Néstor Mesta Chayres was born to Florentino Mesta and Juana Chayres in a family which included six additional children: Juanita, María Luisa, Herminia, Óscar, Jesús and Margarita in the city of Lerdo, Mexico. His initial studies in music were provided by a local teacher and an organist at the parish church. Even as a child he showed promise as an operatic singer. In his youth, he was also known to sing to a recording of
Caro Nome from
Giuseppe Verdi's opera
Rigoletto. While still in high school, he exhibited an exceptional vocal aptitude which earned him several awards. After the death of his father in 1925, he earned a scholarship to the
National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City. His studies included instructions in music theory, harmony, counterpoint, and voice with Lambert Castañeros - who had performed at
La Scala in Milan, Italy. Néstor's professional career began in the artistic center of the Mexican capital in 1929 performing songs of
Jorge del Moral and
Agustín Lara at the Bolivár Amphitheater at the National Preparatory School. Soon he achieved success on the radio station X.E.B. in Mexico City, where he continued to perform for four years. By 1933 he launched a concert tour with the pianist
Jorge del Moral to Havana, Cuba where he performed the waltz
Divina Mujer at various theaters. He also appeared in three gala concerts for the President of the Republic during his two-month tour on the island. After returning to Mexico City in 1934, he also recorded several songs including
Morena (Jorge del Moral). As a distinguished opera vocalist, Chayres was also invited by the CBS network to collaborate with the
contralto Tona la Negra and Andre Kostelanetz conducting the Mexican Symphony Orchestra in a special Easter Sunday broadcast as supervised by the OIAA (
Office of Inter-American Affairs) of the United States
Department of State. In the early 1940s he also concertized regularly at the Havana Madrid night club in New York to the acclaim of critics. Cháyres joined the staff at the
Columbia Broadcasting System within CBS Radio's
La Cadena de las Américas in 1943 under the musical direction of
Alfredo Antonini as a featured soloist on the radio program
Viva América while collaborating with the accordionist
John Serry Sr. and the vocalist
Manolita Arriola. He continued to collaborate with Antonini on additional live radio broadcasts for
Voice of America and the
Department of State's Office of International Broadcasting and Cultural Affairs in subsequent years. These performances were also broadcast overseas for the benefit of the members of America's armed forces personnel during
World War II In addition, they helped to introduce
Latin American music and the Mexican bolero to large audiences throughout the United States during the 1940s. Several recordings of
boleros were also produced in collaboration with Antonini and his orchestra during this time on
Decca Records including:
Noche de Ronda (23770 B) and
Granada (23770 A). His recordings in both North and South America for
RCA Victor from this period featured collaborations with the Orquesta Radio Caracas and the Orquesta Gonzalo Cervera. They included:
Princesita (# 90-0595-A),
Todo Mi Ser (# 90-0595-B),
Manolete (# 23-0853-A) and
Silverio (#20-0853-B). Néstor also performed regularly on the
NBC radio network during this time. He first concertized at the historic
Town Hall in New York City in 1945 and returned for a repeat performance three years later. Subsequently, he collaborated once again with Alfredo Antonini conducting the
New York Philharmonic for a gala
Night of the Americas concert at
Carnegie Hall in 1946. Based upon these achievements, an extensive array of international concerts emerged which included an appearance with the
Montreal Philharmonic Orchestra in Canada in 1946. While concertizing in South America he performed in Peru, Columbia, Venezuela, Chile and Argentina. He also returned to Mexico to perform for President
Miguel Alemán Valdés in 1947 and was also featured in May 1947 at a reception held for President Aleman at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. During this time Chayres was represented by the prestigious
impresario Sol Hurok In Madrid, he performed the
Seven Songs of
Manuel de Falla to great acclaim. His final tour in the United States and Canada was completed in 1950. Upon returning to Mexico City, he married his wife Peggy Satanon who "discovered" Cháyres during a recital at the Palace of Fine Arts. This film biography of the Mexican songwriter
María Grever earned two
Ariel Awards in Mexico in 1955. He returned to television in 1968 for an appearance in the
Paco Malgesto Hour and in 1969 on
The Golden Hour of the W. His final appearance on television occurred in 1970 on the show
24 Hours. He was also commended for the warmth and tenderness of his renditions. Critics also took note of his fine and full tenor voice and his capacity to interpret Mexican-gypsy folk melodies with fire and passion. Néstor Mesta Cháyres' artistic interpretations of such songs as
Murcia,
Toledo,
Clavel Sevilliano,
Granda and the
Suite Español by
Agustín Lara earned him the beloved title - "El Gitano de Mexico" ("The Gyspy of Mexico"). He was often compared favorably to the outstanding lyric tenors of his time including:
Juan Arvizu, Luise G. Roldán and
Alfonso Ortiz Tirado and
Tito Schipa. == Discography ==