Armando Manzanero
Encyclopedia
Armando Manzanero Canché (born in Mérida
, Mexico
on December 7, 1935) is a Mexican musician and composer
of Maya
descent, widely considered the premier Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era and one of the most successful composers of Latin America.
. In 1950, at the age of fifteen, he composed his first melody titled Nunca en el Mundo (Never in the World), of which twenty-one versions in different languages have been recorded to date. The following year he began his professional career as a pianist.
In 1957 he was signed as musical director by the Mexican branch of CBS International and as Musical Promoter for EMI
, becoming the next year the pianist of Latin American artists such as Pedro Vargas
, Lucho Gatica
and Raphael
.
In 1959, an executive of RCA Victor urged him to record his first album of love songs, which he named Mi Primera Grabación (My First Record).
In 1965 he won the first place of the Festival de la Canción (Song Festival) in Miami with the song Cuando Estoy Contigo (When I'm With You).
In 1970, his song Somos Novios was translated into English by Sid Wayne
, composer for Elvis Presley
. The English version, "It's Impossible
", was performed by Perry Como
and was nominated for a Grammy. This success was marred by the verdict of an American court, which ruled against Manzanero, who was accused of plagiarism
and forced to return all the royalties he gained from "It's Impossible". This was a great blow for Manzanero, who had composed the song "Somos Novios" twenty years before and who was himself the victim of plagiarism by a composer (not Sid Wayne). Today, it's acknowledged that Manzanero was indeed the composer of this song and that he was wrongfully accused.
In 1978 he won the first place of the Mallorca Festival in Spain, with the song Señor Amor (Mister Love). In 1982, the song Corazón Amigo (Heart Friend), was honored in the Yamaha Festival. In 1993 Billboard
magazine gave him an award for his excellent musical career.
Since 1982 Manzanero is the vice president and one of the main directors of the Asociación Nacional de Autores y Compositores (Mexican National Association of Authors and Composers). His work in defense of copyright
laws has strengthened this organization and has given it international acclaim.
His work has been performed by singers such as Frank Sinatra
, Andrea Bocelli
, Tony Bennet, Elvis Presley
, Alejandro Fernández
, Luis Miguel, Frank Pourcel, Paul Mauriat
, Ray Conniff
, María Martha Serra Lima
, Raphael
, Roberto Carlos
, Christina Aguilera
, Manoella Torres
, Marco Antonio Muñiz
, Angelica Maria
, José José
, Tania Libertad
, Lucero, Cristian Castro
, and Il Divo
, as well as with pianist Raúl di Blasio
and others.
During his lifetime, Armando Manzanero has composed more than four hundred songs, fifty of which have given him international fame. He has participated in numerous radio and television shows, has recorded more than thirty albums and composed the musical scores of several movies. During the fifty years of his musical career, Manzanero has given performances all over Latin America, particularly in São Paulo
(Brazil), Buenos Aires
(Argentina), El Metropolitan (Mexico), the Teresa Carreño Theater of Caracas
(Venezuela), Madison Square Garden
(New York), and many other prestigious cities of Europe and Asia.
His most famous songs include Voy a apagar la luz (I'm Going to Turn Off the Lights), Contigo Aprendí ( With you I Learnt... ), Adoro (Adore), No sé tú (I don't know if you...), Por Debajo de la Mesa (Under the Table) Esta Tarde Vi Llover (English version "Yesterday I Heard the Rain"), Somos Novios (English version "It's Impossible"), Felicidad (Happiness) and Nada Personal
(Nothing Personal).
Mérida, Yucatán
Mérida is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Yucatán and the Yucatán Peninsula. It is located in the northwest part of the state, about from the Gulf of Mexico coast...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
on December 7, 1935) is a Mexican musician and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of Maya
Maya peoples
The Maya people constitute a diverse range of the Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America. The overarching term "Maya" is a collective designation to include the peoples of the region who share some degree of cultural and linguistic heritage; however, the term...
descent, widely considered the premier Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era and one of the most successful composers of Latin America.
Biography
At the age of eight he was introduced into the world of music in the Escuela de Bellas Artes (School of Fine Arts) of his native city, later furthering his musical studies in Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. In 1950, at the age of fifteen, he composed his first melody titled Nunca en el Mundo (Never in the World), of which twenty-one versions in different languages have been recorded to date. The following year he began his professional career as a pianist.
