Armando Manzanero

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Armando Manzanero

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

Armando Manzanero (born in Mérida, México on December 7, 1935) is a Latin American musician and composer, widely considered the premiere Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era. ^[1]

[edit] 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 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, ^[3] becoming the next year the pianist of Latin American artists such as Pedro Vargas, Lucho Gatica and Raphael. ^[4]

In 1959, an executive of RCA Victor urged him to record his first album of love songs, which he named Mi Primera Grabacion (My First Record).^[5]

In 1965 he won the first place of the Festival de la Cancion (Song Festival) in Miami with the song Cuando Estoy Contigo (When I'm With You). ^[6]

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 the opposite party. Today, it's acknowledged that Manzanero was indeed the composer of this song and that he was wrongfully accused. ^[7]

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. ^[8]

Since 1982 Manzanero is the vicepresident 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. ^[9]

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, Cristian Castro and Il Divo.

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 Latinamerica, particularly in São Paulo (Brazil), Buenos Aires (Argentina), El Metropolitan (México), the Teresa Carreño Theater of Caracas (Venezuela), Madison Square Garden (New York), and many other prestigious cities of Europe and Asia.^[10]

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"), Felicidad (Happiness) and Nada Personal (Nothing Personal).