Overview
- The widely sung version beginning “Desde el cielo una hermosa mañana” is commonly credited to composer Manuel Esperón and lyricist Ernesto Cortázar from the 1950s cinema era.
- Historical cancioneros and church bulletins cite 19th‑century Jesuit Saturnino Junquera for an earlier devotional variant, underscoring enduring uncertainty over origins.
- Producer Carlos Salinas Saucedo recounts that the first televised Mañanitas were improvised in 1955 at Rafael Solana’s prompting, with a formal invited‑performer serenade starting in 1956 featuring Lola Beltrán and Amelia Mendoza.
- Reports note early TV coverage claims dating to 1951 and describe Televisa’s 1970s–80s broadcasts as key to popularizing the format, though some details remain debated.
- For 2025, the Basílica program lists Carlos Rivera, Aída Cuevas, Daniela Romo, Alex Fernández, Lucero Mijares, Ana Cirré, and Víctor García with Mariachi Gama Mil, and Univision will carry the U.S. broadcast on Dec. 11 at 11:30 a.m. ET via TV and ViX.