Agustín Lara

Agustín Lara was born in Mexico City in 1897 or 1900 and spent his childhood in Veracruz, where he said he was born. After his mother died, Agustín and his siblings lived in a hospice run by their older sister. It was there that he had his first contact with music. After successful tours in South America, as well as with such new compositions as “Solamente Una Vez”, “Veracruz”, and “Tropicana”, his fame increased.

One of Lara‘s wives was María Félix, to whom he dedicated his most famous compositions, such as “María Bonita”, “Aquel Amor”, and “Noche de Ronda”. Lara was well known in Spain, and Franco gave him a beautiful house in Granada in appreciation of his songs with Spanish themes, such as “Toledo”, “Granada”, “Seville”, and “Madrid”. He received additional honors and decorations from around the world. In 1968 Lara's health began to decline rapidly and on November 6, 1970, the musician-poet died.