Malagueña (song)
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"Malagueña" (, from Málaga) is a song by
Cuban Cuban may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Cuba, a country in the Caribbean * Cubans, people from Cuba, or of Cuban descent ** Cuban exile, a person who left Cuba for political reasons, or a descendant thereof * Cuban citizen, a perso ...
composer
Ernesto Lecuona Ernesto Lecuona y Casado (; August 7, 1896 – November 29, 1963) was a Cuban composer and pianist, many of whose works have become standards of the Latin, jazz and classical repertoires. His over 600 compositions include songs and zarzuelas as ...
. It was originally the sixth movement of Lecuona's ''Suite Andalucía'' (1933), to which he added lyrics in Spanish. The song has since become a
popular Popularity or social status is the quality of being well liked, admired or well known to a particular group. Popular may also refer to: In sociology * Popular culture * Popular fiction * Popular music * Popular science * Populace, the total ...
,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
,
marching band A marching band is a group of musical instrument, instrumental musicians who perform while marching, often for entertainment or competition. Instrumentation typically includes brass instrument, brass, woodwind instrument, woodwind, and percus ...
, and
drum and bugle corps Drum and bugle corps is a name used to describe several related musical ensembles. * Drum and bugle corps (modern), a musical marching unit * Drum and bugle corps (classic), musical ensembles that descended from military bugle and drum units retu ...
standard and has been provided with lyrics in several languages. In general terms Malagueñas are
flamenco Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura and ...
dance styles from Málaga in the southeast of Spain (see
Malagueñas (flamenco style) ''Malagueñas'' () is one of the traditional styles of Andalusian music (flamenco), derived from earlier types of fandango from the area of Málaga, classified among the Cantes de Levante. Originally a folk-song type, it became a flamenco style in ...
).


Origins

The melody that forms the basis of "Malagueña" was not of Lecuona's invention. It can be heard in 19th century American composer
Louis Moreau Gottschalk Louis Moreau Gottschalk (May 8, 1829 – December 18, 1869) was an American composer and pianist, best known as a virtuoso performer of his own romantic piano works. He spent most of his working career outside the United States. Life and ca ...
's solo piano composition "Souvenirs d'Andalousie." Based on Gottschalk's international renown, it is reasonable to assume Lecuona heard it and either wittingly or unwittingly co-opted it in composing his most famous piece. Further research is required to determine if Gottschalk's composition and the melody popularized as "Malagueña" is itself based on a folkloric Spanish tune.


Notable vocal performances

A
German-language German ( ) is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Italian province of South Tyrol. It is also a ...
version, sung by
Caterina Valente Caterina Valente (born 14 January 1931) is a French multilingual singer, guitarist, and dancer of Italian ethnicity. Valente is a polyglot; she speaks six languages, and sings in eleven. While she is best known as a performer in Europe, Valent ...
, with Werner Müller's Orchestra, was very popular in the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
(not making the Billboard chart, but charting on Cash Box, peaking at position #42) in February 1955. Caterina also sang "Malagueña" in Spanish. English lyrics were written by Marian Banks and a later charting version was recorded by
Connie Francis Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero (born December 12, 1937), known professionally as Connie Francis, is an American pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Called the “First Lady of Rock & Roll” ...
in
1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Jan ...
that reached #42 on Billboard's chart as the flip side of her #1 pop hit "
My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" is a song written by Howard Greenfield and Jack Keller which was a No. 1 hit for Connie Francis in 1960. Connie Francis recording Francis recorded "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own" at Radio Recorders studio in Ho ...
". In 1962,
Violetta Villas Czesława Gospodarek (née Cieślak; 10 June 1938 – 5 December 2011), known by her stage name Violetta Villas, was a Polish and international cabaret star, singer, actress, composer and songwriter. Her voice was characterized as coloratura so ...
recorded ''Malagueña'' in German- and Polish-language versions. Singers Vigen Derderian and
Googoosh Faegheh Atashin ( fa, فائقه آتشین; born 5 May 1950), known professionally as Googoosh ( fa, گوگوش, ), is an Iranian singer and former actress. One of the most popular and prolific entertainers in Iran, her career has spanned over ...
adapted the song for Iranian pop style.


