Miguel Aceves Mejía

Miguel Aceves Mejia, celebrated under the moniker "The Golden Falsetto," reached the height of his renown during the late 1950s both as a ranchera performer and as a cinematic presence. His initial opportunities arose through radio broadcasts, beginning with a sponsored program arranged by his employer at an automobile manufacturing plant, which paved the way for an engagement at the storied XET station in Monterrey. There he joined Emilio Allende and Carlos Sorolla to establish a vocal trio before heading to Los Angeles in pursuit of individual recognition. In that city he cultivated the distinctive falsetto technique that would define his vocal approach. By 1940 he had shifted his base to Mexico City, securing a radio position at XEW.

A recording agreement with RCA followed, with his first releases appearing in the mid-1940s. Early sessions focused on tropical repertoire until a strike among studio musicians prompted a switch to accompaniment by a mariachi ensemble. The new format proved fitting, drawing notice that secured his debut screen appearance in the 1947 production De Pecado en Pecado, for which his vocals substituted those of actor José Pulido. Seven years afterward he took a leading part in Los Cuatros Vientos, instantly becoming a box-office attraction. Over the course of his career he participated in more than forty motion pictures, sharing the screen with such luminaries as María Felix, Pedro Armendariz, Lola Beltrán, and Amalia "La Tariácuri" Mendoza from Trio Tariácuri. Film exposure sustained a series of popular recordings, among them several compositions by José Alfredo Jimenez such as "Perla," "Cuatro Caminos," and "Alma de Acero." Equally familiar are his interpretations of classic rancheras including "Hay Unos Ojos," "Paloma Negra," "La Malagueña," "Cucurrucucu Paloma," "El Jinete," and "Canción Mixteca."