Bet.e & Stef is a Canadian bossa nova and jazz group from Montreal, Quebec,… Read Full Bio ↴Bet.e & Stef is a Canadian bossa nova and jazz group from Montreal, Quebec, consisting of vocalist and percussionist Elizabeth "Bet.e" Provencher and vocalist and guitarist Stéphane "Stef" Carreau. They are best known for their 2002 album Day by Day, which sold 200,000 copies, and were shortlisted for the Juno Award for New Group of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2003.

Bet.e & Stef came together in the mid-1990s. The duo released two independent demo cassettes before releasing their debut album, Jazz/Bossa Nova, in 1997. They toured to support the album as an opening act for Holly Cole, and the album was eventually certified gold for sales of 50,000 copies. They then signed to Verve Records and followed up with Day by Day in 2002, which also attained gold certification in Canada. In 2003 the band members stopped performing and recording together, and worked on separate projects for about ten years.

In 2013 Bet.e & Stef reformed, and released an album, Remix Deluxe, which contained new versions of some of their previously released material, and once again began performing in Montréal. In 2014 they performed at the Montréal en lumière festival, and released It's All Right, a double album which was a mixture of remixes, previously released tracks and new material.

The pair released an album, Seeds, with eight new compositions, in 2015. That year they also performed at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Conceived since November 2017, Provencher started touring in May 2018, with a trio, under the name Eliza Eleven.

Besame mucho
Bet.e & Stef Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Besame
Besame mucho
Each time I cling to your kiss
I am music divine
Besame
Besame mucho
Hold me my darling and
Say that you will always be mine

This joy is something new
My arms are holding you
Never knew this thrill before
Who'd ever thought that I'd be
Holding you close to me
Whispering its you I adore

Dearest one
If you should leave me
Each little dream would take wings
My life would be through
Besame
Besame mucho
Hold me my darling and
Say that you will always be mine

Dearest one
If you should leave me
Each little dream would take wings
My life would be through
Besame
Besame mucho
Hold me my darling and
Say that you will always be mine
Hold me my darling and
Say that you will always be mine

Love me forever and
Say that you will always be mine

Overall Meaning

The song Besame Mucho by Bet.e & Stef is a classic love ballad expressing the intense passion and longing of two lovers. The verses are sung in Spanish, with a repeated refrain in English: "Besame mucho" means "kiss me much." The singer is overwhelmed by the power of each kiss from her lover, feeling as if she is experiencing "music divine." The embrace is new and unexpected, bringing an unparalleled sense of joy and thrill. Throughout the song, the singer pleads with her lover to never leave her and to always hold her close, promising to love them forever.

Line by Line Meaning

Besame
Kiss me

Besame mucho
Kiss me a lot

Each time I cling to your kiss
Every time I hold onto your kiss

I am music divine
I am filled with a heavenly type of joy

Hold me my darling and
Embrace me, my love, and

Say that you will always be mine
Promise me that you'll always be mine

This joy is something new
This happiness is a new feeling

My arms are holding you
I'm embracing you

Never knew this thrill before
I've never felt this excitement before

Who'd ever thought that I'd be
I never imagined that I would be

Holding you close to me
Holding you tightly