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Valentine's day special: Top ten classic Cuban love songs
02/12/09
Are Cubans romantic? Ha! Below are my favorite Cuban love songs. To qualify, the songs have to be of 1, a caballero wooing a senorita (I'll give the young lady the benefit of the doubt.) or singing of his very special chica or 2, a senorita's amorous rapture- no cheating, loveless lust, unrequited or lost love, just the powerful pull of that most delicious emotion between two equally enthusiastic participants. Warning: To avoid embarrassment (irresistible PDA urge), make sure you're not in a public place while listening:
1. Como Fue, Beny More: The song I chose for my wedding dance. How good a singer was Beny More? For the movie Mambo Kings, an actor lip-syncs Beny's original instead of trusting it to another singer. Beautiful, molasses-thick melody and scorching, romantic singing.
Very Best of Beny Moré: 40 Tracks
2. Junto al palmar del bajio, Guillermo Portabales. Guajiro love. A picturesque song of a country boy preparing his choza or "hut" for his love.
3. Amor en gua gua, Trio la Rosa. What do forward-looking women do as soon as they meet a suitable mate: Amor en gua gua is the plan. Trio la Rosa is one of the most romantic groups in Cuban music and choosing just one song caused me a fair amount of psychic pain. I'll put more from this wonderful trio later, but here's another one for now.
Esto Si Que Esta Gracioso by TRIO LA ROSA
4. Piel canela, Bobby Capo. Probably the best ode to Caribbean beauty.
EPOCA DE ORO by BOBBY CAPO
5. Sabor a mi, Rolando Laserie. A lovely conceit: That no matter the eventual course of their lives, the love they shared will unite them forever. It's written by a Mexican.
DE PELICULA 16 EXITO by ROLANDO LASERIE
6. Aunque me cuesta la vida, Alberto Beltran. This man would risk his life to find his true love.
Alberto Beltran by Marcus Winter
7. Loca pasion, Beny More. Another torch song from Beny.
8. Cita en el platanal, Celina y Reutilio. Quite a naughty song, actually, and I feel bad for corrupting you. No doubt disobeying her father, this young guajira is planning to sneak out to the banana fields to meet her guajiro.
9. Bajo un palmar, Barbarito Diez. A man sits under a tree and composes a poem for his sweetheart.
Barbariot Diez. Joyas Musicales.
10. El solterito, Carlos Argentino. A man tired of the single life and looking for commitment. It happens all the time (ahem).
OK, OK, Bonus songs:
11. De ti enamorado, Sonora Matancera. The reformed bad boy, a romance novel classic.
12. Adoracion, Machito featuring Graciela. A well sung ballad.
Lucho Gatica, pioneer in the breathy style that dominates modern Latino pop, with Besame Mucho.
Coleccion Suprema by Eugenia Alvarez
By request, Perfidia by Chico O'Farrill
Fiebre Tropical: All Star Afro-Cuban Orch.
3 comments
that is a very nice set list, and very romantic. i might suggest dropping 'El solterito'. the 'wedding song' in the middle of it is a little too much reality, you know? you are with a beauty, who wants to hear wedding bells right away? maybe even 'Amor en gua gua' - they both seem to kill the mood?what are your feelings when you listen to the valentine's songs in the order on this page, and those two come up? are they okay for you?
I-) ihor
i cannot seem to find any place to put my comment on your latest page (from march), so i will say it here...thank you, muchos gracias, duzhe dyakuyu... for having a wonderful site, a well organized and easy to read site, an interesting site, a site that is informative - you have a doctorate in musica cubano - Ph.D.M.C., right??? you provide some truly wonderful musical selections. they both provide a historical background and basis - the 'roots' - of cuban music, orchestras and singers, the songs are a good cross section and excellent examples of the different styles, and, they are just great songs to listen to! your comments are sometimes funny and sometimes pointed, but, you are always right on! when you say 'this is a good version.', it is! i am having a great learning experience, i am listening to and appreciating good music, and, i am thoroughly enjoying myself!
my apologies for gushing so much, but when it is true, you must say so.
I-) ihor
i slightly modifed that original list and made it a bit longer list (i threw in a couple of instrumentals in there):1. Como fue - Beny More
2. Junto al palmar del bajio - Guillermo Portabales
3. Amor en gua gua - Trio La Rosa
4. Piel canela - Bobby Capo
5. Los barbudos tumbao - Cuban Big Band Sound
6. Sabor a mi - Rolando Laserie
7. Aunque me cuesta la vida - Alberto Beltran
8. Nosotros - Orquesta Aragón
9. Loca pasion - Beny Moré
10. Perfidia - Chico O'Farrill y Generoso Jimenez
11. Y mi negro esta cansao - Celia Cruz
12. Cita en el platanal - Celina y Reutilio
13. Nosotros - Lucho Gatica
14. Bajo un palmar - Barbarito Diez
15. Son don boso - Celia Cruz y Sonora Matancera
16. De ti enamorado - Sonora Matancera
17. Adoracion - Machito y Graciela
thanks for a most interesting and enjoyable assignment.
I-) ihor
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