Google Celebrates the Late Lola Beltrán with Animated Google Doodle

The late Lola Beltrán’s legacy lives in on(line)…

Google is officially celebrating the late legendary Mexican ranchera icon with an animated Google Doodle on what would have been her 92nd birthday on Thursday, March 7.

Lola Beltrán, Golden Doole.In the purple-hued illustration, Beltran is elegantly presented with her hair in a bun adorned with a flower, and large earrings while singing into a microphone. Known for her monumental role in popularizing ranchera and huapango music globally,

Beltrán stands among the most venerated Mexican singers of all time.

Lola Beltrán’Born María Lucila Beltrán Ruiz in El Rosario, Sinaloa, Mexico, her journey to stardom began in the 1950s and 1960s, a period celebrated as the Golden Age of Mexican cinema.

Before fame, “Her church choir inspired her love of singing and she became obsessed with ballads,” reads the About the Doodle section. “In 1953, Beltrán and her mother moved to Mexico City to pursue her career as a singer. After getting a job as a popular radio station’ secretary, Beltrán earned the chance to participate in an on-air singing contest. She didn’t just win — the producers were so impressed that they helped her secure a recording contract Beltrán started to cover popular songs on air and even earned her own radio show, but she had bigger dreams.”

This victory launched her onto a path of success, culminating in approximately 100 album releases, such as Alma Cancionera de México (1960) and Joyas (1969), and starring roles in 50 films, including La Desconocida (1954) and Canción del Alma (1963).

Beltrán’s influence extended beyond music to acting, earning her widespread acclaim and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Notably, she was the first ranchera singer to grace the stage of the prestigious El Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, and performed for numerous world leaders.

Her interpretations of “Cucurrucucú Paloma” and “Paloma Negra” have become enduring standards. Beyond her artistic talents, Beltrán’s distinctive style and stage presence made her a fashion icon and emblem of Mexican cultural pride.

Beltrán’s legacy continued to flourish until her death in 1996 due to a pulmonary embolism.

Through its Doodle, Google aligns Beltrán’s tribute with past honorees such as Tito Puente, Raoul A. Cortez and Diana Sacayán. 

Rivera’s Memorial Service Draws Thousands

La Diva de La Banda’s family, friends and fans have bid her el último adios at an emotional memorial in Los Angeles…

Thousands on Wednesday morning attended Jenni Rivera’s memorial service, which her family dubbed a celestial graduation,  at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, which hosted a memorial for an artist for the first time ever, to celebrate the Mexican-American singer’s life.

Jenni Rivera Memorial Service

The memorial, a mixture of laughter, tears and celebration, featured Rivera’s fans often singing loudly along to her videos and the live performances by her friends and family.

During the service, Rivera’s five children, her parents and brothers each took the stage to eulogize the singer, including Rivera’s daughter Jacquie Melina Campos, who said, “My mother was perfectly imperfect.”  Rivera’s youngest son, 11-year-old Johnny Lopez, spoke in what he called “the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

Pedro Rivera, the family patriarch and the man who helped Rivera launch her career as an artist and a businesswoman, fought hard to keep tears at bay during the two-hour service, but still managed to perform a corrido in his daughter’s honor, accompanied by a full banda.

The event was hosted by the Rivera’s family, including brother and fellow banda Lupillo Rivera; and brother Juan Rivera, a pastor and singer who often opened Jenni’s shows and who welcomed those in attendance.

 

“She has many plans,” said Juan Rivera, speaking of his sister in the present tense and hinting at possibilities for the Jenni Rivera brand and name. “So we have a lot of work to do. So many times I introduced her in her shows: The queen of queens, the Diva of Banda, La Gran Señora and, because you made it this way, I will proudly say, No. 1: Jenni!”

Although the theater was packed mostly by fans who paid $1 on Ticketmaster to purchase refundable tickets (arranged that way to avoid scalping), there was also a number of executives and celebrities, including Marco Antonio Solís; Joan Sebastian, who performed “Más Allá del Sol;” Ana Gabriel, who performed the ranchera hit “Paloma Negra;” Olga Tañón, who performed “Mirame” and Gloria Trevi.

The ceremony included an impassioned sermon by Juan Rivera, who quoted from Ecclesiastes: “There is a time to be born and a time to die… Jenni passed through many tough situations in her life, and she was able to stand up after each one of them, because she had the power of God and the power in herself. She lived a victorious life. She never gave up.”

 

The service culminated with the band gathered around the coffin and fans filing past, leaving white roses.

Rivera, who will be laid to rest later in a private ceremony, was traveling on a private Learjet the morning of December 9 when her plane crashed in the outskirts of Monterrey, Mexico.