Released 1960
Format 45 rpm single
Recorded 6 July 1960
Genre Pop
Length 3:06
Label MGM Records
Songwriter(s) Ernesto Lecuona
Producer(s) Norman Newell
“Malagueña”, (Spanish pronunciation: [malaˈɣeɲa], from Málaga) 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. In general terms Malagueñas are a Flamenco dance style from Málaga in the southeast Spain (see Malagueñas (flamenco style)).
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 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. Singers Vigen Derderian and Googoosh adapted the song for Iranian pop style.
“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 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 Grammy winning album Adventures In Jazz and on the 1962 American TV show, Jazz Scene USA.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia