Wednesday 5 December 2018

Luis Arcaraz born 5 December 1910


Luis Arcaráz Torrás  (December 5, 1910, Mexico City, MX - December 15, 1963 near San Luis Potosí, MX ) Luis Arcaráz led the most popular orchestra in Mexico during the 1940s and 1950s. Shying away from Latin rhythms, his playlist consisted mainly of American and Mexican pop favourites. He developed a large following throughout Latin America and in the United States as 
well, where during the late 1940s and early 1950s he consistently ranked number four on the list of all-time favourite bands.

As he was growing-up in Mexico, he had two passions; music and bull fighting. It was said that he was a fine amateur bull-fighter. Both parents had a musical background. His father, a musician recognized his son's talent and encouraged him. His mother wanted him to have a more stable career so he attended school in Spain, studying Engineering and Music. He eventually gave up the engineering to concentrate on music full-time.

Returning to Mexico, his first job was with a radio station XEW in Mexico City where he was paid the equivalent of 36 cents an hour to sing and play the piano. But the exposure nevertheless made Arcaráz a household name, and when his first big band debuted at Tampico's Teatro Palma in 1928, ticket sales were overwhelming.

His talent and reputation for arranging and composing grew quickly and soon he was writing musical scores for motion pictures. In 1951, he was awarded Mexico's Gold Record Award (the U.S. equivalent to a Grammy) for his musical composition, "Quinto Patio". in 1952, his band received a similar award as "Best Orchestra of the Year". By 1963, he had already composed music for 24 films. He also penned some 200 songs during his career, including his theme, "Sombra Verde.”


                            

Throughout the fifties, concurrently with composing, he toured the Mexico with a dance orchestra. His personnel were considered to be the finest musicians in Mexico. His great, long-time trumpet player, Conrad Gozzo was often compared to "a young Harry James." RCA Victor signed the Arcaraz Orchestra to a recording 
contract for their special Latin-American label, but because of his popularity they soon shifted him to their standard label.. By 1949 he had, what was considered to be by critiques, as the best big band in Mexico and consistently finished fourth in polls of the all-time best dance bands ever, behind only Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey and Duke Ellington.

While the orchestra was famed for its vast American pop songbook, Arcaráz was a prolific composer in his own right. His orchestra did not feature Latin-American music as one might expect. For shows and dances he played a blend of North American pop-tunes and standards as well as some of Mexico's best pop tunes. During the decade of the fifties, besides playing throughout Mexico, he often toured in the United States, mostly the west coast and mid-west as far north as Chicago. His band consistently drew capacity crowds and was one of the all-time favourites at the Palladium in Los Angeles.


 In the 1960s, he moved to Monterrey where he commuted between there and Mexico City. It was during one of the commutes that he lost his life in a tragic automobile accident near San Luis Potos, on December 5th, 1963.   (info mainly The Big Band Database)

1 comment:

boppinbob said...

For “Luis Arcaraz - 40 Temas Originales” go here:

https://www56.zippyshare.com/v/y95Or444/file.html

CD 1
01. Viajera
02. Prisionero del mar
03. Muñequita de Squire
04. Homenaje a Glenn Miller
05. Historia de un amor
06. Caravana
07. Canción de septiembre (September song)
08. Que vuelva a mi
09. Celos (Jelaousy)
10. Laura
11. Quinto patio
12. Que pronto pasó
13. Tabú
14. El tercer hombre
15. Lluvias de abril
16. El que pierde una mujer
17. Candilejas
18. Confesión
19. Continental
20. Gota por gota

CD 2

01. Bonita
02. Son dos amantes
03. Di que no
04. Tiempo tempestuoso (Stormy weather)
05. As de corazones
06. Buena y mala
07. Todo lo que tú eres (All the things you are)
08. Alma de mi alma
09. Dulce
10. Sombra verde
11. Sax cantabile
12. El muñeco de cuerda
13. Johnson Rag
14. Un extraño en el paraíso
15. El dinero no es la vida
16. Por ti
17. Superstición
18. Murmurando ( Whispering)
19. Cartas de amor en la arena
20. Un beso para construir un sueño

A big thank you to David Rodriguez's blog for active mp3s.