KISS ME MUCH (Bolero) Clarinet Quartet

KISS ME MUCH (Bolero) Clarinet Quartet - Arrangement by Everardo García

“Bésame Mucho” is one of the most popular songs in the Latin American repertoire. It was composed by Mexican singer Consuelo Velázquez Torres in 1932, when she was 16 years old. It soon became one of the most covered songs worldwide and was named the song of the 20th century. Musically, the song seems to have been inspired by an aria from Enrique Granados’ Goyescas suite, known as “La maja y el ruiseñor.” The lyrics are a different story. According to the testimony of the composer’s son, Mariano Rivera Velázquez, the lyrics weren’t completed until 1940, when World War II was in full swing. Consuelo, somewhat more mature by this time, was particularly moved by stories of young couples separating from each other, whose men had to perform military service and faced the possibility of death. These reflections would allow Consuelo Velázquez to complete the song’s lyrics. In any case, we must remember that she herself stated that she had composed this song before being kissed for the first time.

The song was first recorded by singer Emilio Tuero in 1941, and shortly after by Chela Campos. However, it was American Andy Russell who made its internationalization possible, recording it in 1944, after which it topped the charts in the United States for 14 weeks. From that moment on, the song became known on every continent, but towards the 1950s, at the height of Franco’s regime, the League of Spanish Decency banned the song in Spain. The fame of this song has spread throughout the world, overcoming language barriers, especially since Nat King Cole recorded the first translated version. It has been recorded in more than 40 languages, and has been sung by such iconic figures as The Beatles, Edith Piaf, Frank Sinatra, Elvy Presley, Sara Montiel, Plácido Domingo, Paloma San Basilio, Andrea Bocelli, Luis Miguel, and many more.