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Javier and Ita


Javier Solis was born September 1, 1931 four months before my grandma. He dropped out of school after the fifth grade. My grandma dropped out of school after the eighth grade. They both held various jobs. Javier—I feel I can call him this because we are intimately acquainted, at least vocally—was a baker, a carpenter’s helper, and a car washer. He even trained to be a boxer but stopped after a few defeats and persuading. My Ita worked as an elevator operator, ticket taker, in a textile fabric factory, and a bartender among other things.

His first hit, “Lloraras” was a favorite of hers, but she also liked to change the words to the song and sang, “Choraras, Choraras mi partida…” when she wanted to be funny. I think she choraras as much as she lloraras in her life.

 He sang and acted. She watched all of his movies and owned all of his records, then cassettes, and later CD’s.

 He was considered the last of Los Tres Gallos Mexicanos along with Pedro Infante and Jorge Negrete, other voices I frequently heard. All three of them died at a young age. Javier was the last to die at the age of 34 from complications due to gallbladder surgery. A surgery my Ita had when she was 39.

 My grandma saw the tragedy in his life. She sang it in each note of his songs and mingled it with her own until we couldn’t tell whose song it really was.




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