Living Brass - Guantanamera (Joseíto Fernández)

From '' In A Little Spanish Town ''
Label: RCA Camden - CAS-2114
Format: Vinyl, LP, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1967
Tracklist
A1 In A Little Spanish Town ('Twas On A Night Like This)
A2 Tequila
A3 Guantanamera
A4 El Paso
A5 La Bamba
B1 The Work Song
B2 Cielito Lindo
B3 Amor, Por Favor (From The ABC-TV Color Special "Honeymoon, Mexican Style")
B4 El Mariachi Mexicano
B5 Gotham City Municipal Swing Band
Arranged By, Conductor - Ray Martin
© 1967, Radio Corporation of America
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"Guantanamera" ([ɡwantanaˈmeɾa]; Spanish: (the woman) from Guantánamo) is perhaps the best-known Cuban song and that country's most-noted patriotic song, especially when using a poem by the Cuban poet José Martí for the lyrics.
The official writing credits have been given to Joseíto Fernández, who first popularized the song on radio as early as 1929 (although it is unclear when the first release as a record occurred).
In 1966, a version by American vocal group the Sandpipers, based on an arrangement by the Weavers from their May 1963 Carnegie Hall Reunion concert, became an international hit.
Recordings
Joseíto Fernández
Recorded in the 1930s.
Compay Segundo
Recorded in the late 1940s.
Pete Seeger
Shortly after the Weavers’ Carnegie Hall reunion concert recording in May 1963, Pete Seeger included the song on his album We Shall Overcome, which was also performed live at Carnegie Hall. Seeger's recording is described by Stewart Mason at Allmusic as the "definitive version" of the song.
The version of the song created by Martí and Orbón was used by Seeger as the basis of his reworked version, which he based on a performance of the song by Héctor Angulo.
Seeger combined Martí's verse with the tune, with the intention that it be used by the peace movement at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
He urged that people sing the song as a symbol of unity between the American and Cuban peoples, and called for it to be sung in Spanish to "hasten the day [that] the USA... is some sort of bilingual country."
The Sandpipers
The most commercially successful version of "Guantanamera" in the English-speaking world was recorded by the easy listening vocal group, The Sandpipers, in 1966.
Their recording was based on the Weavers' 1963 Carnegie Hall reunion concert rendition and was arranged by Mort Garson and produced by Tommy LiPuma.
In addition to the group's vocals, the version includes Robie Lester on background vocals and narration by producer LiPuma.
It reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 7 on the UK Singles Chart.
Celia Cruz
"Guantanamera" is one of the songs most commonly identified with Cuban singer Celia Cruz (1925-2003).
It appears on at least 241 different records or compilations of hers.
Other recordings
It has been recorded by many other solo artists, notably by:
Willy Chirino, Julio Iglesias, Joan Baez, Albita, Jimmy Buffett, Celia Cruz, Bobby Darin, Raul Malo, Joe Dassin, Muslim Magomayev, José Feliciano, Tony Mottola, Biser Kirov, Wyclef Jean, Puerto Plata, Trini Lopez, La Lupe, Nana Mouskouri, Tito Puente, Andy Russell, Gloria Estefan, Pete Seeger, Robert Wyatt (under the title "Caimanera"), and by such groups as The Mavericks, Buena Vista Social Club, Los Lobos, Pozo-Seco Singers, Todos Tus Muertos, The Spinners and the Gipsy Kings.
In popular culture
The tune of this song is a commonly used in British football chant, such as "There's only one [insert player/manager name]". For example, it was used for Paul Gascoigne ("There's only one Paul Gascoigne"), but modified for Gary Stevens ("There's only two Gary Stevens") since there were two players of the same name active at the same time.
Other chants using the same tune include "You only sing when you're winning", and "You're getting sacked in the morning".
It is also used on the soundtrack of Pro Evolution Soccer 2014, a football video game developed and published by Konami.
Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum's 2019 television commercial campaign also features this chant. Real Madrid also use this tune to sing “Reyes de Europa”.
In 1998 on Australian television, Holden advertised the Holden Rodeo using the song, substituting "One Tonne Rodeo" for "Guantanamera".
Tony Lockett, a player in the Australian Football League, was praised in the song "One Tony Lockett", using the tune of "Guantanamera", performed by James Freud and the Reserves.
The song is famously played in The Godfather Part II, at the New Year's Eve party in Cuba where Michael Corleone tells his brother Fredo Corleone that he knows that he betrayed him.
Confronted by rabid dogs, a villain tries to contain them by singing "Guantanamera" to them in the 1994 comedy film, A Low Down Dirty Shame.
It is performed as a dance number in the animated movie Antz.
In Money Heist season 3, "La casa de papel".
In The Backyardigans episode, "Surf's Up", Austin the Kangaroo sings a song in the tune called "Mystery Lifeguard" on Tall Palm Beach.
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