Agustín Lara Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Agustín Lara
Lara, c. 1950s
Born	October 30, 1897 Tlacotalpan, Veracruz
Died	November 6, 1970(1970-11-06) (aged 73) Mexico City, Mexico
Spouse(s)	María Félix Yolanda Santacruz Gasca Rocio Duran Clara Martínez Vianey Lárraga
Children	3 (one former adopted daughter)
Parent(s)	Joaquín M. Lara (father)

Agustín Lara (born Ángel Agustín María Carlos Fausto Mariano Alfonso del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Lara y Aguirre del Pino; October 30, 1897 – November 6, 1970) was a famous Mexican composer and singer. He wrote many popular songs, especially boleros, which are slow, romantic songs.

Agustín Lara is known as one of the most important songwriters of his time. His music was loved not only in Mexico but also across Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Spain. After he passed away, his songs also became popular in the United States, Italy, and Japan.

Many famous singers have performed his songs. Some of these include Pedro Vargas, Juan Arvizu, Pedro Infante, Julio Iglesias, Luis Miguel, and Natalia Lafourcade.

Some of his most famous songs, like Granada and Solamente Una Vez (You Belong to My Heart), were sung by international stars such as Enrico Caruso and Mario Lanza.

About His Life
His Family
Songs in Movies
Images for kids
See also

About His Life

The Eng. Guillermo González Camarena, with Agustín Lara.

Agustín Lara was born in Tlacotalpan, Veracruz, Mexico. His parents were Joaquín Lara and Mara Aguirre del Pino. Later, his family moved to Mexico City.

After his mother died, Agustín and his brothers and sisters lived in a special home run by their aunt. This is where he first discovered his love for music.

Lara wrote his first song, Marucha, for someone he cared about. By 1927, he was performing in nightclubs. Around this time, he had an accident that left a mark on his face.

He moved to Puebla for a short time, but returned to Mexico City in 1928. He started working with the singer Juan Arvizu, writing songs and playing music for him.

In September 1930, Agustín Lara began a very successful career on the radio. He also wrote songs for movies, like the film Santa.

Statue of A. Lara in Madrid, by sculptor Humberto Peraza

In 1933, Lara went on his first tour to Cuba, but it was a difficult trip because of political problems there. Later, he had much more successful tours in South America. He wrote new famous songs like Solamente Una Vez, Veracruz, and Tropicana during these tours.

In 1934, he visited Los Angeles in the United States and performed many concerts. He later returned to Los Angeles to write songs for a musical movie called Tropic Holiday in 1938.

By the early 1940s, Agustín Lara was very well known in Spain. In 1965, the Spanish leader Francisco Franco even gave him a house in Granada. This was to show how much he appreciated Lara's songs about Spanish places, like Toledo, Granada, and Madrid. Lara received many other awards and honors from around the world.

His life story was made into a Mexican film in 1959, called The Life of Agustín Lara.

In 1968, Lara's health started to get worse. On October 16, 1970, he fell and broke his hip. He was taken to the hospital, but sadly, he never fully recovered. Agustín Lara passed away on November 6, 1970, in Mexico City. He was buried there. By the time he died, he had written more than 700 songs!

A book about his life, "Agustín Lara: Vida y Pasiones" (Agustín Lara: Life and Passions), was written by his friend Javier Ruiz Rueda.

His Family

Grave of Agustín Lara

Agustín Lara was the son of Joaquín Lara and María Aguirre y Pino. He had a younger sister named María Teresa Lara.

Agustín Lara was married several times, including to the famous actress María Félix. He also adopted a daughter named Rocío Durán. He was a stepfather to the actor Enrique Álvarez Félix.

He had two sons: Gerardo Agustín Lara Santacruz and Agustín Lara Lárraga.