Marco Antonio Solis

Marco Antonio Solis


Every now and then, I like to take a break from the political stuff, which is usually depressing, to write about this or that among my personal interests. One of my passions is Spanish-language music. I grew up with rock and roll in the late 50s, and, in my opinion, English-language music has deteriorated badly since then. Yes, there was some great music in the 60s, such as Motown, but to me, the British invasion destroyed rock and roll. (I know I am going to get some angry responses to that.) At any rate, when I look at English-language music today, all I see is rap, hip-hop and heavy metal. It is particularly sad to see the decline in black music, one of the great art forms of American culture. I hardly even classify rap as music. Nobody is singing, and the instrumental part is basically a drum in the background. I won't even go into the lyrics. The Platters and the Drifters must be turning over in their graves.

I know this is a long introduction, but it leads into my interest into Spanish music, which still produces quality product in the Spanish-speaking world as well as in the United States and, of course, Spain. Mexico especially has made its mark, not only in its distinctive styles, such as Mariachi, but as an important center of Spanish language music. Many famous stars from Spain, such as Julio Iglesis, actually started their careers in Mexico.

Over the years, I have become a fan of several singers such as Iglesias, the late Rocio Durcal (Spain), and Juan Gabriel (Mexico). My current favorite is Marco Antonio Solis of Mexico.

Solis was born in the Mexican state of Michoacan in 1959 and began singing as a child. At the age of 12, he was part of a duo with his brother, Joel, known as Los Hermanitos Solis (The Little Solis Brothers).

In the 1970s, Solis hit it big as part of the singing group, Los Bukis, which became extremely popular in Mexico, Latin America and the Spanish-speaking communities in the US. In the 1990s, Solis decided to go solo and has become one of the most popular solo artists in the Spanish-speaking world with dozens of hits.

A list of all his hits would be impractical here, but some of my favorites are:

O me voy o te vas
Tu carcel
El peor de mis fracasos
Morenita
Si no te hubieras ido
Sigue sin mi
Mi eterno amor segreto
Mi ultimo adios

Solis composes all of his music himself. His songs are generally romantic and often with the theme of lost love. The music could be considered international in nature with strings in the background. Many of his concerts are assisted by local symphony orchestras, such as the San Juan (PR) Symphony Orchestra, which performed with him at his appearance in San Juan, or the Madrid Symphony Orchestra when he performed in Madrid.

Not confined to love songs, Solis also mixes in faster Latin and Mexican rhythms with hot female dancers, who appear on stage for certain faster-paced numbers. In addition, there are always 3-4 female dancers who sway in the background to all of the songs. A Marco Antonio Solis concert, even with all the sad love songs, is a happy, rousing experience. (I have attended two.)

Solis records for the Fonovisa Company in Los Angeles, and lives in the LA area. His personal life is unsullied by scandals such as is the case with many other singers and entertainers. In addition to being a great composer, singer and performer, he is also a role model.

If you have any interest in Latin music, this is a singer you might want to check out.