Early years Juan Nepomuceno Arvizu Santelices was born in
Querétaro, Mexico, to Pedro Arvizu and Trinidad Santelices. As a child, he assisted his father as a radio-telegraph operator. His mother encouraged him to study vocalization,
solfège and harmony while he sang in a children's choir. By the age of 22 he was accepted into the
Conservatorio Nacional de Música (Mexico) in
Mexico City, where he continued his studies. His artistic abilities attracted the attention of several music teachers including José Pierson, who had instructed such noted vocalists as
Jorge Negrete,
José Mojica,
Alfonso Ortiz Tirado,
Pedro Vargas and
Juan Pulido. Arvizu first appeared with Pierson's opera company while performing on stage with the noted soprano
Ángeles Ottein and
Consuelo Escobar. At the age of 24, Arvizu made his debut at the Teatro Esperanza Iris with a role in
La sonámbula by
Vincenzo Bellini. As a member of the Consuelo Escobar de Castor Opera Company he continued in this role and traveled abroad. He visited New York City during this time and continued to augment his operatic repertoire to include the
Argentine tango and the works of
María Grever and
Alfonso Esparza Oteo. By 1927, Arvizu returned to Mexico and appeared in another operatic production at the Teatro Esperanza Iris of
Giacomo Meyerbeer's work
Dinorah. While Arvizu's natural vocal qualities and the power of his operatic voice attracted the attention of the public, he faced financial obstacles in his professional endeavors at this time. With this in mind he increased his repertoire to include the popular tango and initiated appearances in cafes and cinemas. His performances in the opera house also attracted the attention of leading figures in the phonographic industry. At this time the popular music field welcomed such noted operatic artists as Margarita Cueto,
Pedro Vargas, Juan Pulido, Carlos Mejía,
Carlos Almenar Otero,
Alfredo Sadel and
Tito Schipa among others. Juan Arvizu was no exception, entrusting his voice to the Brunswick record label in 1928. His first recording of the song
Varita de nardo by Joaquin Pardavé was well received among audiences. The
RCA Victor record label soon included him on their staff, thereby beginning one of the most prolific careers in popular music. The composer
Jorge del Moral entrusted his composition
Por Unos Ojos to Arvizu, whose vocal versatility and musical qualities earned him the nickname "The Tenor With the Silken Voice".
International recognition Based upon these achievements, Radio
XEW in Mexico invited Arvizu in 1930 to inaugurate its first broadcast in 1930. This would not be the only time that the "Tenor With the Silken Voice" would receive such recognition. In fact, Arvizu had the honor of initiating broadcasts on several other international radio stations. For example, in 1935, he inaugurated a show on LR1 - Radio El Mundo in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Years later in 1942 he premiered with
La Cadena de Las Amėricas of the
Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) and
Voice of America on the
Viva América show in New York, in collaboration with the orchestra conductor
Alfredo Antonini, the Puerto Rican vocalist
Elsa Miranda, the Argentine composer
Terig Tucci, the Mexican American vocalist
Eva Garza and the concert accordionist
John Serry Sr. In 1941 he also collaborated with the
Andre Kostelanetz Orchestra in live performance on the radio for WABC in New York City. By 1945 his performances on the CBS network were heard by audiences in twenty Latin American nations and were rebroadcast for members of America's Armed forces on the Armed Forces Radio Service. His performances with the CBS Pan American Orchestra were also noteworthy for helping to introduce Latin American music and the Mexican
bolero to large audiences in the United States during the 1940s. But one of his greatest achievements was to "discover" one of Mexico's leading composers,
Agustín Lara in 1929. During the 1920s and 1930s, the
tango was very popular in Mexico. Arvizu premiered many of these songs in Pepe Cantillo's music revue. While searching for an accompanist, the tenor agreed to hire an unknown bohemian pianist at the ordinary Café Salambó. That pianist was Agustín Lara. The performances of the Lara-Arvizu duo on radio XEW were well received by the public. Along with other leading vocalists of the time such as
Pedro Vargas and
Alfonso Ortiz Tirado, Arvizu helped to popularize several of Lara's greatest compositions. They included such works as:
Aventura,
Concha Nacar,
Cuando Vuelvas,
Enamorada,
Granada,
Santa and
Tus Pupilas. Juan Arvizu achieved international recognition in the 1930s. By 1935, the singer made his first international tour and arrived in Buenos Aires for the launching of the LR1 Radio El Mundo. While his stay in Buenos Aires was scheduled for only two months, it lasted for over a year and a half. It was a triumphant season for Juan Arvizu. This feat would be repeated years later when he finished his contract in New York with RCA Victor. He stayed in Argentina for 18 years and launched many concert tours abroad from this venue. He lived for several years in Chile while performing boleros as well as in Colombia. Upon returning to his native Mexico, however, Juan failed to receive the recognition which he had expected. With the passage of time, a new generation had emerged with different musical preferences. Juan had been pushed into the background. After a long tour in his native town of Queretáro, Mexico in 1967, he embarked upon a period of rest since his life had been characterized by continuous movement.
