Guadalajara (Mexico), Oct 15 (IANS/EFE): The Mexican singer of ranchera music, Vicente Fernandez, announced that he will bid farewell to the spotlight with two concerts Dec 14-15 in the western state of Jalisco.

"I want to go back home to say my goodbyes," the Mexican said Friday before the second of three shows at the Festival of Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco where he was born.

The 72-year-old Fernandez, considered mariachi music's all-time great, announced in early 2012 his retirement from the concert stage to spend more time with his family and to step down while his image among the public remains impeccable.

The artist admitted to some health problems from an inflamed liver and said his decision to retire is "definitive", though he did add that he will continue to record discs.

The singer who made famous such numbers as "Mujeres Divinas" (Divine Women) and "Las Llaves de Mi Alma" (Keys to My Soul) will make a farewell tour through Spain, Central America, South America and the US, to make his final wrap in the land of his birth.

In a career stretching over more than 50 years, the "Charro of Huentitan" recorded more than 90 albums and won numerous Billboard, Grammy and Diosa de Plata awards.