If you use Google today (7 March), you’ll come across a Google Doodle celebrating the Mexican singer Lola Beltrán’s 92nd birthday. In the purple-hued animation, you’ll see a woman with her hair tied into a bun and large earrings on, singing into a microphone, as she became best known for popularising Ranchera music worldwide.
Over the years, Google Doodles have been used to highlight some of the brightest minds who have helped change the world’s history for the better, whether it be in the arts, politics and beyond. Previous animations have celebrated the Polish-American biochemist Casimir Funk, who discovered the vitamins and essential nutrients essential for health in humans, and Agnès Varda, a Belgian-born director, photographer and artist.
Singer Beltrán was born on 7 March 1932 in El Rosario in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. Her family was working class and thanks to her church choir, she developed a love of singing, particularly ballads.
In 1953, Beltrán and her mother moved to Mexico City for her to pursue a singing career. She got a job as a secretary at a radio station and participated in their on-air singing competition. She was so impressive, it helped earn her a record deal.
Her melancholic voice allowed her to craft stories in her songs that were authentic and that resonated with the Mexican people. Her best-known songs “Cucurrucucu Paloma” and “Cielito Lindo” made her a household name in Mexico and beyond.
She became the first Ranchera singer to perform at the El Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City – a prestigious venue in the city. Beltrán made 100 albums and starred in 50 films over her lifetime and is thought to have inspired many Mexican singers. She died aged 64 in 1996.
Sign up for our free indy100 weekly newsletter. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
