Malagueña (song)

For other songs of the same or similar title, see Malagueña.
Not to be confused with Malagueña Salerosa, a Mexican song.
Excerpt from Malagueña
Performed by Clélia Iruzun
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"Malagueña"
Single by Connie Francis
A-side "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own"
Released 1960
Format 45 rpm single
Recorded 6 July 1960
Genre Pop
Length 3:06
Label MGM Records
Writer(s) Ernesto Lecuona
Producer(s) Norman Newell
Connie Francis singles chronology
"Everybody's Somebody's Fool"/ "Jealous of You"
(1960)		 "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own"/ "Malagueña"
(1960)		 "Many Tears Ago"/ "Senza Mamma e Nnammurata"
(1960)

"Malagueña", (Spanish pronunciation: [malaˈɣeɲa]) is a song by Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona; written in 1928 it was originally the sixth movement of Lecuona's Suite Andalucia, to which he added lyrics in Spanish. The song has since become a popular, jazz, marching band, and drum corps standard and has been provided with lyrics in several languages.

Notable vocal performances

A German-language version, sung by Caterina Valente, with Werner Müller's Orchestra, was very popular in the United States (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[1] and a later charting version was recorded by Connie Francis in 1960 that reached #42 on Billboard's chart as the flip side of her #1 pop hit "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own".

In 1962 Violetta Villas recorded Malagueña in German and Polish language versions.

Notable instrumental performances

"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.[2]

As a pianist himself, Stan Kenton 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 version, Bill Holman's 1961 arrangement for the Stan Kenton Orchestra reimagined the song again as a fiery big band showpiece, with an even larger orchestra. Performances of this arrangement appeared on Kenton's 1962 album Adventures In Jazz and on the 1962 American TV show, Jazz Scene USA.[3]

Marco Rizo solo piano performance of Malagueña can be found in Lecuona, a Musical Legacy.[4] Rizo, who in 1938 became the official pianist of the Havana Philharmonic, performed under the direction of Maestro Ernesto Lecuona and gave duo piano recitals with Lecuona in 1939.

Carlos Montoya adapted it for flamenco style guitar, and it was the title track on his 1961 live album, Malagueña on the RCA Victor label.[5] This recording was influential in the piece becoming a guitar standard, even though it was originally written for piano. Vigen Derderian Iranian singer adapted it for Iranian pop style, and it was the title track Marge Mashooq Googoosh Iranian singer adapted it for Iranian pop style in the 1970s.

Malagueña was also the first song the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards ever learned to play on guitar.[6]


Another version in the pop music scene is that of Puerto Rican virtuoso guitarist Jose Feliciano as part of his 1969 Gold record Alive Alive O!. 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.[7] Rock versions have included an instrumental version by Bill Haley & His Comets recorded live in Sweden in 1968 (it was a staple of their live shows in the 1960s and 1970s, usually performed by guitarist Nick Nastos). An instrumental version by Ritchie Valens was released posthumously in 1960. A surf instrumental version of "Malagueña" has been performed by the Trashmen, the Bambi Molesters, and Albatross, and is part of an arrangement of "Misirlou" by Dick Dale and others. The genealogy of this arrangement is not known. Other instrumental versions were provided by New Orleans piano virtuoso James Booker, legendary New Orleans guitarist Snooks Eaglin (as "Funky Malagueña"), Brian Setzer on his album Ignition, Dave Salyer on Red Hot Guitar, and Buckethead on From the Coop. "Malagueña" was also loosely adapted in 1991 by American thrash metal band Tourniquet for their instrumental song "Viento Borrascoso" (an acoustic version was released in 1998).

Drum corps, marching band

"Malagueña" is often performed in drum and bugle corps and marching competitions.[8] A contemporary performance is part of the Broadway musical Blast!, a fusion of Corps style musical arrangements and field (stage) movements with traditional theatric elements. The Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps performed the piece in a memorable show in 1988.

"Malagueña" has been performed numerous times by the University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band, and as such, has become one of the songs most identified with the group.[9] The University of Minnesota hockey pep band also plays the song after each home win by their men's hockey team. The Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps won their second DCI World Championship with a program including the work. It is performed by Florida State University's Marching Chiefs as well, in addition to being played by the Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band. Other corps to perform the piece are the Boston Crusaders, the Velvet Knights, The Cadets, the Hawthorne Caballeros, the Hanover (PA) Lancers, the Norwood Park Imperials of the Chicago area, and West Virginia University's Mountaineer Marching Band. Louisiana State University's Tiger Marching Band keeps it in its repertoire as a regular and usually marches while playing as does the Lumberjack Marching Band from Stephen F. Austin State University (Nacogdoches, TX).

In sports

References

  1. ↑ ASCAP: MALAGUENA FROM ANDALUCIA
  2. ↑ amazon.com, RCA Victor Gold Seal CD The Ultimate Collection: Lecuona Plays Lecuona (1997), Cuban Originals (1999)
  3. ↑ Shanachie Entertainment, Jazz Scene USA - Frank Rosolino and Stan Kenton link Accessed 2008 August 30.
  4. ↑ "marcorizo.com". Retrieved 2011-06-02.
  5. ↑ "csun.edu".
  6. ↑ "Guitar Moves with Keith Richards".
  7. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions | The Odd Couple". Oddcouple.info. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
  8. ↑ "The Drum Corps Repertoire Database". corpsreps.com. Retrieved 2012-10-05.
  9. ↑ "Malaguena - UMass Marching Band UMMB 9/21/13 Halftime Show". youtube.com. Retrieved 2014-09-17.
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