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)