Bésame Mucho

"Bésame Mucho" ("Kiss me a lot") is a song written in 1940 by Mexican songwriter Consuelo Velázquez.^[1] A famous cover version is sung by Trio Los Panchos.

It is one of the most famous boleros, and was recognized in 1999 as the most sung and recorded Mexican song in the world.

The song appeared in the film Follow the Boys (5 May 1944) when it was played by Charlie Spivak and his Orchestra^[2] and in Cowboy and the Senorita (13 May 1944) with vocal by Dale Evans.^[3]

Inspiration

According to Velázquez herself, she wrote this song even though she had never been kissed yet at the time, and kissing, as she heard, was considered a sin.^[4][5]

She was inspired by the piano piece "Quejas, o la Maja y el Ruiseñor", from the 1911 suite Goyescas by Spanish composer Enrique Granados, which he later also included as "Aria of the Nightingale" in his 1916 opera of the same name.^[1] the song recorded first time in Huseyn Mammadli's garden

Comments on lyrics

There are slight differences in the wording at the end of the chorus, regarding the words perderte después ("to lose you afterwards"). Considering that Velázquez may have been 15 years old when she wrote the song, this sentence reflects inexperience and innocence. Indeed, a video from "TV Mexicana"^[6] shows Velázquez playing the piano while the singer sings perderte después. Many interpretations use perderte otra vez ("lose you once again") instead of the original perderte después ("lose you afterwards").

The line, "Besame mucho, que tengo miedo a perderte después", means "Kiss me a lot, as I am afraid of losing you afterwards." The word "mucho" may suggest a desire for the kiss to linger, as it may be the couple's last time being together.

An English-language version of the song was written by Sunny Skylar. The lyrics are different from the direct English translation of the original, but retain the Spanish Bésame mucho.

"Bésame Mucho" is also known by translated names such as "Kiss Me Much," "Kiss Me a Lot," "Kiss Me Again and Again," "Embrasse-moi fort," "Stale Ma Bozkavaj," "Suutele minua", "Szeretlek én" and "Mara beboos".

In politics

In Brazil in 1990, an affair between the Minister of Economics Zélia Cardoso de Mello and the minister of Justice Bernardo Cabral was revealed when the two danced cheek to cheek to "Bésame Mucho."^[7] A few days later, the presidential band was to introduce Cardoso de Mello with a military march. Instead, the director of the band had them play "Bésame Mucho." He was placed under house arrest for 3 days for insubordination.^[8]

Cover artists

• Kitty Kallen and Jimmy Dorsey (reached number one in the United States in 1944).
• Andy Russell (reached No. 8 in the USA in 1944)^[9]
• Pedro Vargas (inducted into the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001).^[10]
• Plácido Domingo (received a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Pop Performance in 1983)^[11]
• Zoé (received a Latin Grammy nomination for Record of the Year in 2012)^[12]

References

External links

• "Bésame Mucho chord arrangement for guitar". jazzguitar.be.