Armando Manzanero
Background information
Birth name	Armando Manzanero
Born	December 7, 1935 (age 71)
Origin	Mérida, State of Yucatán, México
Genre(s)	Bolero
Occupation(s)	Composer Pianist Singer
Instrument(s)	Piano
Years active	1950- present
Label(s)	RCA Victor

Armando Manzanero (born in Mérida, Mexico on December 7, 1935) is a Latin American musician and composer, widely considered the premiere Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era. ^[1] December 7 is the 341st day (342nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mexico. ... Places named Mérida or Merida include: Mexico Mérida, Yucatán, capital city of the state of Yucatán Philippines Mérida, Leyte, a municipality in Leyte province Spain Mérida, Spain, capital city of the Extremadura Autonomous Community Venezuela Mérida, Mérida, capital city of the state... Yucatán is the name of one of the 31 states of Mexico, located on the north of the Yucatán Peninsula. ... Mexico or, in Spanish, México, is: Mexico, a federal republic in North America Mexico City, that countrys capital city Mexican Federal District, the federal district containing that capital city Estado de México (State of Mexico), one of that republics 31 constituent states Mexico is also the... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... The bolero is a type of dance and musical form. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... Pianist Claudio Arrau, Carnegie Hall, 1954. ... Ercole de Roberti: Concert, c. ... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... A grand piano, with the lid up. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Sony BMG Music Entertainment is the result of a 50/50 joint venture between Sony Music Entertainment (part of Sony) and BMG Entertainment (part of Bertelsmann AG) completed in August 2004. ...

Biography

At the age of eight he was introduced into the world of music in the Escuela de Bellas Artes (School of High Arts) of his native city, later furthering his musical studies in Mexico City. 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.^[2] The following year he begins his professional career as a pianist. In 1957 he is signed as musical director by the mexican branch of CBS International and as Musical Promoter for EMI.^[3] In the following years he becomes the pianist of Latin American artists such as Pedro Vargas, Lucho Gatica and Raphael. ^[4] The EMI Group is a music company comprising the major record label, EMI Music, based in Brook Green in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based on Charing Cross Road, London. ... Pedro Vargas (April 29, 1904 - October 30, 1989) was one of the most famous pop singers of 20th-century Mexico. ... Luis Gatica (born 1928), better known in show business as Lucho Gatica, is a famous bolero singer from Chile. ... Raphael or Raffaello (April 6, 1483 – April 6, 1520), born in Urbino, Italy, was a master painter and architect of the Florentine school in the Italian High Renaissance, celebrated for the perfection and grace of his paintings. ...

In 1960, an executive of RCA Victor urges him to record his first album of love songs, which he named Mi Primera Grabacion (My First Record).

In 1965 he wins the first place of the Festival de la Cancion (Song Festival) in Miami with the song Cuando Estoy Contigo (When I'm With You).

In 1970, his song Somos Novios is translated into English by Sid Wayne, composer for Elvis Presley. The English version "It's Impossible" is performed by Perry Como and is nominated for a Grammy. This success was marred by the verdict of an American court, which rules against Manzanero, who is 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 the opposite party. Today, it's acknowledged that Manzanero was indeed the composer of this song and that he was wrongfully accused. ^[5] Sid Wayne was a 50s song writer, lyricist and composer who wrote a number of well-known songs. ... Elvis Aron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), often known simply as Elvis and also called The King of Rock n Roll or simply The King, was an American singer, musician and actor. ...

In 1978 he wins the first place of the Mallorca Festival in Spain, with the song Señor Amor (Mister Love). In 1982, the song Corazón Amigo, is honored in the Yamaha Festival. In 1993 Billboard Magazine gives him an award for his excellent musical career.

His work has been performed by singers such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennet, Elvis Presley, Frank Pourcel, Paul Muriat, Ray Conniff, Marco Antonio Muñiz, Raphael, José José, Andrea Bocelli, Christina Aguilera, Luis Miguel and Cristian Castro. Francis Albert Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and Academy Award-winning actor who many consider to be one of the finest male popular song vocalists of all time. ... Elvis Aron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), often known simply as Elvis and also called The King of Rock n Roll or simply The King, was an American singer, musician and actor. ... Ray Conniff Ray Conniff (born Joseph Raymond Conniff on November 6, 1916 in Attleboro, Massachusetts, USA, and died October 12, 2002, Escondido, California, USA) was an American musician. ... Marco Antonio Muñiz (born March 3, 1933) is a famous singer from Jalisco Mexico. ... Raphael or Raffaello (April 6, 1483 – April 6, 1520), born in Urbino, Italy, was a master painter and architect of the Florentine school in the Italian High Renaissance, celebrated for the perfection and grace of his paintings. ... José Romulo Sosa Ortiz (born February 17, 1948), better known in the entertainment world as José José or El príncipe de la Canción (The Prince of Song), is an international singer and actor from Mexico. ... he has a son and his name is bevis and his daughter named butt head Bocelli has congenital glaucoma. ... Christina Maria Aguilera (born December 18, 1980) is a four-time Grammy Award-winning American pop singer and songwriter. ... Luis Miguel Gallego Basteri (born on April 19, 1970) is a Mexican pop singer best known for his crooning vocals and romantic ballads. ... Christian Castro (born December 8, 1974 as Cristian Saechz Valdes) is an international pop singer who is a native of Mexico City, Mexico. ...

Armando Manzanero has composed more than four hundred songs, fifty of which have given him international fame. He has also participated in numerous radio and television shows and has recorded more than thirty albums and composed the musical scores of several movies.

His most famous songs include Voy a apagar la luz (I'm Going to Turn Off the Light), Contigo Aprendí (With You I Learned), Adoro (Adore), Esta Tarde Vi Llover (This Afternoon I saw Rain), Por Debajo de la Mesa (Under the Table), Somos Novios (english version "It's Impossible") and Felicidad (Happiness).

Selected Discography

Notes

1. ^ Ankeny, Jason. All Music Guide. http://www.elmariachi.com/artists/armando_manzanero.asp
2. ^ http://www.terra.com/ocio/articulo/html/oci71445.htm
3. ^ http://www.sobrino.net/Dzidzantun/compositores_yucatecos_Armando_Manzanero.htm
4. ^ http://www.terra.com/ocio/articulo/html/oci71445.htm
5. ^ "...de nada valio ante la Corte de Justicia la comprobación del mexicano y perdió el juicio debido al favoritismo que recibió, el demandante, quien realmente, él fue el que si plagio la canción de Armando Manzanero Canche "Somos Novios" en la version al ingles..." Wilbert Alonzo Cabrera, founder and Vicepresident of the Asociacion de Cronistas de Espectaculos (ACE), New York, September 9, 2006.