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It is only once in an era that a singer has a great influence on a type of music, on a country, on a people. Only one can get the title of "La Reina de la musica ranchera" (Queen of Ranchera music) and only few singers can gain the love of all of Mexico. Lola "La Grande" Beltran did all of this and more--from her birth in El Rosario, Sinaloa (1932) to her untimely death on Sunday, March 25, 1996. Lola Beltran, "la Reina de la musician ranchera," has suffered a stroke and it is said that the next Sunday morning she expressed happiness that she would be going home the next day. She was survived and her daughter Maria Elena Leal, her adopted son Jose Quintin Entriquez, and their father the famous bullfighter, Alfredo Leal. Always wanting to entertain her people, she was still at work on new recordings and was booked for many more performances. Lucila Beltran Ruiz, began as a secretary for the famous radio station XEW until the renowned singer Matilde Sanchez "La Torcacita" and Miguel Aceves Mejia helped her to make her debut. Those there were left in amazement of the beauty of her voice and she was immediately contracted on the Peeless record label. There, it was the famous Ignacio Fernandez Esperon "Tata Nacho" who gave her the professional name of Lola Beltran. She recorded an abundance of records that went gold, which included songs by Agustin Lara, Ignacio Jaime, Cuco Sanchez, Tomas Mendez, the great Jose Alfredo Jimenez, and many more. Equally important were the recordings of more than seventy records containing famous songs like Huapango Torero, La Cigarra, and Paloma Negra. Not only in Mexico was she famous, for she mesmerized audiences throughout the world from Madison Square Garden in New York City, to Venezuela--where she won a trophy of gold, to the Olimpia in Paris (1981), and as far as Moscow, Russia. Lola performed in front of many world leaders like John F. Kennedy, Charles de Gaul, and Franciso Franco. In addition to these famous people, she also performed for the kind and queen of Spain (1978). Having already had a hugh following in Spain, she easily out did some of Spain's native performers. She also worked for the film industry producing and coproducing with Julio Aldama and CONACINE and her acting career included roles with Pedro Vargas, Luis Aguilar, Miguel Aceves Mejia , Amalia Mendoza , Lucha Villa, just to name a few. She recorded what probably is the best interpretation of Tomas Mendez Cucurucucu Paloma and also made a movie by the same name. Only the best mariachis accompanied her: Mariachi de America de Jesus Rodriguez de Hijar, Los Camperos de Nati Cano, Cobre, Sol De Mexico, Nacional de Arcadio Elias, Uclatlan (Nochistlan), Mexico de Pepe Villa, Charros de Ameca de Roman Palomar and of course el mejor mariachi de mundo-- Vargas de Tecalitlan. She received the Virginia Fabregas medal for the 25th anniversary as an artist and received la Medalla del Artistica del Extranjero in 1982 for representing Mexico abroad. At the Palacio de las Bellas Artes in 1994, she gave a performance celebrating her 40 years as an artist. In illustration of the circle of her life, Lola's body was carried from the capital back to El Rosario where she was laid to rest. In both places thousands of mourners flocked to say their last goodbyes. Her movies were shown on television that entire week and her songs flooded the Spanish radio stations. Many special homages were given to her on television. One on Seimpre En Domingo, Raul Velasco stated, "Lola Beltran esta presente con nostros esta noche, y esta presente con nosotros todo el tiempo- -dentro nuetro corazon. Porque alli la llevas cerquita". ("Lola Beltran is present tonight and she will always be with us in our hearts--because there she will b close to us.") We will miss the wonderful expressions she made with her hands--those hands that told more in one moment than most singers could in an entire concert. Fortunately, her songs and her voice will always be with us. Rest in peace, Lola, you will always be "La Grande" in our hearts. Ray Rojas is an Anthropology/Linguistics major at the University of Texas at El Paso and writes on many topics of Ethnomusiclogy. He began playing mariachi in high school and has been reseaching and writing on topics of present day mariachi and it's roots. Used by Permission.© Fiesta Del Mariachi |
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