By magicman
Back in the another time and place - July 2010 - we tackled songs about South America. Rather odd that only one of the songs that week was in Spanish.
Somewhat later there was redemption in Maki’s guru stint in 2018 with Songs from and about Spain.
Now we open in Mexico 1940 and the delightful Elvira Rios with Vereda Tropical (tropical trail) from her debut album Tropic Nights. The first Mexican international singing star, she also appeared in John Ford’s Stagecoach.
We jump forward to Brooklyn 2020 and El Cielo No Es De Nadie (Heaven Belongs To No One) atmospheric techno from Ela Minus who was raised in Colombia.
From there we go down to Argentina and a 1976 track from prog band Invisible called Ruido de Magia (Magic Noise) before the inevitable trip to Spain and the magnificent Rosalía’s breakthrough number Malamente (Badly) from her 2018 LP El Mal Querer (The Bad Loving).
Mexico next and corrido prohibido (illegal ballad) singer Chalino Sanchez from Sinaloa. He changed norteño culture with his polkas of drug-running and murder but was first shot in a Coachella nightclub in January 1992 and survived, only to be murdered in Sinaloa in May as his popularity blossomed. The stunning accordion-playing is by the redoubtable Nacho Hernandez. Los Chismes (The Gossip) is about how he loves his woman regardless of what people say about her.
Staying in Mexico Consuelo Velasquez composed her most well-known song Besame Mucho (Kiss Me A Lot) when she was just 16 years old and before she had been kissed, she claimed! Covered by Nat King Cole, The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and everyone else, she went on to compose many many more classic boleros.
Changing country and mood are Los Saicos (The Psychos?) with some 1964 garage rock from Lima entitled Demolición which needs no translation. Some Peruvians claim this is the birth of punk rock, but punks don’t care about any of that kind of stuff. Apart from the Peruvian ones.
Quimbara is simply one of the greatest songs of all time, written by Puerto Rican Junior Cepeda and performed by Johnny Pacheco & Celia Cruz in 1974 at the height of the salsa explosion in New York on the Fania Records album Celia & Johnny. I have no translation of Quimbara, sorry. Johnny was Dominican and Celia was from Cuba, both hugely influential figures.
Back to the motherland Spain for Los Chunguitos – three brothers playing their version of rumba flamenca influenced by Romany and Catalan music. Me Quedo Contigo (I stay with you) is from 1980.
Mercedes Sosa hailed from Tucumán in north-west Argentina of mestizo (mixed) ancestry. Known as the voice of the voiceless she was at the forefront of the nueva cancion movement in the 1960s, a left-wing pro-democracy social movement which had profound impact across the Spanish-speaking world in the 1970s and 1980s. See also Violetta Parra and Victor Jara among many others. Toda Cambia (Everything Changes) was written in Swedish exile by Chilean Julio Numhauser in 1982 as Pinochet was imprisoning musicians in Chile. It appeared on Mercedes album ¿Sera Posible El Sur? (Is The South Possible?) in 1984.
Ibeyi are twin sisters Naomi and Lisa-Kainde Diaz, born in Havana to Beuna Vista & Irakere cajon player and father Anga Diaz and French Venezuelan singer and mother Maya Dagnino. They were raised in Paris.
Me Voy (I’m Leaving) is from their second album Ash and features Spanish hip hop artist Mala Rodriguez.
Born in The Bronx, NY, Aventura’s members are all Dominican Republic heritage except for lead vocalist Romeo Santos whose mother is from Puerto Rico. They played bachata and grew it into a modern popular music becoming million-sellers in the process. Obsesíon (Obsession) features Dominican-American singer Judy Santos, topped the French charts for seven weeks and has 191 million views on YouTube. In 2011 Romeo Santos went solo and his songs have been even more popular.
