Well, he should. After all, he got an A+ for how he handled Maria.
Heck of a job Brock
The uplifting strains of one of Puerto Rico’s most beloved songs
Which song?
Years ago I played in a Spokane-based salsa band, which, naturally, attracted much of the Puerto Rican community to our events.
One of the funniest things I’d ever witnessed in over two decades as a professional musician was when I talked the lead singer into doing “Guantanamera” accompanied only by his acoustic guitar.
Although a Cuban song written by Jose MartĂ, it’s considered by many Borinqueños to be the island’s unofficial “national” anthem. Puerto Rican himself, he always resisted singing it in public even though he did an exquisitely beautiful rendition; I’d previously only heard him sing it once as a lark in rehearsal.
He finally succumbed to my incessant whines during a boat cruise on Lake Coeur d’Alene. I’d never seen anything like it before or since.
“Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera / Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera,” he sang. Everything was normal … until he started the verse.
“Yo soy un hombre sincero,” he began and all the women immediately began wailing at the top of their lungs, tears flowing. But then they stopped, as if on cue, as soon as he continued, “De donde crece la palma.” Again the wailing, the tears.
This went on for the entire freakin’ song. It was unbelievable!
During the next break the singer, Jorge, came up and said, “I hope you’re happy,” followed by a string of words, obviously pejoratives, that were new to me. So rapid fire and hostile was his delivery that I was left with the distinct impression he wouldn’t be honoring my request again anytime in the near — or distant — future. I never asked.
I heard the painting, entitled “I Walk The Waters,” is slated to hang in a place of honor at Mar-a-Lago, probably the bar, before being put on permanent exhibition at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture in Chicago.
ETA Here’s an oddly related must-watch snippet from “The Tammy Jean Show.” Enjoy.
Yes, friends, “My hands have touched it and it is wet.”
The song, Amanecer Borincano was a mid to late 70’s hit by its composer, Alberto Carrion, when I was in my youth . It has been covered by a ton of people, including Lucecita Benitez and a Puerto Rican Nueva Trova (a genre that came out of Cuba) band called Haciendo Punto en Otro Son.
Alberto Carrion was a young man who first dabbled in the Rock and Roll cover bands that played the school dance circuit of my youth. He then evolved into Nueva Trova and covers of Brazilian pop and jazz fusion with a group he formed called Raices. (I first saw him during college Summer vacation, performing a very excellent live cover of Airto Moreira’s Parana which may have been the only attempt ever made to cover that song, and other Brazilian songs of that era.)
I am not a musician, but the version of Guantanamera that was popular in Puerto Rico, hugely popular, in 1966 , when I was in Sixth Grade, was the Sandpiper’s cover of The Weavers’ and Pete Seeger’s version.
Pete Seeger, who was a great human being, but also ripped off Wimoweh, ripped off his Guantanamera from the1929 Cuban radio hit by popular singer named Joseito Fernandez. (This information from Wikipedia just now). Fernandez had adapted or taken the lyrics of a famous Jose Marti poem.
I have never heard Fernandez’ original arrangement, but Cuba has a rich tradition of guitar and seis accompanied music (see the entire work of El Trio Matamoros). So, Fernandez’ arrangement was probably accoustic guitar and seis. I haven’t lived in PR for a long time. But I would not consider it to be widely regarded as the unofficial anthem. It was hugely popular, the same way that Trini Lopez and Tijuana Brass hits were popular because it was Latino music being played on the English language, Rock n Roll Radio stations that exist alongside the Salsa and Spanish Pop stations.
I suspect that the unofficial Puerto Rico anthem might be Antonio Caban Vale (aka El Topo) Verde Luz. Or any number of the songs either composed by Roy Brown or his adaptations of the poetry of Juan Antonio Corretjer. Roy Brown is the son of a Puerto Rican Mom and a US Navy Officer father. He is the Puerto Rican founder of the genre of songs that the Cuban musicians like Silvio Rodriguez and Pablo Milanes popularized and became known as Nueva Trova. Or I suspect the other unofficial anthems would be Rafael Hernandez’ song El Jibarito or Noel Estrada’s En Mi Viejo San Juan.
When my son was first studying Flamenco guitar, I found recent Youtube videos of Alberto Carrion performing at Flamenco recitals. So he has continued to evolve or dabble. Which, his family’s position in PR banking allows him to do. You can also find a Youtube of him reprising his PR High School Dance Rock cover band days and singing lead vocal on a cover of The Young Rascals’ Good Lovin’.
And since this shows how fucking old I am…get off my lawn, Sonny.
I can’t thank you enough for your post. Twas like being home-schooled. Indeed, I’ve saved it into a text file so I can reference it — YouTube here I come!
My characterizing Guantanamera being the unofficial “national” anthem is based, in whole or in part, on my interactions with the Puerto Rican community in Spokane circa 1977-ish. Factoring in the ages of “The Wailers,” this may be where my mistaken belief arose. Then again ….
This is not an excuse for my offering sloppy, uninformed information. Mea culpa.
