When Consuelo Pérez Rubio, better known throughout Latin America as Chelo, began her career at age 16, she never imagined that this young girl would become "La Voz Ranchera de México" (Mexico’s Ranchera Voice).
Born in the Zapopan neighborhood of La Experiencia, just over five miles north of Guadalajara – the city considered the birthplace of ranchera music and mariachi – Chelo’s name has become synonymous with the fight for a dream. Her passion for music has flowed through her veins and vocal cords for as long as she can remember.
"Before I could even speak properly, when I was just a little over 2 years old, I was already singing ranchera music," Chelo recalls, accompanied by her daughter, the singer Yesenia Flores, during a Zoom interview.
Though known for her rancheras, Chelo’s artistic journey began in tropical music alongside her cousin Mike Laure, serving as the second vocalist for the group Mike Laure y sus Cometas. By the 1960s, she was already breaking barriers as the only female voice in the band.
It wasn’t until a decade later, after exploring cumbia, banda, norteño music, and boleros, that Chelo reconnected with her beloved rancheras. In this genre, she gained recognition not only in her native Mexico but throughout the Americas. Her determined voice mirrored the commanding presence and strength she conveyed on stage and through her lyrics.
Tracks like "Mejor me voy," "Las cuentas claras," "Si ya te vas," and "Dos gotas de agua," among others, empowered women across decades. Her inspiring tunes expressed truths many women dared not articulate, providing emotional release to those suffering silently through heartbreak.
These hits continue to resonate with multi-generational audiences. They are among the songs Chelo performs alongside Yesenia, who has been sharing stage professionally with her mother since she was just 4, in her farewell tour. Running through September, El Adiós de una Grande (A Great One’s Farewell) is a tribute that the artists have dreamed about for 30 years.
After 72 albums, dozens of hits, and the historic achievement of becoming the first woman nominated in the Best Mexican-American Performance category at the 1984 GRAMMYs for her song "A cambio de qué," Chelo is stepping off the stage in grand fashion — performing the songs that made her a living legend of Mexican music.
Chelo and Flores offered GRAMMY.com a retrospective of a career spanning nearly seven decades and recalled some of the milestones in the life and career of the forever remembered "La Voz Ranchera de México."
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What does this farewell tour represent after such a long career?
Chelo: So many years have passed. Thank God the public has recognized us, done us the favor of playing our records, and watched us work in films or theaters. But this time is very special because we’ve waited 30 years — I never thought this moment would come.
This tour is special because you’ve seen grandchildren bringing their grandparents to a concert for the first time. How do you feel when you see three generations together singing your songs from the stage?
Chelo: It brings me great joy. It’s a pleasure to sing for young people, men, women, all so young, and to see them enjoying these songs from 30 to 40 years ago.
Yesenia: This is a prayer answered 30 years later. It’s a prayer that encompasses everything — not just the tribute I asked for, but an extended homage. It’s not only for my mother but for our elders, especially after living through the pandemic and seeing our elderly die in solitude, unable to touch or hug them. It’s a tribute to those who’ve passed, those who taught us to love our traditions, and those still with us. That's what it means.
How has connecting with American audiences been during this farewell tour?
Chelo: It’s been absolutely wonderful. What has happened in these four concerts has been amazing. I didn’t expect this kind of acceptance from the public, nor did I expect how they would react. And now seeing so many people — thank God, so many people — it’s been incredible. We perform for their enjoyment, but we enjoy it even more when we see them happy.
On this tour, you share the stage with prominent figures of Mexican music and your daughter, Yesenia Flores, and your granddaughter, Hilda Michelle. What does it mean to have two of the most important women in your life alongside you?
Chelo: It’s beautiful, especially since they weren’t hired for me! [laughs]
Yesenia: The bad thing is they don’t pay us! I’m kidding! [laughs] For me, it's beautiful. I started singing with my mother professionally when I was four years old, and I've been her official second voice my entire life. To begin a cycle with her at such a young age, see how she triumphs, sells millions of records, and how people love her, not only in Mexico but in many places worldwide. It’s beautiful to come full circle with her.
Chelo, you’ve said in interviews that ranchera music was always in your veins, but do you remember the first time you heard this genre?
Chelo: I must have barely been old enough to understand. I was very young when I was already listening to ranchera music and liked it very much.
Yesenia: Allow me to jump in, because my mom is getting emotional. We come from artists, musicians, and music teachers. My grandmother sang, and the music that was heard at that time in Mexico was only ranchera music. Music from other countries hadn’t entered yet — only radio stations played ranchera music. That’s where my mother gets it from, from singing outside the house, where uncles, cousins, and nephews would gather to sing nothing but traditional Mexican songs.
Why do you think ranchera music chose you?
Chelo: Well, I don’t know. It was a miracle from heaven that this opportunity came to me, something I never thought about or imagined — how far this would go, the packed venues, and such an affectionate audience.
I hadn’t even analyzed it a bit. One is born with music inside, whether ranchera, tropical, or whatever you want. It's a pleasure to perform it, to sing it, but above all to give each type of music its proper place, whether with mariachi, banda, norteño, simply with guitar, and all that leads us to where we are now.
You’ve inspired a new generation of women in ranchera music, but which woman specifically inspired you to sing in this genre?
Chelo: It wasn’t that a woman inspired me, but that the radio played only ranchera music from different artists. Many who, unfortunately, are no longer with us, but many people are still around and remember perfectly what I’m saying. Anyone can sing ranchera if they like it or give it the interpretation it requires — a clean, beautiful interpretation that’s pleasant to the ears, doesn’t deafen them, isn’t irritating or too loud.
Learn more: Meet The Gen Z Women Claiming Space In The Regional Mexican Music Movement
What was the turning point in Chelo’s career that established her as "The Ranchera Voice of Mexico?"