Recordings Juan Arvizu was one of the most recorded singers in the history of Latin music. As a prolific performer, he recorded for several leading labels including:
RCA Victor,
Columbia Records and
Tico Records. He often premiered compositions by several prominent Latin composers including: Mario Clavell from Argentina,
Rafael Hernández Marín from Puerto Rico, Donato Roman Heitman from Chile, Enrique Fábrega from Panama,
Carlos Vieco, Augusto Duque from Colombia, and
Agustín Lara, Gonzalo Curiel and
Gabriel Ruiz Galindo from Mexico. Arvizu also performed in duo with other noted musicians. His recordings with Margarita Cueto include several famous songs such as:
Taboga,
Más Vale Tarde Que Nunca, Bajo el Palmar, Deseparacíon, among many others. With Juan Pulido he recorded
El Último Beso and with
Alfonso Ortiz Tirado,
Negra Linda. Arvizu was also accompanied by several renowned orchestras of his time including: Marimba Panamerica, the Chucho Zarzosa Orchestra, the Vieri Fidanzani Orchestra, the
Francisco Lomuto Orchestra, the E. Vigil and Robles Orchestra, the Orchestra of Juan S. Garrido, the CBS Pan American Orchestra, and many others. Juan Arvizu is credited with several single recordings of
boleros,
aires,
tangos,
waltzes and
milongas. It has been estimated that during the course of his career he recorded over 2,000 discs. Among some of the most popular titles are his interpretations of:
Arrepentimiento Cada Vez Que Me Recuerdes,
Corrientes y Esmeralda,
Qué Fácil Es Decir,
La Cumparsita,
Lágrimas de Sangre,
Madreselva Caminito,
Mi Buenos Aires Querido,
Mi Único Amor,
Nido Gaucho,
No Cantes Ese Tango,
Nuestra Casita,
Pecado,
Plegaria,
Prohibido,
Salud Dinero y Amor,
Señior Juez,
Si Dejaras de Quererme,
Sinceramente,
Tengo Mil Novias,
Verdemar,
Una Cación.
Cinema The "Seventh Art" also benefited from the presence of Juan Arvizu. He participated in several films including
Santa and
Reír llorando, which were produced in Mexico. In Cuba, Arvizu starred in the most important film of his career
Ahora Seremos Felices with the charismatic Puerto Rican artist
Mapy Cortés. By 1939, Arvizu had already reached the zenith of his fame. Even though the plot of the film was simple, it generated fabulous revenues. Arvizu sang several boleros by the composer
Rafael Hernández including:
Quiero Decirte,
Las Palomitas,
Purísima and
Ahora Seremos Felices. In 1940 he also sang in the film
Infidelidad in collaboration with the actor Jorge Vélez. In the 1950s he performed in several biographical films about the composer María Grever including:
Cuando Me Vaya (1954) which earned two
Ariel Awards and
O Grande Amor De María Grever 1954 Leg (1954).
Performance style During the course of his long career recording music for the Victor label, Arvizu's performances were reviewed by critics in such leading magazines as
The Billboard. He was consistently praised for a passionate delivery as well as a dramatic style of chanting. He was also applauded for his full bodied chanting and the full tonal quality of his voice.
Death Juan Arvizu died in Mexico City November 19, 1985. His musical legacy includes a compendium of single recordings for
RCA Victor,
Columbia Records and
Tico Records some of which were produced in both North and South America. They embody an extensive repertoire which includes the music of his fellow Mexican artists
Agustín Lara and
María Grever. ==Discography==