Today we continue making suggestions of Latin American and Spanish crooners you should know about. We insist: listening to a good bolero is a great way to practice your Spanish and enjoy doing so. In this series we try to come closer to present days and discover some hidden gems.

ARMANDO MANZANERO AND LUIS MIGUEL

Luis Miguel, a life of crooning

Bio bits: Luis Miguel, born in Mexico, started singing when he was 11 years old. He was a pop singer until 1991, when he joined bolero composer and piano player Armando Manzanero for their record Romance. The record was a huge success and gained recognition for Luis Miguel as something more than another pop singer. It also put Manzanero back on stage after his success in the sixties as a composer.

Greatest hits: Cómo yo te amé (How I loved you), Inolvidable (Unforgettable), No sé tú (And you, I don’t know), Te extraño (I miss you)

Trivia: There’s a version of Manzanero’s Somos novios sung by Elvis Presley as It’s impossible. Here you have a version of Cómo yo te amé played by Manzanero on the piano and sung by Luis Miguel.

Cómo yo te amé,
jamás te lo podrás imaginar,
pues fue una hermosa forma de sentir
de vivir, de morir
y a tu sombra seguir:
así yo te amé.
Cómo yo te amé
ni en sueños lo podrás imaginar
pues todo el tiempo te pertenecí.
Ilusión no sentí
que no fuera por ti:
así es cómo te amé.
Cómo yo te amé,
por poco o mucho tiempo que me quede por vivir
es verbo que jamás podré volver a repetir.
Comprendo que fue una exageración
lo que yo te amé.
Cómo yo te amé
no creo que algún día
me lo puedas entender
tendrías que enamorarte como lo hice yo de ti
para así saber
cuánto yo te amé.

SERGIO PÁNGARO

Sergio Pángaro, an Argentinian postmodern crooner

Bio bits: born in Buenos Aires, Sergio Pángaro has always sung with Baccarat, a female duo who do the chorus to his songs. He usually plays in Buenos Aires and not many of his recordings are available outside the country. His characterization as an old-time crooner is fantástica.

Greatest hits: Hit, No es verdad (It’s not true), Primavera (Spring).

Trivia: His moustache was a trademark before hipsters even existed.