Natanael Cano is bringing a Mexican classic to a new generation. On Friday, the corridos tumbados pioneer released a reimagined version of the Juan Gabriel-penned favorite “Amor Eterno.”
“This is one of those songs that stays in your memory forever. It brings back so many childhood memories for me,” said Cano in a press release. “I’ve wanted to record this track for a while now to pay homage to the great JuanGa and my other idols, like Ariel Camacho.”
The video sees Cano dressed in a black-and-gold outfit reminiscent of JuanGa’s iconic Palacio de Bellas Artes concert look, as he sings the corrido tumbado version of the track from inside Día de Muertos-decorated bar.
The JuanGa classic, which he wrote following the death of his mother in 1974, was made famous by his close collaborator, Rocío Dúrcal, who released “Amor Eterno” as a mariachi-bolero in 1984. “Amor Eterno” has become a mariachi classic and funeral staple for its heartstring-tugging lyrics: “How I wish that you lived/That your little eyes had never closed/so I could be looking at them.”
“Amor Eterno” would go on to become one of the late Spanish star’s most-recognized tracks, and was even added to the United States’ National Recording Registry for preservation earlier this year.
“Amor Eterno” has been covered many times before. Mexican girl group Pandora did so in 1991, Lucero sang a rendition in 1999, Vicente Fernández performed it in 2002, pop-punk group Allison dropped a version in 2006, and Silvana Estrada released a cover of it in 2018.
“I like that it coincides with the Day of the Dead because I feel many people will identify with the song—we all have loved ones who have passed on,” added Cano.
Cano debuted his rendition of the song during a live-streamed show at Estadio Seguros GNP in Mexico City, receiving some backlash for the stylistic change. However, many fans of JuanGa and Cano pointed to the late singer’s penchant for collaborating with new artists. The year before he died in 2016, Gabriel released a pair of albums called Los Dúo, featuring artists such as J Balvin, Belinda, and even girl group Fifth Harmony. (Los Dúo, Vol. 2 earned JuanGa the Latin Grammy for Album of the Year in 2016.)
Cano’s “Amor Eterno” follows his collaboration with Oscar Maydón, “Giza,” and the Tito Double P track, “Primo.” Meanwhile, JuanGa’s estate released the posthumous album México con Escalas en Mi Corazón in 2023, honoring different cities of Mexico, and Los Dúo 3, which included duets with John Fogerty, Danna Paola, and Eslabón Armado.