Las Ketchup are three sisters whose father was flamenco musician Juan Manuel Muñoz Exposito, best known by his stage name El Tomate. Clearly Lucia, Lola and Pilar Muñoz have a sense of humour. Their massive hit single Asereje (Rapper’s Delight in spanglish) also known as The Ketchup Song was a hit in 20 European countries and has sold over 7 million copies to date.
Finally, forgive me – I just couldn’t resist zedding the Fania All-Stars who are legends in New York City. Check out the film Our Latin Thing on YouTube to become initiated – you’ll thank me. This clip is from The Salsa Film which has tremendous footage from a concert at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx from August 1974, also directed by Jerry Masucci, a touchstone moment. Hector Lavoe sings Mi Gente (My People) as he would in Kinshasa two months later at the Ali v Foreman boxing match The Rumble In The Jungle.
Further indulgence insists that I finish where I began in 1942 with husband and wife team Xavier Cugat and Carmen Castillo’s Amore (Love)
Hispano A-List Playlist:
Vereda Tropical - Elvira Rios
El Cielo No Es De Nadie - Ela Minus
Ruido de Magia - Invisible
Malamente - Rosalía
Los Chismes - Chalino Sanchez
Besame Mucho - Consuelo Velasquez
Demolicíon - Los Saicos
Quimbara - Celia Cruz & Johnny Pacheco
Me Quedo Contigo - Los Chunguitos
Todo Cambia - Mercedes Sosa
Me Voy - Ibeyi ft Mala Rodriguez
Obsesión - Aventura ft. Judy Santos
The Ketchup Song (Asereje) - Las Ketchup
Mi Gente - Fania All Stars ft. Hector Lavoe
Amor - Xavier Cugat ft. Carmen Castil
Brillante B-List
The B-List features music from Colombia, Spain, France, Bolivia, Peru, Mexico, The Dominican Republic, USA, Puerto Rico, Chile, and Colombia twice more!
Corazón Caramelo (Candy Heart) - November Ultra
Noche De Estrellas (Night of Stars) - La Sonora Del Caribe
Ciega, Sordomuda (Blind Deaf & Dumb) - Shakira
Bamboléo (Wobble!) - Gipsy Kings
Zapata Se Queda (Zapata is still here ?) - Lila Downs
La Bamba (a dance?) - The Plugz
Despacito (Slowly) - Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee
Cardo o Ceniza (Thistle or Ash) - Chabuca Grande
Solo Se Vive Una Vez (You only Live Once) - Azucar Moreno
Sola (alone) - Jessie Reyez
The Call of The Wild - David Byrne & Agapito Pascual
Los Luchadores (The Fighters) - La Sonora Santanera
Te Recuerdo (I Remember You) - Victor Jara
Macabro (Macabre) - La Luz Mandarina
Cubanakan - Lecuona Cuban Boys
Guru’s Wildcard G-List:
Amor de Loca Juventud (Crazy Young Love) – Buena Vista Social Club
Mami Me Gusto (I like you babe) - Arsenio Rodriguez
El Cumbanchero (The Cockroach) - Desi Arnaz
Di Corazon ( - Heart) - Sylvia Rexach
La Llorona (The Crybaby?) - Chavela Vargas
Vamonos Pal Monte (Let’s Go To The Mountains) - Eddie Palmieri
Bang Bang - Joe Cuba Sextet
La Banda Del Carro Rojo (The Red Chariot Band) - Los Tigres Del Norte (this is norteño music)
Mi Propia Sangre (My Own Blood) - Johnny Pacheco
Como Fue (How It Was) - Benny Moré
Herido de Sombras (Wounded by Shadows) - Los Zafiros
Herido de Sombras - Ibrahim Ferrer
Thanks for playing. I think Quimbara and La Bamba and Bamboleo are dances which are not really translatable. Hasta Luego!
Rosalía
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations in response to last week's topic: Cántame una canción! It's time for songs in Spanish. The next topic will launch on Thursday at 1pm UK time.
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