Again, thanks so much for a trove of concise information.
Oh, and … “Sufferin’ succotash. I think you should get off my lawn.”
No, please no apologies. Perceptions are formed by the age of people you are interacting with, and all other manner of circumstances. And, like I said, when I was in sixth grade, every family on my newspaper route would be playing the Sandpipers’ Guantanamera when it was the weekly evening I dropped by to collect. Like my monthly excursion to Taco Bell, which you would probably consider blasphemy, and I go because it reminds me of my non-Mexican Mom’s every two weeks Taco Night (using an Old El Paso Taco Kit), I also have The Sandpipers’ Guantanamera on my iTunes cue.
But no apologies, Please. It ain’t every day I get to talk about Roy Brown and Silvio Rodriguez music, or El Topo, or the old school unofficial anthems. Or El Trio Matamoros.
Ya think?
Yes, I do. Here’s why: The best Glen Bell-style tacos are from Del Taco. But you have to know the secret*.
(Psst. Have them put the cheese on first. Before the meat. If they ask why, tell 'em, “That way it will melt the cheese.” They will say “Okay.” That is when you grab a vantage point — you can’t do drive-thru — and make sure they put the cheese on first. If they fulfill their promise (to put the cheese on first), ask them for a container of green sauce.)
Ask for onions.
*Works wonders at Taco Bell too.
Related reading: History of Taco Tuesday -- When Did It Start? - Thrillist
Every bit as awesome as Trio Los Panchos. [swoon]
In NYC I have never seen a Del Taco. Grated Cheese First is logical.
In Queens we have a ton of real Mexican joints, East Harlem or El Barrio in Manhattan while I was working there for about 8 years had actually become (before The Great Gentrification) home to a large Mexican immigrant community. It had and still has a number of great Mexican restaurants, but while I worked there (from 1989 to 1997) a number of Mexican Panaderias and Reposterias that also had Tacos, sprung up, adding to what used to be a desperately boring food choice at lunch or dinnertime . When my son was in college working Summer jobs with evening shifts, I would wait for him to come home for dinner and he would stop at the Taco Trucks on Roosevelt Avenue. Because like that Malinche Trump Supporter warned the Gabs (a little tribute to Gustavo Arrellano, who you and I have enjoyed discussing before) here in Jackson Heights, we already have a Taco Truck not only on every corner, but all along Roosevelt Avenue. There is actually a yearly Taco Crawl that some Gabs have organized for the other Gabs who have moved here in Jackson Heights’ version of The Great Gentrification.
I will read your Taco Tuesday link at work, and respond. Being a single widowed older dude, I had a period of time where I spent time and energy making Chile con Carne and did some reading about the stew pots in San Antonio’s plaza that were the origin of that Texas National Dish or Bowl. I also made a pretty good Sopa de Tortilla y pollo for a bit, but lost the recipe and my older sister, who was the source, cannot find it or remember which website she printed it from…
But, my Mom was Italian. We lived on Army bases and the Commissary always had Old El Paso Taco Kits, and more to make my little brother’s and my day than for the excellence of the nutrition, she would make ground beef, shredded green peppers, shredded onions, grated cheese and we would enjoy it. So that is why every once in awhile I will stop in or take out Taco Bell, to revisit that combination of tastes (including the cold grated cheese on top rather than on the bottom). As I age, I also find myself periodically buying a side of salted cod (Bacalao), soaking it all night under a trickle of cold water, like my Mom did, and then stewing it to make Bacalao Guisao (in PR we sometimes eat the consonants in those final syllables) or Arroz con Bacalao or Bacalao con Garbanzos. Thanks, Carnal.
One of my childhood comfort foods is still what I call “greasy tacos,” i.e., tacos made with hamburger seasoned with Lawry’s Taco Seasoning, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion in corn tortillas lightly pan fried in corn/vegetable oil just enough to make them foldable. What puts them over the top IMHO is a couple of good dashes of Crystal Hot Sauce.
Speaking of Gustavo, have you read his book Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America? It’s a delightful, fascinating read and can be had in hard cover for less than $5. https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/Taco-USA--How-Mexican-Food-Conquered-America-9781439148617
P.S. Mmmmmmm, Bacalao.
I will get the Arrellano book. So, essentially my folks made greasy tacos without Lawry’s seasoning, just whatever the Taco Kit contained. There were two brands of Taco Kits at the Army Base Commissaries.
I started getting nostalgic for Bacalao after reading Mark Kurlansky’s *Cod, The Fish that Changed the World. I then read his book which was a history of human (and wild animal) use of Salt. Guess the one word title…guess…guess… Anyway, for a long time you couldnt get big sides or pencas of salted cod like when I was growing up. But the population seems to be coming back. There are three supermarkets near me that now carry large sides. And they are deboned (thank God, I am very lazy and hate fish bones). And in English they are probably not called sides. I stole that from sides of beef.
OMFG I thought I was the only person who read both Cod and Salt. Too funny. I also read The Big Oyster. All fascinating books.