"La Violetera" is a 1914

cuplé The cuplé was a popular risqué Spanish theatre song style in the late years of the 19th century. From 1893 to 1911 the songs were a feature of the "género ínfimo" (lowest type) cabaret theatre sung by solo female singers, or men in drag, and ...

song, with the rhythm of a habanera, composed by José Padilla and with lyrics by Eduardo Montesinos, originally performed by Carmen Flores. It was first popularized by

Raquel Meller Francisca Romana Marqués López (9 March 1888 – 26 July 1962), better known as Raquel Meller, was a Spanish diseuse, cuplé, and tonadilla singer and actress. She was an international star in the 1920s and 1930s, appearing in several films a ...

, and later by

Sara Montiel María Antonia Abad Fernández Medal of Merit in Labour, MML (10 March 1928 – 8 April 2013), known professionally as Sara Montiel, also Sarita Montiel, was a Spanish actress and singer. She began her career in the 1940s and became the most int ...

. The instrumental version is also popular as a

tango Tango is a partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries from a combination of Arge ...

. In Spanish, a ''Violetera'' is a woman who sells violets.

History

The song was composed in 1914 by José Padilla during his stay in Paris as director of the orchestra of the

Casino de Paris The Casino de Paris, located at 16, rue de Clichy, in the 9th arrondissement, is one of the well known music halls of Paris, with a history dating back to the 18th century. Contrary to what the name might suggest, it is a performance venue, not ...

music hall. The lyricist was Eduardo Montesinos. Its premiere took place in

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

with a performance by Carmen Flores. It was singer

who first popularized the song in Spain and France, and later worldwide. Sung in French by

Dalida Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti (; 17 January 1933 – 3 May 1987), professionally known as Dalida (, ; ), was an Italian naturalized French singer and actress. Leading an international career, Dalida has sold over 140 million records worldwide. Some ...

, it was released in 1956 in the first high quality release of the song on vinyl. It was included on her 1956 EP ''La violetera / Le torrent / Gitane / Fado'', which reached number 10 on the French charts, and remained there for 14 weeks. It was also included also on her first album ''

Son nom est Dalida ''Son nom est Dalida'' (''Her name is Dalida'') is the debut studio album by French vocalist Dalida. It was released in December 1956 through Barclay Records. The tracks in the album are a mixture of vocally highlighted pop standards, of which so ...

'' in 1957. The 1958 blockbuster musical film ''

The Violet Seller ''The Violet Seller'', better known under its Spanish title ''La Violetera'', is a 1958 Spanish–Italian historical jukebox musical film produced by Benito Perojo, directed by Luis César Amadori and starring Sara Montiel, Raf Vallone, Frank Vil ...

'', by

Luis César Amadori Luis César Amadori (28 May 1902 – 5 June 1977) was an Italian-Argentine film director and screenwriter and one of the most influential directors in the cinema of Argentina of the classic era. He directed over 60 films between 1936 and 1967, wri ...

, was inspired by the song. The version of "La Violetera" performed by

in the film, with arrangement by composer Gregorio García Segura and recorded by

Hispavox Hispavox S.A. was a major Spain, Spanish record label, record company founded on June 27, 1953, that ran independently until 1985 when it was acquired by EMI. Their studios were located in Madrid, and were known among fans as Sonido Torrelaguna. ...

, also became worldwide famous. The

film soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured ...

was released in different vinyl editions in Spain, Italy, Portugal, France, Greece, Israel, Japan, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Canada and the United States. It received a Gold Record award for its sales. The song is also in the repertoire of singers such as

Montserrat Caballé María de Montserrat Bibiana Concepción Caballé i Folch or Folc (12 April 1933 – 6 October 2018), also known as Montserrat Caballé (i Folch), was a Spanish operatic soprano from Catalonia. Widely considered to be one of the best sopranos ...

Gigliola Cinquetti Gigliola Cinquetti (; born Giliola Cinquetti on 20 December 1947) is an Italian singer, songwriter and television presenter. Life and career Gigliola Cinquetti was born into a wealthy family in Verona, Italy. At the age of 16, she debuted at ...

Nana Mouskouri Ioanna "Nana" Mouskouri ( ; born 13 October 1934) is a Greek singer and politician. Over the span of her career, she has released an estimated 450 albums in at least thirteen languages, including Greek language, Greek, French language, French, ...

Connie Francis Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero ( ; born December 12, 1937), known as Connie Francis, is a retired American Pop music, pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. She is estimated to have sold more th ...

and

Mieczysław Fogg Mieczysław Fogg (born Mieczysław Fogiel; 30 May 1901, Warsaw3 September 1990, Warsaw) was a Polish singer and artist. His popularity started well before World War II and continued well into the 1980s. He had a characteristic way of staying ...

. Other films using "La Violetera" in its soundtrack include ''

City Lights ''City Lights'' is a 1931 American synchronized sound film, sound romance film, romantic comedy drama, comedy-drama film written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. While the film has no audible dialog, it was released with a ...

