Armando Manzanero, the composer and singer of some of Mexico's best known ballads including "I Am Going To Turn Out The Light To Think Of You", has died at the age of 86. Manzanero, who was born in the Yucatan and often talked proudly of his Mayan heritage - he occasionally sang in Maya recalling that it was the language he spoke with his grandmother - had been ill with covid19 following his most recent public appearance on December 11th at the inauguration of a new museum in Merida dedicated to his career.
Photographs showed him at the event where he appeared not to be wearing a mask. Shortly afterwards he was diagnosed with coronavirus and although some reports on social media claimed he was improving, his death in a private hospital in Mexico City was announced by Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador at the end of December. Manzanero produced 30 albums over a career that started when he wrote his first song, Nunca en el Mundo, at the age of 15. Reputedly the author of up to 600 songs -many of them boleros or romantic ballads such as Voy A Apagar La Luz and Nada personal - he was a prolific performer, appearing on stage with a roll call of musicians.
He sang with Plácido Domingo at Mexico's iconic ruined Mayan site, Chichen Itza and more recently with Majo Cornejo, the young star of Cirque du Soleil's Mexico-themed show, Luzia. His work was performed by international artists including Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Dionne Warwick and Tony Bennett.
Manzanero was also prolific in love, marrying five times and fathering seven children with four of his wives. More recently he was the subject of controversy when it emerged that his third wife had accused him of beating her and pursued charges relating to domestic violence against him. Manzanero reportedly counter-claimed that she had stolen property from him.
Professionally he was one of Mexico's most successful singers, becoming the first to win a Lifetime Grammy in 2014 and Billboard Magazine listed his track, Somos Novios (made into an even bigger hit by Luis Miguel) as one of the 50 best songs of all time. The song was reissued in 1970 with new lyrics by Elvis Presley's composer and performed by Perry Como.
He was president of the Mexican Society of Authors and Composers (Sociedad de Autores y Compositores de México).
The Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia marquez who lived in exile in Mexico for many years said Manzanero was "one of the greatest poets of the Spanish language.
Manzanero himself claimed "the best language for love is song."
Armando Manzanero, composer and musician, born 7th December, 1935. Died December 28th, 2020.
