Dig Deep: Pedro Infante – Siempre En El Corazon De Mexico – Peerless (1965)

Pedro Infante – Amor De Los Dos
Pedro Infante – Enamorada
Pedro Infante – Osito Carpintero

I’ve been spending a lot of time listening to old school music out of Mexico of late, lots of Jorge Negrete, Miguel Aceves Mejia, Las Jilguerillas, Los Panchos, but above all the others remains the voice of Pedro Infante. Infante stands as one of the most beloved singers ever produced out of Mexico. Perhaps because he died tragically and relatively young in 1957, but truly because of the musical legacy he left behind. Infante seems to have started out as a movie star, but his true talent (not to say he wasn’t a great actor, maybe the best out of the “golden era” of Mexican cinema) was in his voice with its rich tone and his ability to coax the softest and most fragile notes from it while, often in the same song, project this extraordinary strength.

Prior to getting this album, which I found at Bagatelle a few years ago (in addition to a sealed 3 album set from Vincente Fernandez), I’d mainly heard Infante’s voice paired with Mariachi groups. The tracks on this collection span a variety of genres, with actually very few being in the Mariachi vein, showing the great range of this great vocalist. The simple and powerful version of “Amor De Los Dos” is second only to “Cien Años” in terms of my favorite tracks by Infante. Accompanied only by a single guitar, the song allows you to fully appreciate that great feeling that Infante could inspire in his singing, just hauntingly beautiful. “Enamorada” was a surprise to me, finding Infante crooning with a more jazz styled big-band, made me wonder what might have been if Infante had ever been interested or able to crossover into the US markets. Somehow I could perfectly see him as a member of the Rat Pack. The final track I’ve posted for you “Osito Carpintero” shows a bit of the playful side from Infante, with an interesting little arrangement featuring only guitar and bells. If this is your introduction to Infante, I’m glad you now know his music, but this only scratches the surface of a legendary and truly once in a generation artist.

Cheers,

Michael