Notable instrumental performances

Lecuona's "Malagueña" was recorded by the composer as a piano solo on the 1955 RCA Victor LP ''Lecuona Plays Lecuona''. The recording is available on RCA/BMG CD compilations / reissues. As a pianist,
Stan Kenton Stanley Newcomb Kenton (December 15, 1911 – August 25, 1979) was an American popular music and jazz artist. As a pianist, composer, arranger and band leader, he led an innovative and influential jazz orchestra for almost four decades. Though K ...
first had the piece arranged for the ''Sketches on Standards'' LP in 1956, which mostly went unnoticed at that time. After the 1960
Connie Francis Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero (born December 12, 1937), known professionally as Connie Francis, is an American pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Called the “First Lady of Rock & Roll” ...
version, Bill Holman's 1961 arrangement for the Stan Kenton Orchestra re-imagined the song again as a fiery
big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...
showpiece, with an even larger orchestra. Performances of this arrangement appeared on Kenton's 1962
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
-winning album '' Adventures In Jazz'' and on the 1962 American TV show ''Jazz Scene USA''. Marco Rizo's solo piano performance of "Malagueña" can be found in ''Lecuona, a Musical Legacy''. Rizo, who in 1938 became the official pianist of the Havana Philharmonic, performed under the direction of Maestro
Ernesto Lecuona Ernesto Lecuona y Casado (; August 7, 1896 – November 29, 1963) was a Cuban composer and pianist, many of whose works have become standards of the Latin, jazz and classical repertoires. His over 600 compositions include songs and zarzuelas as ...
and gave duo piano recitals with Lecuona in 1939. Sabicas adapted it for flamenco style guitar, and it was included on his 1957 album, ''Sabicas Vol. 2'' on the Elektra label. This recording was influential in the piece becoming a guitar standard, even though it was originally written for piano. An acoustic instrumental demo of "Malagueña" was performed by
Ritchie Valens Richard Steven Valenzuela (May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959), known professionally as Ritchie Valens, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens was killed ...
and recorded in early 1959 at his manager Bob Keane's home studio. It was to have been worked on and completed later that year, but Valens died in a plane crash on February 3 before anything further could be done. About two years later, Keane chose Valens' demo as one of several unfinished tracks featured on the album ''
Ritchie Valens In Concert at Pacoima Jr. High ''Ritchie Valens in Concert at Pacoima Jr. High'' is the third and final of the posthumously released "original" albums by Ritchie Valens. It consists of his only live performance ever recorded. It is also possibly the first live Rock and roll, r ...
.'' Other artists as varied as
Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music ...
,
Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...
, Roy Clark, Ray Conniff,
Xavier Cugat Xavier Cugat (; 1 January 1900 – 27 October 1990) was a Spanish musician and bandleader who spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba. A trained violinist and arranger, he was a leading figure in the spread of Latin music. In New York City ...
, Esquivel,
Connie Francis Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero (born December 12, 1937), known professionally as Connie Francis, is an American pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Called the “First Lady of Rock & Roll” ...
,
Ted Heath Sir Edward Richard George Heath (9 July 191617 July 2005), often known as Ted Heath, was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1974 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1965 to 1975. Heath a ...
and
Chico O'Farrill Arturo "Chico" O'Farrill (October 28, 1921 – June 27, 2001) was a Cuban composer, arranger, and conductor, best known for his work in the Latin idiom, specifically Afro-Cuban jazz or "Cubop", although he also composed traditional jazz pieces a ...
also performed the piece.


Other popular versions

Another version in the pop music scene is that of Puerto Rican virtuoso guitarist
José Feliciano José Montserrate Feliciano García (born September 10, 1945) () is a Puerto Rican musician, singer and composer. He recorded many international hits, including his rendition of the Doors' "Light My Fire" and his self-penned Christmas song " F ...
as part of his 1969 Gold record ''
Alive Alive O! ''Alive Alive-o!'' is an album by Puerto Rican guitarist José Feliciano, released in 1969. Released at the apex of Feliciano's career, the album reached No. 29 on the ''Billboard'' albums chart. It was one of the few double albums of that time ...
''. He performed his particular arrangement live many times over decades. American guitarist Roy Clark recorded an instrumental version of "Malagueña" and also performed the song in an episode of the US TV show '' The Odd Couple''. Clark went on to close his shows with the song on a 12-string acoustic guitar for many years afterward. In 1973 Hans Vermeulen, leader of Dutch pop band Sandy Coast, produced a version by
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
, which made it to the top 3 of the Dutch charts. The piece has become a favorite in the sport of
figure skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are m ...
, used notably by
Kristi Yamaguchi Kristine Tsuya Yamaguchi (born July 12, 1971) is an American former figure skater. In ladies' singles, Yamaguchi is the 1992 Olympic champion, a two-time World champion (1991 and 1992), and the 1992 U.S. champion. In 1992, she became the first ...
for her gold medal-winning program at the 1992 Winter Olympics and World Championships, and more recently by world champion Javier Fernández, who used the piece for his short program during the 2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons. The score for the program consisted of an instrumental solo guitar section performed by
Paco de Lucía Francisco Sánchez Gómez (21 December 194725 February 2014), known as Paco de Lucía (;), was a Spanish virtuoso flamenco guitarist, composer, and record producer. A leading proponent of the new flamenco style, he was one of the first flam ...
, and a vocal section sung by
Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French ...
. The program was choreographed by Antonio Najarro, director of Spain's National Ballet.
Pair Pair or PAIR or Pairing may refer to: Government and politics * Pair (parliamentary convention), matching of members unable to attend, so as not to change the voting margin * ''Pair'', a member of the Prussian House of Lords * ''Pair'', the Frenc ...
figure skaters Aleksandra Boikova and
Dmitrii Kozlovskii Dmitrii Eduardovich Kozlovskii (formerly Nekhviadovich; russian: Дмитрий Эдуардович Козловский (Нехвядович), born 23 December 1999) is a Russian pair skater. With his skating partner, Aleksandra Boikova, he i ...
also used the piece as their free program music for the 2021-2022 Olympic season.


Drum corps, marching band

"Malagueña" is often performed in drum and bugle corps and marching competitions. "Malagueña" has been performed and recorded numerous times by both the
University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band The University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band (UMMB) is the marching band for the University of Massachusetts Amherst known for its drum corps style and nationally renowned percussion section. The Minuteman Band is also known for its us ...
and the University of Minnesota Marching Band, and as such, has become one of the songs most identified with both groups. One of the most memorable drum and bugle corps performances was by the
Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps The Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps is a World Class competitive junior drum and bugle corps based in Madison, Wisconsin. The Madison Scouts were one of the thirteen founding member corps of Drum Corps International (DCI), and are a two-time ...
in 1988, which earned them the Drum Corps International (DCI) championship title (the group played the song other years, as well, both before and after 1988). A non-jazz arrangement was played by another top drum and bugle corps in 1988, the Velvet Knights of Anaheim, CA. This has continued to be a fan favorite of drum and bugle corps.


References


External links

* ASCAP
Malagueña (From Spanish Suite "Andalucia")List of recordings of the song
{{DEFAULTSORT:Malaguena (song) Songs with music by Ernesto Lecuona Connie Francis songs Bill Haley songs Caterina Valente songs Spanish-language songs