Francisco Gabilondo Soler

Francisco Gabilondo Soler (1907–1990), from Orizaba, Veracruz, created the beloved radio character Cri-Cri, ‘the Singing Cricket,’ on station XEW in 1934. His hundreds of children’s songs, including El Ratón Vaquero — about a pistol-toting little cowboy mouse who sings in English — are still known by heart across Mexico.

Don’t confuse him with Agustín Lara, the other great composer of the XEW radio era, who wrote romantic boleros rather than children’s music.