Un Amor Canta al Amor

Patricia Gonzalez – Un Amor Canta al Amor
Remo Records, LPR 1561, New York
Printed in Guayaquil, Ecuador

My collection of Latin American records is growing steadily largely due to my frequent trips to Miami. The predominant language is Spanish there and in the thrift stores nearly half of the records come from one Latin American country or another. It's a bit messy, browsing through the shelves in thrift stores in Miami (that of course are the lowest ones in the entertainment section of the store). The condition of the records is mostly poor, often the wrong disc is inside a jacket, if there's a jacket at all. Sometimes you'll find the back half of the jacket in a different location than the front half, and the vinyl in yet a third location. It is hardly a deterrent for me. I may assume that those records in good shape represent less popular ones, and I assume too that I often like less popular records better than popular ones. And that introduces me to this gem I found last week in a Goodwill on Tamiami Trail on my way out of town. The gem is an LP by the Ecuadorian singer Patricia Gonzalez titled Un Amor Canta al Amor. The singer is pretty obscure, there's not much presence on line, and as far as I can tell, there's no other record by her. But it's one of the best. And if you decide to visit Miami and try to snatch the next gem from under my nose...do me favor and also visit the WDNA 88.9 FM radio station. The gallery of which houses a bunch of musician's paintings. Many of them modeled after images on sleeves of Latin records that I picked up on previous visits to that wonderful city.

Yolanda

Los Embajadores Criollos – Cofre de Recuerdos
I.E.M.P.S.A., Odeon del Peru, LD-1507

My wife is an avid collector of gems and jewelry. She's an authority if it comes to recognizing gems, stones, and minerals. So when I come across a record cover that features a treasure chest, or another collection of gems and jewelry, I'll take it along. This happens more often than you might think. Especially within Spanish language music records. For some reason the background in most of these records is red, the music often easy listening. But not always! Cofre de Recuerdos by the Peruvian trio Les Embajadores Criollos is a beautifully rendered album of Creole Peruvian songs. Half of the songs on the album have a woman's name as title. What's missing on the record is the customary Maria song. As you may have noticed by now I collect songs about and by Marias. Maria is my wife's name, and she has the most beautiful name in the world but this week we'll have to do with Yolanda (it's a nice name too, isn't it?) Los Embajadores Criollos aka "Los Ídolos del Pueblo" are Romulo Varillos, Alejandro Rodriguez, and Carlos Correa. They formed in 1949 and still perform to this day (even though leader Romulo Varillos died in 1998), the record presented here is probably from the late fifties. Enjoy!

More Marias

Maria Jesus Vazquez – Mis Canciones Favoritas
Ariel International Records, serie Hispana
ALP-6002, Empire Rec. Corp., New York City

The part of my record collection labeled Just South of Texas is rapidly approaching the magical number of 1,000 LPs. Part of the latest additions of my Latin collection are 8 Peruvian records picked up at a Goodwill in Miami. One of these is yet another Maria, the most prominent first name of all these Latin records. And this Maria is the second Maria I'll pay attention to in the series presented here. The singer is María Jesús Vázquez (1920-2010), known as La Reina y Señora de la Canción Criolla. She is a national treasure of Peru and her music is said to "had the feel of Peruvian creole taste". I have quite a bit of Peruvian music, both popular and traditional, but the Vázquez record sounds to me more general Latin than specifically Peruvian. To hear music that is totally Peruvian in flavor make sure to check back in next week when I will post a song from a record of the most exciting huanca music you will ever hear.  

The song I picked from Mis Canciones Favoritas is Si Pensaras Volver .

Maria

07 Estrellita.m4a  
 http://www.box.net/shared/0lcixk29f5cklm3y5ouq 

Latin Sampler
Record sleeve, Allegro 1908
Record Corp. of America, 1956

Ask me what I think the most beautiful name for a woman is and without hesitation I'll answer Maria. I always adored that name and the few I've met are beautiful people. It was my destiny that I would end up marrying a Maria, and she is beautiful. During our white bread weeks I made her mix tapes, all with happy and sweet music about love and romance. On one of those tapes I collected all the singers I had  available named Maria. Back then (14 years ago) it was not easy to fill a C60. I had to use three Maria Callas arias to fill an hour's worth. Now it would be easy as cake because ever since that tape I've kept up the collection. Don't ask me how many different singers I have, I lost count, there must be at least forty. The name Maria is found in many places. I have records from Poland, Russia, Spain, Portugal, from all over Latin America, but (unless you consider Maria Callas an American) the only American Maria in my collection is one record by Maria Muldaur. Maria Callas, of course, is the most famous of them all. I love Maria Callas. I have twelve records dedicated to the American born Greek opera diva and many of these are box sets. The aria Casta Diva is her signature song and one of her recordings of it represents for me the most beautiful voice on record. 

The latest addition to my Maria collection is a song on the compilation record Latin Sampling by a singer named Maria Plaza. I have no idea where the singer is from or anything about her, but there is a picture of her on the sleeve. The treasures I find in thrift stores often have no presence on the web. There are various Maria Plazas found on the web but all refer to geographical entries. The sampler itself is not that interesting. The record contains commercialized Latin beats, romantic Latin mood orchestras, and even an instruction how to dance the rumba (I tried it, but I suck at dancing). Only the very last track of the record has artistic and aesthetic merit. Indeed, this is the Maria Plaza tune Estrellita. First you think the tune is going to turn into On the Sunny Side of the Street but then the aria Casta Diva lingers through the rest of it. Every time Plaza hits the high note at the end of a strophe I hear Casta Diva setting in. Estrellita, so I learn through Google, is a song written by the Mexican composer Manuel Ponce in 1912. Like Casta Diva it has been performed by numerous singers and musicians. 
Casta Diva is from the opera Norma written by Vincenzo Bellini (libretto by Felice Romani), it premiered at La Scala in 1831. This is the English translation of Casta Diva.

Pure Goddess, whose silver covers
These sacred ancient plants,
we turn to your lovely face
unclouded and without veil...
Temper, oh Goddess,
the hardening of you ardent spirits
temper your bold zeal,
Scatter peace across the earth
Thou make reign in the sky...

...and then the English translation of Estrellita

Little star of the distant sky,
you see my pain,
you know my anguish.
Come down and tell me
if he loves me a little,
because I cannot live without his love.
You are my star, my beacon of love!
You know that soon I shall die.
Come down and tell me
if he loves me a little,
because I cannot live without his love.