Lorenzo Barcelata

Lorenzo Barcelata (July 24, 1898 – July 13, 1943) was a Mexican composer and actor born in Tlalixcoyan, Veracruz. He died in Mexico City from cholera, shortly before his 45th birthday.

Barcelata came from a musically oriented family. He wrote his first song, "Arroyito", at the age of 14. He later moved to Tampico where he formed the Cuarteto Tamaulipeco with composer Ernesto Cortázar. Their fame quickly spread throughout the region and they received international fame when the Mexican government sent them on a tour of Cuba. While there, they were signed to perform a 52-week tour of the United States. After two of the members were fatally injured in an automobile accident, Barcelata returned to Mexico. He reformed the quartet as his fame continued to grow. Beginning in 1932, he entered the Mexican film industry and became a prominent film composer until his death. He also achieved fame as an actor as he played roles in several films.

His most famous song is "María Elena", (also known as "Yours is My Heart"), and was originally written for Lucia Martínez García. The song was written at the request of Ernesto Soto Reyes, Lucía's husband, who paid $10,000 pesos for the song. Shortly before registering the song, Barcelata showed it to his businessman friend Anacarsis "Carcho" Peralta, who loved it; curiously, the song appeared shortly afterwards as "María Elena", the name of one of the businessman's girlfriends. "Maria Elena" was featured in the 1936 Mexican film of the same name. A version of it was also included on the soundtrack to the 1935 American film Bordertown. It was later translated into English and performed by the Lawrence Welk orchestra. Another English version was recorded by Jimmy Dorsey. Dorsey's version topped the charts in 1941. Wayne King also recorded an English version which reached the No. 2 position during the week of June 14, runner-up only to the Dorsey version. A vocal version by Tony Pastor also reached the Top 10 during that month. "Maria Elena" has since been recorded internationally by several different musicians. In 1958, the Brazilian group Los Indios Tabajaras recorded a version that became popular throughout Latin America and later (in 1963) reached the No. 6 position in the US charts & No. 5 in the UK charts.

The popularity of "Maria Elena" in the US in the early-1940s resulted in Barcelata touring the country once again. He returned to Mexico in 1943 where he was scheduled to produce several radio programs. However, he died on July 13, before recording could begin. In total, he left behind a catalog of 214 songs, including "Por ti aprendí a querer", and "El Cascabel", among others.

A recording of "El Cascabel" was one of the pieces of music on the Voyager Golden Record. This version was a mariachi interpretation performed by Antonio Maciel y Las Aguilillas with El Mariachi México de Pepe Villa. The 12 inch album (complete with stylus, cartridge and instructions for use) which was launched into deep space aboard the Voyager space probes in the late 1970s.

Birth and Death Data: Born July 24, 1898 (Tlalixcoyan), Died June 13, 1943 (Mexico City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1928 - 1953

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, vocalist, songwriter, lyricist, arranger, leader

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 51-75 of 215 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor MBS-94960 10-in. before 3/16/1938 Querétaro Lorenzo Barcelata Male vocal duet, with instrumental ensemble vocalist  
Victor MBS-94997 10-in. before 3/16/1938 Estas como rifle Orquesta Armando Rosales ; Lucha Reyes Female vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Victor BS-95164 10-in. 10/2/1935 Lucha Maria Las Dos Marías Female vocal duet, with guitar composer  
Victor BS-99786 10-in. 3/16/1936 Maria Elena Gustavo Carrasco ; Marimba Pan-Americana Marimba band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-101369 10-in. 4/20/1936 Te sueño para llorar Muñoz y Balám Male vocal duet, with 2 guitars and percussion composer  
Victor [Vi cat 75233-A] 10-in. Spring 1935 La cuera Los Trovadores Tamaulipecos Vocal and instrumental ensemble composer  
Victor [Vi cat 75233-B] 10-in. Spring 1935 El toro Los Trovadores Tamaulipecos Male vocal chorus composer  
Victor BS-02276 10-in. 10/30/1936 Flor de fuego Ricardo G. Lara ; Marimba Pan-Americana Marimba band, with male vocal solo composer  
Victor BS-02407 10-in. 10/26/1936 Por ti aprendí a querer Tito Guizar Male vocal solo, with 2 guitars lyricist, composer  
Victor BS-02408 10-in. 10/26/1936 Amanecer ranchero Tito Guizar Male vocal solo, with 2 guitars and male vocal ensemble lyricist, composer  
Victor BS-02409 10-in. 10/26/1936 La canción del ranchero Tito Guizar Male vocal solo, with 2 guitars lyricist, composer  
Victor BAVE-012422 10-in. between 7/22/1938 and 10/21/1938 Tu ya no soplas Feliciano Brunelli Orquesta Característica Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo and male vocal ensemble songwriter  
Victor BS-014171 10-in. 9/14/1937 Tú ya no soplas Familia Mendoza Vocal and instrumental quartet composer  
Victor MBS-015041 10-in. before 3/16/1938 Estás como rifle Orquesta Armando Rosales Instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Victor MBS-015092 10-in. before 3/16/1938 Caña de azúcar Mariachi Tapatío Instrumental ensemble composer  
Victor MBS-015128 10-in. before 5/4/1938 Caña de azucar Lorenzo Barcelata ; Rafael Falcón ; Trío Calaveras Male vocal duet and male vocal trio composer, vocalist  
Victor MBS-015129 10-in. before 5/4/1938 Te vide venir Lorenzo Barcelata ; Rafael Falcón ; Trío Calaveras Male vocal duet and male vocal trio, with guitars composer, vocalist  
Victor MBS-015130 10-in. before 5/4/1938 La rosita Lorenzo Barcelata ; Rafael Falcón ; Trío Calaveras Male vocal duet and male vocal trio arranger, vocalist  
Victor MBS-015131 10-in. before 5/4/1938 Ay, ay, ay, que buena estás Lorenzo Barcelata ; Trío Calaveras Male vocal solo and vocal trio, with guitars composer, vocalist  
Victor MBS-015132 10-in. before 3/24/1938 Caña de azucar Orquesta Castañeda y sus Cometas Jazz/dance band composer  
Victor MBS-015133 10-in. before 3/24/1938 Qué será que todavía soplas? Orquesta Castañeda y sus Cometas Jazz/dance band songwriter  
Victor MBS-015135 10-in. before 5/6/1938 Entre tú y yo Rafael Falcón Male vocal solo composer  
Victor MBS-015152 10-in. before 3/31/1938 Entre tú y yo Orquesta Victor Instrumental ensemble composer  
Victor MBS-015153 10-in. before 3/31/1938 La banda Hermanos Huesca Instrumental trio arranger  
Victor MBS-015155 10-in. approximately 1937 La morena Lorenzo Barcelata ; Rafael Falcón ; Trío Hermanos Huesca Male vocal duet, with instrumental trio arranger, vocalist  
(Results 51-75 of 215 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Barcelata, Lorenzo," accessed April 25, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106695.

Barcelata, Lorenzo. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 25, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106695.

"Barcelata, Lorenzo." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/106695

Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license

Feedback

Send the Editors a message about this record.