The historical site of Dolores Hidalgo, closely located to Mexican cultural capital city of Guanajuato (in the state of Guanajuato, Gto.) has its own King who came to this world right here in January 19, 1926. Mexican El Rey had neither played any instrument nor had any education in music. He was a self-starter in the land of music, songs and dance.
In his short (47 years) but very intense and active life he composed some 1,000 songs of the ranchera style and became one of the most prolific Mexican composer. His songs, “Cuando el destino”, “El caballo blanco”, “Llegó borracho el borracho” and “Que te vaya bonito”, “Camino de Guanajuato”, as well as others, “Paloma querida”, “Media vuelta”, “El Rey”, “Sin Sangre en las venas”, “El jinete” are widely known in Latin American culture.
On the outskirts of Dolores Hidalgo, on a regular cemetery, there’s a resting place and the tomb dedicated to El Rey. Next to the graves there’s a small section that distinctively stands out in the entire cemetery. A huge charro hat and colourful stripes sarape made of tiny tiles with the titles of his most famous compositions. Everything is arranged in the shape of a snake.
The cemetery is visited by lots of tourists not only from Latin American countries but also from all over the world to witness how much popular José Alfredo Jiménez was. This site is one of a kind that can be experienced only in Mexico.