One of the women pioneers in música mexicana is getting honored by Google in a special way. A Google Doodle was created for Mexican legend Lola Beltrán on what would’ve been her 92nd birthday.
During her lifetime, Beltrán was one of Mexico’s top female singers and actresses. She was born in El Rosario, Sinaloa on March 7, 1932 and later moved to Mexico City to further her career in the entertainment business. Thanks to her radio show there, Beltrán met Mexican composer Tomás Méndez, who wrote songs for her to record, including the huapango classic “Cucurrucucú Paloma.” Their collaborations also resulted in Beltrán becoming a groundbreaking woman in ranchera music.
Beltrán later became the first ranchera music artist to perform at El Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. From there she proudly took the genre all over the world with performances at the Olympia Music Hall in Paris and the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow and performed ranchera songs for several presidents and world leaders. She even became an actress during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema and starred in over 50 films.
On March 24, 1996, she passed away at the age of 64. To honor her heavenly birthday and a Mexican icon during Women’s History Month, a Google Doodle was created with her image.
“This Doodle celebrates Mexican singer and actress Lola Beltrán,” Google said in a statement. “The legendary artist breathed new life into classic songs and helped make Mexican Ranchera music a popular genre around the world. Over the course of her career, Beltrán made 100 albums and starred in 50 films. She inspired generations of Mexican singers to embrace folk music and sing about their authentic experiences.”
Other Latine icons Google has celebrated with their own Doodles include Mexican poet Ramón López Velarde and Puerto Rican mambo maestro Tito Puente. In 2017, Tejano music legend Selena was honored with a Google Doodle on the anniversary of her 1989 self-titled album.