Manuel Esperón


Manuel Esperón González was a Mexican songwriter and composer. He wrote many songs for Mexican films, including "¡Ay, Jalisco, no te rajes!" for the 1941 film of the same name, "Cocula" for El Peñón de las Ánimas , and "Amor con amor se paga" for Hay un niño en su futuro. Other Esperón compositions have become Latin standards such as "Yo soy mexicano", "Noche plateada" and "No volveré", which was used in the first episode of the 2001 soap opera El juego de la vida. Among other performers, Pedro Infante, Los Panchos, and Jorge Negrete have made his songs well-known. His fame in the USA derives from when his song The Three Caballeros was used in the Disney film The Three Caballeros.
Esperón was born in Mexico City. He retired in 1987, although his songs continued to be used in filmmaking and television productions.

Awards

In 1989, Esperón was awarded the Premier National Prize of Mexico for Art and Traditional Culture. In 2001, he was given a tribute at the Palace of Fine Arts in the historical center of Mexico City. Until his death in 2011, he was the honorary President for life of the Society of Authors and Composers of Mexico.

Selected filmography