Consuelo Velázquez is one of Mexico’s best-known songwriters. Her defining song, “Bésame Mucho,” is essential to Latin music’s songbook, and it’s the quintessential romantic song of the 20th century.
Videos by American Songwriter
The Latin hit took on a life of its own, breaking language and generational barriers. That’s pretty impressive for a song written by a teenager.
Kiss Me Much
“Bésame Mucho” translates to “kiss me a lot” or “kiss me passionately.” It’s about the anticipation of first love. Velázquez wrote it in 1932, and the lyrics predate her first kiss; she was 15 or 16.
Besame, besame mucho
Como si fuera ésta noche
La última vez
Besame, besame mucho
Que tengo miedo a perderte
Perderte después
(English translation)
Kiss me, kiss me a lot
As if tonight were the last time
Kiss me, kiss me a lot
Because I’m afraid of losing you, losing you afterward
Velázquez’s romantic vision of young love shares the innocence of her life as a convent-schooled child in 1930s Mexico. A kissing couple in the street inspired Velázquez to write the tender love song.
She found musical inspiration in the aria “Quejas, o la Maja y el Ruiseñor” (“Plaints, or the Maiden and the Nightingale”) from the 1916 opera Goyescas by Spanish composer Enrique Granados. The suite, “The Gallants in Love,” was inspired by the Spanish romantic painter Francisco Goya (1746–1828).
First Recording
Spanish-Mexican baritone Emilio Tuero recorded “Bésame Mucho” in 1941. He was a star of Mexican cinema’s Golden Age (1936-1956). With Andy Russell’s version in the U.S., it became an anthem for lovers separated during World War II.
Notable Versions
The eclectic artists who have recorded the song include The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Plácido Domingo, Elvis Presley, Nat King Cole, Chris Isaak, Spike Jones, Julie London, Trini Lopez, Dean Martin, The Platters, The Coasters, Diana Krall, and Plácido Domingo.
Domingo received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Pop Performance for his rendition in 1983, and Frank Sinatra reached the U.S. Top 10 in 1954 with his recording of “Bésame Mucho.”
The Beatles recorded their version during an audition for Decca in 1962. The same year, they recorded a second version at their initial Abbey Road session.
Bob Eberly and Killy Kallen (with Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra) reached No. 1 with “Bésame Mucho” in 1944.
According to BMI, “Bésame Mucho” has had more than two million performances on radio and television.
A Young Romantic
Consuelo Velázquez Torres was born on August 21, 1916, in Jalisco, Mexico, during the Mexican Revolution. She lost her father—an army officer and a poet—at a young age. Her family suffered financially after his death.
Learning the piano by ear at age four, Velázquez began formal music studies in Mexico City at age 11. Her mother traveled with her to the capital for training.
By age 20, she graduated as a concert pianist and became renowned for playing works by Debussy. When Velázquez performed on the radio, she used a male pseudonym to avoid the ire of those who considered it risqué for a woman to be on the radio.
Music composition came quickly to her, but she struggled with lyrics. However, her songs gained attention, first noticed by the radio station’s artistic director, Mariano Rivera Conde, whom she married in 1944.
Velázquez died in 2005, aged 88, from respiratory complications. She had two sons, Sergio and Mariano.
Romantic Style
“Bésame Mucho” is a bolero with universal appeal, and it became a big band hit during World War II.
The bolero song genre originated in Cuba in the late 19th century. The genre is known for its sophisticated romantic lyrics.
Which makes it perfect for film and drama.
It has appeared in the romantic comedy Moon Over Parador (1988) and the indie surrealist comedy-drama film Arizona Dream (1993) starring Johnny Depp.
Quiero tenerte muy cerca
Mirarme en tus ojos
Verte junto a mi
Piensa que tal vez mañana
Yo ya estaré lejos
Muy lejos de ti
(English translation)
I want to have you very close
Look into your eyes, see you next to me
Think that maybe tomorrow
I’ll already be far, very far from you
Latin Identity and Global Phenomenon
“Bésame Mucho” remained Consuelo Velázquez’s defining song—one as timeless and lingering as that first love. But it’s more than a standard; the song became a sensation.
At once, it represented Latin identity and a kind of hymn for lovers separated by World War II. Generations of lounge singers continue to breathe new life into this old love story.
(Image via YouTube)
