MEXICO CITY – Mexican singer and songwriter Armando Manzanero, famous for his romantic ballads sung by a number of international stars, has died, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday. He was 85 years old.
During a seven-decade career, Manzanero won a Grammy, recorded dozens of albums, scored several films and composed more than 400 songs, including “Somos novios” (We are lovers) and “Contigo Learned” (With you, I learned).
Lopez Obrador, who announced Manzanero’s death during a regular press conference, expressed great regret at his passing and prematurely ended the media.
Born on December 7, 1935 in the Mexican state of Yucatan, Manzanero was hospitalized in December after contracting the coronavirus, his family said. Weekend reports suggested he was recovering from the virus.
The prolific ballad and bolero writer began studying music as a child and wrote his first song at the age of 15, beginning a long career that in 2014 made him the first Mexican artist to win a Grammy award.
His hit “We Are Lovers” entered Billboard magazine’s list of the top 50 songs in Latin music history.
Renowned singers Andrea Bocelli, Placido Domingo, Celia Cruz, Vikki Carr, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera are among the many people who performed their works, and the late Colombian writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez once called Manzanero “one of Spain’s greatest contemporary poets. . “
Manzanero recognized his talent for instilling a romantic desire in his melodies.
“The best language for love is the song,” he once said in an interview. “Just as the lungs need air, romance needs music.”