Esmeralda

Alma Graciela Haro Cabello (born María Graciela Herrejón Cabello; 18 February 1927 – 25 August 1992), known professionally as Esmeralda, was a Mexican singer and actress. She was nicknamed La Versátil ("The Versatile") because she sang and recorded songs of various music genres, including cuplé, bolero, and tango. Biography She was born María Graciela Herrejón Cabello in Morelia, Michoacán, to Ignacio Herrejón Ortiz and Amanda Cabello Morante. She later changed her name from Herrejón to Haro, her stepfather's surname. In 1942, María Graciela participated in a contest organized by radio station XEW to choose a new vocalist for the songs of Agustín Lara, but she lost to Lupita Alday. In 1944, she recorded her first single for Peerless Records with the songs "Qué buscan en la mujer" and "Puerto nuevo", and two years later she made her debut at radio station XEW. In 1948, Esmeralda introduced Agustín Lara's famous schottische "Madrid" on Mexican radio, and in that same year she recorded it for the Peerless label. Lara later commissioned the singer Ana María González to introduce the schottische in Spain.