First time I heard Besame Mucho when I was still a boy. I’ve listened to it many times after that. Somehow it didn’t impress me much.

With time I started to appreciate it. Finally Besame Mucho became one of my favourites pieces thanks to Cesaria Evora. Her magnificent rendition pulled the right string of my soul.

The author of both music and lyrics is Consuelo Velazquez from Mexico. She wrote the piece in 1940 when she was 16. She was inspired by aria from ‘Maria Del Carmen’, Enrique Granados’ opera.

Velazquez, as she admitted herself, did not know a taste of a kiss at the time she wrote the lyrics. This means it was only a fantasy of a young, inexperienced girl, who knew very little about love. Who would have thought?

_{Consuelo Velazquez}

The song fit perfectly to the atmosphere of war, when many people were lonely and missed love. It became a great hit.

The biggest success during the war was achieved by Jimmy Dorsey’s recording. The first time it made it to the list of Billboard magazine in January 1944 and after sixteen weeks it earned the top spot of bestsellers. Three month later Andy Russel’s recording became number ten on the list.

Besame Mucho

There are so many Besame Mucho’s renditions. Probably there is no latin band or latin singer who wouldn’t have it in their repertoire. Lyrics were translated into another languages and Besame Mucho became an international hit. It has been recorded by singers, tenors and jazzmen. It is often performed to this day.

_{Besame Mucho}

Even The Beatles made their own rendition while recording in Hamburg in Decca Records in 1962. Their adaptation is feeble and Beatles weren’t thrilled by it. Allegedly they recorded Besame Mucho once again, but I’m not familiar with it.

Consuelo Velazquez wrote several other famous songs: Amar y vivir, Verdad amarga, Franqueza, Que seas eliz, Cachito, Enamorada. Of course neither of them matched Besame Mucho’s popularity.

Consuelo Velazquez - Original Spanish lyrics:

Besame, besame mucho
Como si fuera esta la noche la ultima vez
Besame, besame mucho
Que tengo miedo a perderte mi vida, despues

Besame, besame mucho
Pon en tus besos destellos de loca pasion
Besame, besame mucho
Que quiero darte mis besos mi fiel corazon

Quiero tenerte muy cerca
Mirarme en tus ojos, verme junto a ti
Pienso que tal vez mañana
Yo ya estaré lejos, muy lejos de aqui

English version:

Kiss me, kiss me a lot,
As if tonight was
the last time.

Kiss me, kiss me a lot,
Because I fear to lose you,
To lose you again.

Kiss me, kiss me a lot,
As if tonight was
the last time.