HISTORY OF SAN MIGUEL: A great voice from the past

If you stroll along Salida a Querétaro and pause at the mirador—a sweeping lookout over the city—you’ll find yourself just steps from the former home of one of San Miguel de Allende’s most celebrated voices. Pedro Vargas was born here on April 29, 1909, the second of twelve children of José Cruz Vargas and Rita Mata.

Pedro spent his childhood in the modest house where he was born, at Mesones 15 near Calle Núñez, now marked by a commemorative plaque. His musical path began early: at seven, his mother enrolled him in the church choir, where his talent quickly stood out. By 1920, at just fourteen, he had earned a scholarship to study piano and music at the Colegio Francés de La Salle. Upon arriving in Mexico City, he sang in church choirs and took to giving serenades, already honing the style that would later define him.

At La Salle, Vargas encountered influential musicians who helped shape his career. Among them was the composer, tenor, and conductor Mario Talavera, who recognized the young singer’s exceptional voice and became his mentor. Pedro Vargas also befriended artists such as Alejandro Cuevas, who was a playwright and a composer. He offered him free lessons, providing him with a background in musical composition.

Initially trained as a tenor, Vargas even received encouragement from José Mojica, the era’s great operatic star and actor with ties to San Miguel. In 1928, Vargas performed in Cavalleria Rusticana at the Teatro Esperanza in Mexico City. Although Mojica urged him to pursue opera, Vargas chose instead to devote himself to popular music—a decision that would define his legacy.

On September 12, 1931, he married María Teresa Camo Jáuregui of a Querétaro family; together they had four sons: Pedro, Mario, Marcelo, and Alejandro. For a time, the family lived in a house along Salida a Querétaro near the mirador, where a bust now commemorates him. 

Vargas rose to prominence as a master interpreter of the works of Agustín Lara, one of Latin America’s most influential composers. With a repertoire that ranged from beloved rancheras like Allá en el Rancho Grande to boleros such as Solamente una vez and Obsesión, Vargas toured widely across the Americas, earning international acclaim. 

He became known as “el ruiseñor de las Américas” (the Nightingale of the Americas) and “el samurái de la canción” (the samurai of song). The reason for the latter moniker has nothing to do with martial arts; instead, it was a nod to his Asian-looking eyes.

Pedro Vargas with Frank Sinatra; one of the many celebrities he came in contact with.

Beyond his singing career, Pedro Vargas composed numerous songs and appeared in more than seventy Mexican films. He remained married to Maria Teresa and died on October 30, 1989, at the age of eighty-three. Next week, San Miguel de Allende will commemorate his birth and remember this most illustrious native sons—an artist whose voice carried far beyond the city that first heard him sing.

We are fortunate to have recordings of his voice and you can appreciate them on the following site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQHrzW7usBg

Below is the historical plaque on Mesones 15.