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When Don Azpiazu and his Havana Casino Orchestra recorded their version of El Manicero (known to gringos like me as The Peanut Vendor), they lit a Latin American-influenced fuse that became an enormous fad in the 1930s. You can find that song (as well as Green Eyes featuring my favorite vocalist) in the Don Azpiazu post elsewhere in this site. This cd is quite simply a fantastic collection of music, full of energy that makes me want to rumba (and if I had to dance for my supper, I'd starve). The band featured here is lead by Don Antobal, the brother of Azpiazu. The vocalist on 12 - count them, 12 - songs, is non other than Chiquito Bullo. No, really. That's the pseudonym they came up with, no doubt laughing about it every time.
Eusebio Santiago Azpiazu took the stage name of Don Mario Antobal (for unknown reasons, according to the liner notes, but surely it must have been to avoid confusion/coattail riding with his brother's band?). Azpiazu's band broke up in Paris in 1933, with some of the musicians finding their way into Antobal's unit for some of the later recordings, though the session info seems to be sparse. Track # 1 is the only to feature Azpiazu vocalist Antonio Machín. Most of the tunes here were written by Marion Sunshine or Moïses Simons (or both), the latter having written El Manicero. Well, there is a lot more info in the 9 pages of liner notes, so I will stop writing and recommend picking up a copy of the cd. Great music, including twelve Chick Bullock vocals! Enjoy. +
Tracks
1. La Mulata Rumbera
2. Los Tres Golpes
3. Para Vigo Me Voy (Say "Si Si")
4. Marianna
5. Hot Tamales
6. Mammy Bong
7. Spic And Spanish
8. Songo Songo
9. A Gozar (Let's Be Gay)
10. La Conga (Havana's Calling Me)
11. The Moon Over Cuba Was High And So Was I
12. My Margarita
13. Virgen (In A Cuban Garden)
14. El Trapero (Old Clothes)
15. The All Look Alike To Pancho
16. El Maraquero
17. The Night The Lady Said "No"
18. Tierra Tropical (The Cuban In Me)
19. No Se Puede (Said The Monkey)
20. Vienne La Conga
21. Cachita
22. Conga Karabalicero (Conga Drums)
23. Blue Bayou
24. Cuban Belle
25. Onile Bó (Whoa, Nellie, Whoa)
All recorded in New York:
29 December 1932 01, 02
4 May 1936 03, 04
18 May 1936 05
7 January 1937 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 16
21 January 1937 11
2 July 1937 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19
16 December 1937 21, 22, 23, 24, 25
Vocalists:
Antonio Machín 01
Panchito Risét 03, 13, 19, 20
Johnny Rodriguez 06, 08, 09, 16
Alfredo Valdés 22, 25
Chiquito Bullo 04, 05, 06, 07, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 21, 23, 24
(Chick Bullock)
12 comments:
This looks fascinating. And thanks for the great intro.
Phillip
You never cease to outdo yourself
thanks from freezing montreal
campbell
Kudos go to the folks who collected and cleaned up these recordings, but I'm happy to share whatever I have.
Hey, it can't be that cold in Montreal - the Habs have been heating up the entire Northeast!
You're right about The habs.
Sadly i miss the days when players would , as a rule spend their entire career with their team.
I know what you mean, but to keep the same players year in and year out means having top-quality players. That just hasn't been the case with Montreal for too long (I think they went down hill with Serge Savard in the front office). I miss the old divisions and the rivalries they fostered, and hopefully (one more game!) the Habs-Bruins will rekindle that old time hockey.
Who knows ? They may go all the way.
Chester,
This is an amazing release that I didn't know! I had no idea that Chick Bullock had participated in Latin-oriented sessions like these (his nickname, Chiquito Bullo, is hilarious), but the results are fantastic.
By the way, Antonio Machin (1903-1977), who sings here on track 1, was one of the most popular Cuban vocalists of all time, and in the 1930s-40s, he scored big hits across the Atlantic with titles such as "Dos Gardenias" ("Two Gardenias") and "Angelitos Negros" ("Little Black Angels"). When I still lived in Europe, I constantly heard my grandparents talking about him, and although I don't have any here in the United States, I love his old recordings in Spanish.
Thanks again for such a musical discovery. I've heard the songs, and very soon I'll try to purchase the CD, because I'd like to have all the liner notes!
Anton.
http://vintagebandstand.blogspot.com
It would be much appreciated if you could re-post this music at your convenience.
¡Muchas gracias!
These are wonderful examples of early 1930s Cuban music adapted for American audiences. Señor Bullo makes the best he can of some dreadful English lyrics, but "The Moon Was High, and So Was I" redeems the entire proceedings.
I find it a little surprising that there are so few songs I recognize as big hits - just "Para Vigo Me Voy" (Say "Si, Si"), plus "Mammy Bong," which I think was a hit in France for the Martiniquan group Rico's Creole Band. I wonder whether this band didn't much record the hit songs, or whether it was the CD editor's choice.
Thanks so much for the repost. I am enjoying the music.
You're welcome. This is one of my favorite cds, and not just for the Chick Bullock. There's quite a bit of fun music in this set.
Anton, I'd love to hear some more Antonio Machin tunes if you have access to them.
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