José Guízar Morfín, better known as Pepe Guízar (February 12, 1906 – 27 September 1980), was a Mexican composer, poet and musician. He composed the song " Guadalajara", a popular mariachi song. His tune, "A Poco No", can be heard in the 1941 film, '' Citizen Kane''.

Biography

Pepe Guízar was the son of Luis Guízar Valencia and Maria Morfín. His early studies were done in the Don Atilano Zavala School and Instituto de Ciencias de Jalisco. In 1928 he moved to

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...

and entered the National Preparatory School. Later was the first three years of law degree from the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences. He also studied music and recitation at the National Conservatory being started in music and piano by maestro J. Jesus Estrada. Professor Erasmo Castellanos Quinto infected him with a taste for poetry. Guízar was nicknamed "The musical painter of Mexico" by XEW radio because his compositions draw the musical geography of Mexico. He was a folkloric composer who strove to "dress up" Mexican music, moving it from the streets and bars to enter the concert halls, making it compete with

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries as the result of a combina ...

and

bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It has ...

, when they were fashionable. Enamored of the Mexican provincial life and his songs run deep with national roots of Mexico, its people, mariachi, and the people of Jalisco. Besides ''Guadalajara'' he wrote ''Corrido del Norte'', ''Como México no hay dos'', and ''

Tehuantepec Tehuantepec (, in full, Santo Domingo Tehuantepec) is a city and municipality in the southeast of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. It is part of the Tehuantepec District in the west of the Istmo Region. The area was important in pre Hispanic peri ...

'', all hits that marked an epoch in the life of

Mexican music The music of Mexico is very diverse and features a wide range of musical genres and performance styles. It has been influenced by a variety of cultures, most notably deriving from the culture of the Europeans, Indigenous, and Africans. It also ...

. Pepe Guízar gave validity to an entire musical movement interested in restoring values and life of its people beyond the capital. The Jalisco state government granted him the Castle of the Colomos to live in, but his poor health did not allow him to inhabit it for long. He traveled frequently to Mexico City to feel surrounded by people and died in one of these trips on September 17, 1980. Today the castle, no longer of "distant Colomitos", bears his name. His remains rest in the Panteón Jardín in Mexico City.

Select compositions

* "Guadalajara" * "Tehuantepec" * "El mariachi" * "Chapala" * "Sin Ti" * "A Poco No"

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

heard "A Poco No" in Mexico, and the tune was used for the jaunty campaign song, "Oh, Mr. Kane", in '' Citizen Kane'' (1941). Special lyrics were written by Herman Ruby. The song is also heard in the trailer for the film. He worked in Hollywood and appears in Down Argentine Way (1940) https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0350265/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t18

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Guizar, Pepe 1906 births 1980 deaths 20th-century composers 20th-century Mexican male musicians Male songwriters Mexican male composers Mexican songwriters