Cole, Art Pepper, Jet Harris, Charo, Gigliola Cinquetti, Grant Green, Chris Flory, Leila Pinheiro, Reptile Palace Orchestra, Mario Lanza, Mantovani Orchestra, Laura Fygi, Dave Pike, Simone Talvez, Arturo Fuerte, Steve, Lawrence, Jose Carreras, Los Paraguayos, Connie Francis, Herb Alpert, Javier Solis, D. Grisman & M. Taylor, Mina, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Jo Privat, Los Pasteles Verdes, Olivia Molina, James Last, Antonio Machin, Sofia Rotaru, Enrique Chia, Perla_De_Chipas, Francis Purcell, Bet-e & Stef, Alla Bayanova, Betty Johnson, Terem quartet, Vera Lynn, Vernelle Anders, Victor Zinchuk, Spike Jones, Julie London, Gwen & Gerry, Diana Francisca.

“Besame mucho”

Bésame, bésame mucho,
Como si fuera esta noche la ultima vez.
Bésame, bésame mucho,
Que tengo miedo tenerte, y perderte despues.

Quiero tenerte muy cerca,
Mirarme en tus ojos, verte junto a mi
Piensa que tal vez manana,
Yo ya estare lejos,
Muy lejos de aqui.

Bésame, bésame mucho,
Como si fuera esta noche la ultima vez.
Bésame, bésame mucho,
Que tengo miedo perderte, perderte despues.

Number one song Besame Mucho