Great artists such as José José, Pepe Aguilar and many others have recorded José María Napoleón’s songs, and it’s no surprise: the Mexican singer/songwriter could sketch the outlines of love or suffering in just a handful of perfect, visceral lines. His songs helped set the tone for the 1970s balada movement, with poetic lyrics (he was known as “el Poeta de la Canción”) soaring above soft rock, orchestral and even mariachi instrumentals.