María Grever – Google honors famous Mexican singer, songwriter with doodle

Google today dedicates a beautiful doodle to María Grever, the renowned Mexican singer and songwriter. María Grever was the first female Mexican composer to achieve international acclaim.

María Grever (originally named María Joaquina de la Portilla Torres) was born on September 14, 1885 in the city of León in central Mexico. She was born to a Spanish father and Mexican mother in Guanajuato, Mexico.

María Grever’s father’s name was Francisco de la Portilla, mother was Julia Torres. She lived in Mexico City for the first six years of her life before moving to her dad’s natal city, Sevilla.

María Grever studied French, English and music after moving to Sevilla. Her natural musical abilities were evident as she composed a holiday carol for her school. This led her father to provide her some of the finest tutors, including distinguished composers, Debussy and Lehár. Her first record, ‘A Una Ola’ (To a Wave,’ 1912), sold millions of copies, and was eventually covered by several singers. She is best known for the song ‘What A Difference A Day Makes’ (originally ‘Cuando vuelva a tu lado’), which was popularized by Dinah Washington and has been covered by numerous artists.

María Grever wrote more than 800 songs — the majority of them boleros. Her popularity reached audiences in Latin America, Europe, and the US. Her first piece of music, a Christmas carol, was composed when she was four years old. She had possessed perfect pitch and wrote most of her songs in one key.

Once María Grever cited, “I had to leave my country, and now in New York I am interested in Jazz and Modern Rhythms, but above all, in Mexican Music, which I long to present to the American people. I am afraid they don't know much about it. It is music worth spreading; there is such a cultural richness in Mexican Music (its Hispanic and indigenous origins and how they mix) where melody and rhythm merge. It is my wish and yearning to present the native rhythms and tunes (of Mexico) from a real perspective, but with the necessary flexibility to appeal to the universal audience.”

The first international hit of María Grever was ‘Júrame’ (Promise, Love), a habanera-bolero interpreted in a masterly manner by tenor José Mojica. She continued to produce songs that married folk rhythms with styles like tango to captivate audiences throughout the Americas and Spain.

María Grever died on December 15, 1951 at the age of 66. At her own request, her funerary remains were transported to Mexico City. Today Google celebrates her with a mesmerizing doodle.

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