Yesenia: My mother recorded 72 albums, most of which are ranchera. It’s a career with many hits. In those years, there was no internet, but there were jukeboxes, and these machines were in all the cantinas and cooperatives [self-service stores].
What I believe consolidated my mother’s career were these jukeboxes, because every [one of] Chelo’s singles you can imagine were in these jukeboxes. She was heard in every little corner, not only in Mexico — we hear from brothers in El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Panama... all these fellow countries had these devices. I think that’s what consolidated my mother’s career.
Did you face any obstacles as a female singer in a historically male genre?
Chelo: Fortunately, I can’t say things went badly for me. We mainly worked in rural areas, small towns, and the folklore of Mexico. From there, we went to Guatemala but didn’t get there. They sent us back because we couldn’t sing ranchera. That allowed us to venture into another genre for a different audience.
What did bringing Mexican music to international stages mean for you?
Chelo: It’s what I expected from people, but not to the extent I’ve seen, thank God. I feel fortunate. You can feel a little tickle, even a pinch when singing a ranchera song, and it makes you cry because who knows how you feel inside, how our husbands and boyfriends have treated us... It’s beautiful because you see men serenading young women, but with old songs, and I like that very much.
Do you remember any memorable concerts outside of Mexico?
Yesenia: Memory sometimes fades a bit with age, and there’s been so much lived that the heart cannot hold so much joy. I can testify that I’ve seen it and felt it. The show or stage that impacted her the most was the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles this past February.
When the curtain opened, I wanted my mother to receive a tribute so she could realize how much people love her. I was always aware of the love people have for my mother. So, I yearned to say, "Look, Mom, that shout I wanted to hear, I wanted you to hear it. And that people singing you’re hearing right now — I wanted you to experience them. I wanted you to feel this applause."
In fact, during the concert, I spent most of the time talking to her and telling her to listen. When that curtain opened, she embraced the audience by hugging herself.
This is like a reward that was not requested, like a prize that was not demanded, like a trophy not yearned for. It's simply something that happened magically with the audience, leading to a new stage in my mother’s career.
Forty-one years ago, you were nominated as the first woman in a category exclusively awarded for Mexican regional music, Best Mexican-American Performance. What do you recall about that moment?
Chelo: I remember meeting Michael Jackson and being by his side. I admired him so much! I loved him! I remember Michael Jackson’s arm brushing against mine and greeting me.
Yesenia: I couldn’t get in, so I stayed at the hotel. When she arrived, the question was, "Mom, did you win the GRAMMY?" And she said, ‘No… [But] Brooke Shields was holding Michael Jackson’s hand." [Laughs.] She was fascinated because she saw Michael Jackson. She couldn’t believe it; she was over the moon.
How did you feel about sharing a nomination with the genre’s greatest, like Juan Gabriel and Vicente Fernández?
Chelo: Apart from being mentioned as great artists, we had a great bond. They always were... and I say "were" because Vicente is no longer here, and neither is Juan Gabriel, but they were great figures. It was a tight camaraderie; we walked hand in hand with each other.
Yesenia: They’ve always been great colleagues and friends because they endured hunger and hardships, just as you see them now as triumphant legends. We all fell asleep in the waiting room of a plane delayed for twelve hours, or when an airline goes on strike, sharing a piece of bread. As it continues to be on this tour, a special bond unites us.
Read more: The Everlasting Legacy of Mexican Ranchera Icon, Vicente Fernández
Chelo, your loyalty to your craft and refusal to let others decide for you and your music led to your retirement. What happened that made you decide to leave music back then?
Chelo: What you’re talking about was maybe 10 years. I didn’t go anywhere; I was at home, living as I wanted to, without staying up late or getting up early, because many believe that being an artist means everything was earned, given, or gifted to you. But no, none of that.
Yesenia: My mother has always respected hierarchies, so if they told her to start singing at this time and to sing this, she would completely obey. But there came a time when she got tired of not being able to sing quality songs. She began to see a change within the company [Musart Records', and then she had to record what had been agreed upon, but it had nothing to do with her style. So, she said, "No, I’m not going to do it," faithful to her conviction and respect for her audience.
At 81 years old, do you still have any dreams left to fulfill?
Chelo: A dream? The truth is no, because all the little ones I’ve had, I’ve fulfilled them. I don’t have to fulfill anything else.
Yesenia: Don’t you feel like doing anything?
Chelo: I feel like having a torta ahogada [a typical Jalisco sandwich filled with meat and submerged in sauce]. [Laughs.]
What is Chelo’s legacy in Mexican music after 72 albums?
Yesenia: Chelo embodies respect, authenticity, and love for her people and community. However, she is primarily a defender of a dream, which is singing. When everything is against you in a small town where you’re orphaned at 10 years old, where you have to fight against the aftereffects of polio, and bearing the responsibility of supporting your siblings while being the youngest, with all odds stacked against you in this story, you ultimately find that everything can turn in your favor. I believe my mother is synonymous with struggle, synonymous with integrity, but above all, with respect. That’s Chelo.
What is your favorite song to perform on stage?
Chelo: There isn’t one, honey, because I sing the songs I remember. And the ones I forget, well, they remain forgotten.
Thank God I didn’t have to knock on doors for people to listen to me. I never auditioned for anyone. I've gone, like Jesus went in the boat with fishermen afraid of the storm — imagine something similar, but in the artistic environment with the rancheros. I’m amazed to see how many blessings God gives us. I didn’t expect this; I’ve never bought lottery tickets, but I think I’d win if I bought one now.
Yesenia, what is your favorite song to watch your mother perform on stage?
Yesenia: Without a doubt, "Dos gotas de agua." That is Chelo.