In 1957 he was signed as musical director by the Mexican branch of CBS International and as Musical Promoter for EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, becoming the next year the pianist of Latin American artists such as Pedro Vargas
Pedro Vargas
Pedro Vargas Mata was a Mexican singer and actor, from the golden age of Mexican cinema. He was known as the "Nightingale of the Americas".-Biography:...
, Lucho Gatica
Lucho Gatica
Luis Enrique Gatica Silva, better known as Lucho Gatica, is a Chilean bolero singer, film actor, and television host. It is estimated that Gatica has released more than 90 recordings. He has toured a vast portion of the world, having made concerts in Europe, the Middle East and Asia...
and Raphael
Raphael (singer)
For the French singer Raphael see Raphaël HarocheMiguel Rafael Martos Sánchez , often simply referred to as Raphael, is a worldwide acclaimed Spanish singer and television, film and theatre actor...
.
In 1959, an executive of RCA Victor urged him to record his first album of love songs, which he named Mi Primera Grabación (My First Record).
In 1965 he won the first place of the Festival de la Canción (Song Festival) in Miami with the song Cuando Estoy Contigo (When I'm With You).
In 1970, his song Somos Novios was translated into English by Sid Wayne
Sid Wayne
Sid Wayne was an American songwriter, lyricist and composer, who wrote a number of well-known songs from the 1950s to the 1980s...
, composer for Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. The English version, "It's Impossible
It's Impossible (song)
"Somos Novios " is a song written by the premier Mexican bolero composer Armando Manzanero in 1970. The song was translated into English immediately by Sid Wayne and first recorded by Perry Como the same year under the title It's Impossible. It is one of the most popular boleros of all time...
", was performed by Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
and was nominated for a Grammy. This success was marred by the verdict of an American court, which ruled against Manzanero, who was accused of plagiarism
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...
and forced to return all the royalties he gained from "It's Impossible". This was a great blow for Manzanero, who had composed the song "Somos Novios" twenty years before and who was himself the victim of plagiarism by a composer (not Sid Wayne). Today, it's acknowledged that Manzanero was indeed the composer of this song and that he was wrongfully accused.
In 1978 he won the first place of the Mallorca Festival in Spain, with the song Señor Amor (Mister Love). In 1982, the song Corazón Amigo (Heart Friend), was honored in the Yamaha Festival. In 1993 Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine gave him an award for his excellent musical career.
Since 1982 Manzanero is the vice president and one of the main directors of the Asociación Nacional de Autores y Compositores (Mexican National Association of Authors and Composers). His work in defense of copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
laws has strengthened this organization and has given it international acclaim.
His work has been performed by singers such as Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli
Andrea Bocelli, is an Italian tenor, multi-instrumentalist and classical crossover artist. Born with poor eyesight, he became blind at the age of twelve following a soccer accident....
, Tony Bennet, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Alejandro Fernández
Alejandro Fernández
Alejandro Fernández is a Mexican singer. Nicknamed as "El Potrillo" by the media and his fans, he has sold over 20 million albums worldwide. Alejandro is the son of the ranchera singer Vicente Fernández. He originally specialized in traditional, earthy forms of Mexican folk music, such as...
, Luis Miguel, Frank Pourcel, Paul Mauriat
Paul Mauriat
Paul Mauriat was a French orchestra leader, specializing in light music. He is best known in the United States for his million selling remake of André Popp's "Love is Blue", which was #1 for 5 weeks in 1968...
, Ray Conniff
Ray Conniff
Joseph Raymond Conniff was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s.-Biography:...
, María Martha Serra Lima
Maria Martha Serra Lima
-Life and work:Born in Buenos Aires to a family of auto dealership proprietors, Serra Lima was first signed on to a record label in 1977, and became famous across Latin America and in Spain during the 1970s and 1980s...
, Raphael
Raphael (singer)
For the French singer Raphael see Raphaël HarocheMiguel Rafael Martos Sánchez , often simply referred to as Raphael, is a worldwide acclaimed Spanish singer and television, film and theatre actor...
, Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos (singer)
Roberto Carlos Braga is a Grammy Award-winning Brazilian singer and composer, who has achieved a great deal of success and recognition in his 50 year career, also known as King of Latin Music....
, Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
, Manoella Torres
Manoella Torres
Manoella Torres, "the woman who was born to sing", is an American singer and actress of Puerto Rican background based in Mexico who has had a extensive career that continues to this day...
