Álvaro Carrillo: Difference between revisions

Álvaro Carrillo
File:Alvaro carrillo.jpg
Background information
Born	(1921-12-02)December 2, 1921 San Juan Cacahuatepec, Oaxaca
Died	April 3, 1969(1969-04-03) (aged 47)
Genres	Bolero
Occupation	Composer
Years active	1940–1969

Álvaro Carrillo Alarcón (2 December 1921 - 3 April 1969) was a Mexican popular music composer and songwriter, born in San Juan Cacahuatepec, Oaxaca. He wrote over 300 songs, mostly boleros , including the great hits "Amor mío", Sabor a mí, Como se lleva un lunar, El andariego, Luz de luna, Sabrá Dios, Seguiré mi viaje and La mentira.

Early life and education

Álvaro Carrillo Alarcón was born in 1921 to parents of Mestizo and Afro-Mexican descent. He absorbed many types of musical influence while growing up in San Juan Cacahuatepec, Oaxaca. During slavery times, it had been a place where fugitive slaves escaped and set up communities, as it was relatively isolated. Their descendants intermarried with others in the population. In 1940, Carrillo enrolled in the National Agricultural School in Chapingo, where he composed his first songs as a student. In 1945, he graduated in Agricultural Engineering.

Career

Carrillo worked in the Corn Commission, but left engineering to become a composer. He became a friend of singer Antonio Pérez Mesa of the Trío Los Duendes and gave him the song "Amor," which rapidly became popular. Carrillo was a prolific composer, writing more than 300 songs during his life; many were boleros, a Mexican-style rhythmic ballad. His career was ended abruptly when he was killed in a car accident on 3 April 1969. His songs have continued to be covered by Mexican and international artists in the decades since his death.

Mexican romantic pop, ballad and bolero singer Luis Miguel recorded his bolero "La Mentira" (The Lie) in his platinum album, Romance (1990), released by WEA. He later included Carrillo's song "Sabor a mí" in another of his hit platinum albums, Romances (1997), also by WEA.

Most Mexican musicians and singers know many of the songs from the Álvaro Carrillo songbook by heart. Noted interpreters of his songs include: Javier Solis, Pepe Jara, Trio Los Santos, and Linda Arce.

Representation in popular culture

Álvaro Carrillo's life inspired the film Sabor a mí (1988), directed by René Cardona, in which he was played by Mexican star singer José José.

External links

• "Videos". YouTube. Retrieved 2010-07-07.