Search - Jose Alfredo Jimenez :: Jose Alfredo Jimenez

First and foremost, José Alfredo Jimenez is considered the greatest songwriter of Mexico's folk/ranchera song form. Dozens of his biggest hits--"Ella," "Tu Recuerdo y Yo," "Vamonos," "Alma de Acero," "Un Mundo Raro"--have become part of the ranchera canon, played by mariachis everywhere. All are included here, in addition to other evergreens such as "Que Bonito Amor" and "Cuando los Años Pasen." Jimenez was a fair-to-middling singer, yet he impressed because of the emotion he could inject into his songs. As he wrote the songs, he understood them best. Listen to the life-affirming spirit on "Alma de Acero," or the elegant treatise on love across social classes in "Vamonos." Jimenez's vivid word imagery and penetrating insight helped him capture the fears and frailties that affect us all. --Ramiro Burr