, Marco Antonio Muñiz
Marco Antonio Muñiz
Marco Antonio Muñiz is a singer from Jalisco, Mexico. Known all over Latin America, Muñiz actually has declared publicly and in most countries he has visited, that Puerto Rico is his second country, and many Puerto Ricans consider him to be an "honorary Puerto Rican"...
, Angelica Maria
Angélica María
Angélica María Hartman Ortiz is an Mexican-American actress and a Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter. She is a legendary entertainer and is known as La Novia de Mexico .-Early life:...
, José José
José José
José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz , known by his artistic name José José, is a Mexican singer.Referred in the entertainment world as "El Príncipe de la Canción" , José José is best known for his romantic ballads and renowned for his vocals...
, Tania Libertad
Tania Libertad
Tania Libertad de Souza Zúñiga, known as Tania Libertad, is a singer who was born in Peru on October 24, 1952 and has lived in Mexico since 1978....
, Lucero, Cristian Castro
Cristian Castro
Cristian Castro is a Grammy Award-nominated Mexican pop singer. He is referred to as "Christian Castro" or "Cristian."- Biography :...
, and Il Divo
Il Divo
Il Divo is a multinational operatic pop vocal group created by music manager, executive, and reality TV star Simon Cowell. Formed in the United Kingdom, they are also signed to Cowell's record label, Syco Music...
, as well as with pianist Raúl di Blasio
Raúl di Blasio
Raúl di Blasio is an Argentine latin jazz and easy listening pianist.- Life :Born in Zapala, Argentina, Raúl Di Blasio showed a great interest in piano at the age of six. After his parents' recommendations that he should study music, he began to pursue piano as a career.Di Blasio practiced piano...
and others.
During his lifetime, Armando Manzanero has composed more than four hundred songs, fifty of which have given him international fame. He has participated in numerous radio and television shows, has recorded more than thirty albums and composed the musical scores of several movies. During the fifty years of his musical career, Manzanero has given performances all over Latin America, particularly in São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
(Brazil), Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
(Argentina), El Metropolitan (Mexico), the Teresa Carreño Theater of Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
(Venezuela), Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
(New York), and many other prestigious cities of Europe and Asia.
His most famous songs include Voy a apagar la luz (I'm Going to Turn Off the Lights), Contigo Aprendí ( With you I Learnt... ), Adoro (Adore), No sé tú (I don't know if you...), Por Debajo de la Mesa (Under the Table) Esta Tarde Vi Llover (English version "Yesterday I Heard the Rain"), Somos Novios (English version "It's Impossible"), Felicidad (Happiness) and Nada Personal
Nada Personal (1999 song)
Nada Personal is a song written by Armando Manzanero that was the theme song for the telenovela of 1999 Nada personal directed by Antonio Serrano....
(Nothing Personal).
Selected discography
- 1959: Mi Primera Grabación
- 1967: A mi amor... Con mi amor
- 1967: Manzanero el Grande
- 1968: Somos Novios
- 1968: Armando Manzanero, su piano y su música
- 1969: Para mi siempre amor
- N/A: Que bonito viven los enamorados
- 1976: Lo mejor de Armando Manzanero
- 1977: Fanático de ti
- 1977: Corazón Salvaje
- 1979: Ternura y Romance
- 1981: Mi trato contigo
- 1982: Otra vez romántico
- 1985: Armando Manzanero
- 1987: Cariñosamente, Manzanero
- 1988: Mientras existas tú
- 1992: Las canciones que quise escribir
- 1993: Entre amigos
- 1995: El piano... Manzanero y sus amigos
- 1996: Nada Personal
- 1997: Intimos (Ft. Bebu Silvetti)
- 1998: Manzanero y La Libertad (Ft. Tania Libertad)
- 2001: DuetosDuetos (Armando Manzanero album)Duetos is a studio album by Mexican recording artist Armando Manzanero. It was released by WEA in March 20, 2001. The album features duets by Manzanero and several perfomers, including Olga Tañón, Alejandro Sanz, Edith Márquez, Ricardo Montaner, Lucero, Francisco Céspedes, Presuntos Implicados,...
- 2002: Duetos 2
- 2002: Lo Mejor de lo Mejor
- 2005: Lo Esencial
- 2006: De la A a la Z (Ft. Susana Zabaleta)-DVD
- 2008: Las mujeres de Manzanero
- 2009: Amarrados (Ft. Susana Zabaleta)