
María Grever
composer
She was an international hit-maker during her lifetime, but, these days, few people remember the prolific romantic songwriter who was Mexico's first female professional composer. María Grever grew up studying piano, violin + voice in Europe, but the pop music she went on to compose was distinctly American ~ infused with tango influences + Mexican folk rhythms.
Especially famous for boleros, Maria brought her ballads to audiences from Buenos Aires to New York City while superstar singers from Frank Sinatra to Libertad Lamarque performed them around the world. María spent much of her adult life in Manhattan where she wrote everything from film scores to operettas while collaborating with US lyricists to translate her songs into English. María's greatest hits are still part of many singers' repertoires...recent revivals include Amy Winehouse + Gloria Estefan!
composing | estimates of her total output range from 200 - 500 songs
pop hits | romantic ballads inspired by tango + Mexican folk rhythms
being a musician's musician | a celeb with a dedicated fanbase amongst those who know music
soundtracks | wrote music for movies, including the 1944 film Bathing Beauty
concerts | arranged + performed in many successful variety shows around New York
circa 1904 | published her first song, "A una ola" {"To a wave"}, which would go on to sell 3 million copies
1928 | performed for the ambassadors from Argentina, Cuba, Spain + Mexico at New York's Pythian Temple
1952 | named "Woman of the Year" by the Union of Women of the Americas
~ who honored her with a memorial concert at the Biltmore Hotel upon her death ~
her position then | her position now
a girl who wrote her first song {a Christmas carol} at age 4 | the first Mexican woman to be a professional composer
born on
September 14, 1885...to 1894 {year is disputed!}
born in
Mexico City, Mexico
birth name
Maria de la Portilla
citizen of
The United States of America
lived in
Spain
~ for much of her childhood ~
New York City
~ after she married ~
daughter of
a Spanish father + Mexican mother
sister of
1 sister
loved studying
music ~ piano, violin + voice
married to
Leo A. Grever
~ an oil exec from the US who was the best man at her sister's wedding ~
mother of
2 children | Charles + Carmen
her songs performed by
Benny Goodman
Aretha Franklin
Dinah Washington
Placido Domingo
Chet Baker
Andrews Sisters
Bobby Darin
advocate for
up-and-coming musicians
~ mentored
blind people
~ a member of the Spanish-American Association for the Blind ~
died on
December 15, 1951
~ in Manhattan's Wellington Hotel ~
image credit
collapse bio bits"I will return like those restless waves crowned in foam return to bathe your beaches."
Volveré | unknown
"I will return, like white butterflies return to the chalice of roses to sip their nectar."
Volveré | unknown
for further reading about María Grever:
curated with care by Alicia Williamson
Maria + Clotilde
Living in Manhattan, Maria made many high-profile friends in the arts scene ~ including fellow composer Clotilde Arias and James Michener.
Smithsonian | Albert Small Documents Library
CC BY-NC
advocacy for the blind
Maria almost lost her eyesight due to an infection in the 1930s ~ an experience which made her a lifelong champion for the blind. In 1942, she organized + hosted a fundraising concert for the Spanish-American Association for the Blind. The performers were students from the New York Institute for the Education of the Blind.
New York Institute for Special Education
© all rights reserved
Maria tribute album
Five years after the celebrated composer's death, Maria's longtime label RCA released a 1956 tribute album featuring her greatest hits. She was also honored with an enormous memorial concert at New York's Biltmore Hotel.
Tropical | Letras Libres
© all rights reserved
Maria's Grammy winner
The Mexican composer's 1934 hit "Vuelva a tu lado" was translated into English by Stanley Adams. Besides being covered by everyone from Aretha Franklin to Amy Winehouse to Gloria Estefan, the hit song won its American populizer ~ Dinah Washington ~ a 1959 Grammy for the best R&B recording!
Black Sheep Music | Napster
© all rights reserved