'' (1931) by

Charles Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered ...

with himself and

Virginia Cherrill Virginia Cherrill (April 12, 1908 – November 14, 1996), styled as Virginia, Countess of Jersey between 1937 and 1946, was an American actress best known for her role as the blind flower girl in Charlie Chaplin's ''City Lights'' (1931). Early ...

; '' All Night Long'' (1981) by

Jean-Claude Tramont Jean-Claude Tramont (May 5, 1930 - December 27, 1996) was a Belgian writer, producer and director best known for his marriage to famous Hollywood agent Sue Mengers and the film '' All Night Long'' (1981).Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand ( ; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, producer, and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success across multiple fields of entertainment, being the ...

and

Gene Hackman Eugene Allen Hackman (January 30, 1930 – ) was an American actor. Hackman made his credited film debut in the drama ''Lilith (film), Lilith'' (1964). He later won two Academy Awards, his first for Academy Award for Best Actor, Best Actor for ...

; '' Scent of a Woman'' (1992) by

Martin Brest Martin Brest (born August 8, 1951) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. After his feature debut, ''Going in Style'' (1979), he directed the action comedies ''Beverly Hills Cop'' (1984) and ''Midnight Run'' (1988), which were ...

with

Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...

and

Chris O'Donnell Christopher Eugene O'Donnell (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor. After modeling and acting in numerous commercials as a teenager, he made his film debut in the comedy-drama film ''Men Don't Leave'' (1990). Following supporting roles in ...

; ''

In the Mood for Love ''In the Mood for Love'' () is a 2000 romantic drama film written, directed, and produced by Wong Kar-wai. A co-production between Hong Kong and France, the film follows a man ( Tony Leung) and a woman ( Maggie Cheung) in 1962 who discover tha ...

'' (2000) by

Wong Kar Wai Wong Kar-wai (born 17 July 1958) is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films are characterised by nonlinear narratives, atmospheric music, and vivid cinematography involving bold, saturated colours. A pivotal figure o ...

, named "Lan Hua Nu", recorded in 1949 and sung by

Rebecca Pan Rebecca Pan Di-hua (; also Poon Tik-wah, Pan Wan Ching) is a Hong Kong actress and singer. Early life She was born in Shanghai on 29 December 1931 and moved to Hong Kong in 1949. Career Her singing career began in 1957. One of her songs, which s ...

; and '' Rajee En Kanmani'' (1954), named "Malligai Poo Jathi Rojaa", mixed with "

La Paloma "La Paloma", "The Dove" in English, is a popular Spanish song that has been produced and reinterpreted in diverse cultures, settings, arrangements, and recordings over the last 140 years. The song was written by the Spanish Basques, Basque comp ...

" and sung by R. Balasaraswathi Devi.

Plagiarism and adaptations

In 1926

Anselmo Aieta Anselmo Alfredo Aieta (November 5, 1896 – September 25, 1964) was an Argentine bandoneon musician, composer and occasional actor. Professional career He joined Francisco Canaro's orchestra in 1919 and left it in 1923. Around that time, h ...

wrote a tango to lyrics by Francisco García Jiménez, where the refrain is a straight borrowing of "La Violetera"'s theme. Among the most famous adaptations is the one by

in his 1931 film ''

''. The main theme used as a

leitmotif A leitmotif or () is a "short, recurring musical phrase" associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical concepts of ''idée fixe'' or ''motto-theme''. The spelling ''leitmotif'' is a partial angliciz ...

for the blind flower-seller is the song "La Violetera" ("Who'll Buy my Violets"). Chaplin was unable to secure the song performer,

, in the lead role, but used the song melody anyway as a major theme. In 1934, Chaplin lost a lawsuit to Padilla (which took place in Paris, where Padilla then lived) for not crediting him. Some modern editions released for video include a new recording by

Carl Davis Carl Davis (October 28, 1936 – August 3, 2023) was an American-born British conductor and composer. He wrote music for more than 100 television programmes, notably the landmark ITV series '' The World at War'' (1973) and BBC's '' Pride and P ...

Depictions

In 1966, a fountain commemorating singer Raquel Meller, portrayed as a violets seller, was unveiled in

. In 1991, a statue of a violets seller, named La Violetera, by sculptor Santiago de Santiago, commemorating composer José Padilla, was unveiled in

Madrid Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...

. Since 2003, the statue has been located at Las Vistillas gardens in Madrid. Monumento a La Violetera

File:047 Font de Raquel Meller, Nou de la Rambla - Paral·lel.jpg,

fountain (1966), portrayed as a violets seller. Nou de la Rambla street,

. File:Monumento a la Violetera.jpg, ''La Violetera'' (1991) by sculptor Santiago de Santiago. Las Vistillas gardens,

References

External links

''La Violetera'' (song) at the Internet Archive

{{DEFAULTSORT:Violetera, La 1914 songs Music of Spain Spanish songs Film theme songs