Lola Beltrán - Biography
By J Poet
Lola Beltrán, known in Mexico as Lola la Grande, was an actress and singer known for taking ranchera—a popular form of song that deals with the loss, betrayal of love and a yearning for a simpler time—and making it and international phenomenon. She was the first ranchera singer to perform at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City and she was honored with a commemorative postage stamp in 1995. Beltrán remained an active performer and recording artist until her death in 1996.
Maria Lucia Beltrán Alcayaga was born into a poor family in Rosario, Mexico in 1932. She sang in her church choir and performed ranchera at home, taking her early inspirational cues from the great diva, Lucha Reyes. She sang with many mariachi groups in Northern Mexico and developed a loyal local following. In 1953, at the age of 21, Beltrán and her mother moved to Mexico City to further pursue her ambition to become a singer. Beltrán auditioned for radio station XEW in Mexico City, but was not offered any work. Tomás Méndez, songwriter and singer with Los Diamentes, heard her and introduced the young singer to XEW station manager, Amado C. Guzmán. Guzmán was unimpressed, but he ended up hiring her to be his personal secretary.
Beltrán began singing at clubs during the evening while working as a secretary. Within a year she won first prize at a talent contest, winning the chance to sing a duet with the legendary ranchera singer Miguel Aceves Mejía on his weekly program on XEW. This would prove a pivotal moment, as Beltrán’s performance earned her a record deal with Discos Peerless.
On her first single, Beltrán sang two songs by José Alfredo Jiménez—“Cuando el Destino” and “Por un Beso.” Her secretarial position allowed her access to the singers and bands that played regularly on XEW and she eventually convinced Mariachi Vargas to let her sing a song with them. The performance was impressive enough to land Beltrán a regular program of her own. She was soon known for bringing a feminine perspective to ranchera, a form also notable for its macho take on life and love. Her hits included “Cielito Lindo,” “Paloma Negra,” “Si Nos Dejan,” “No Volveré,” and “Cucurrucucu Paloma,” which was written by her friend Tomás Méndez. Some of her early recordings are collected on Mexicanisimo (2007 Sony Discos.)
In 1954, Beltrán starred in the film Águila Negra en el Tesoro de la Muerte, another career milestone. She would go on to make more than 50 more films, both dramas and musicals, and in 1973 became part of the cast of the telenova, Mi Rival. She also hosted the TV shows Noches Tapatías (1976) and El Estudio de Lola Beltrán (1984). As the first non-classical singer to perform at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, Beltrán captured the event on Mexico Lindo y Querido: Concierto de Gala Palacio de Bellas Artes (1995 Orfeon Mexico.)
Beltrán remained an active performer and recording artist all her life. She made her final albums Lola Beltrán Interpreta á Jose Alfredo (1996 Orfeon Mexico) and Lola Beltrán Interpreta á Juan Gabriel (1996 Orfeon Mexico), which the label marketed as the “Album of the Century,” just before her death in 1996 at the age of 66.
For an extensive overview of La Grande’s career pick up La Reina de la Cancion Ranchera, Vol. 1 (2002 WEA Latina) and La Reina de la Cancion Ranchera, Vol. 2 (2002 WEA Latina), both of which contain 60 tracks on three CDs. Most of Beltrán’s original albums are out of print, but worthwhile reissues include Las Tres Señoras (1996 EMI Latin) a concert honoring the work of Juan Gabriel with Beltrán, Lucia Vila and Amalia Mendoza; Lola Beltrán (1994 Rodven); Me Acordare de Ti (1995 Peerless Mexico); Canciones y Haupangos (2003 Peerless Mexico); and La Grande (2001 Warner Latina).