El Cóndor Pasa (song)
This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2016) |
"El Cóndor Pasa" | |
---|---|
Song | |
Published | 1913 |
Composer(s) | Daniel Alomía Robles |
"El Cóndor Pasa" (pronounced
Since then, it has been estimated that, around the world, more than 4,000 versions of the melody have been produced, along with 300 sets of lyrics. In 2004, Peru declared this song to be a part of their national cultural heritage.[1] This song is now considered the second national anthem of Peru.[2]
It is the best-known Peruvian tune in the English-speaking world,[citation needed] especially because of a 1970 cover by Simon & Garfunkel, with English lyrics by Paul Simon, on their Bridge over Troubled Water album. Their version is called "El Cóndor Pasa (If I Could)".
Original zarzuela version
In 1913, Peruvian songwriter Daniel Alomía Robles composed "El Cóndor Pasa", and the song was first performed publicly at the Teatro Mazzi in Lima.[3] The song was originally a musical piece in the Peruvian zarzuela (musical play), El cóndor pasa. The zarzuela is written in prose and consists of one musical play and two acts.
Its music was composed by Daniel Alomía Robles in 1913 and its script was written by Julio de La Paz (pseudonym of the Limenian dramatist Julio Baudouin). The piano arrangement of this play's most famous melody was legally registered on May 3, 1933, by The Edward B. Marks Music Corp. in the Library of Congress, under the number 9643.
Simon & Garfunkel version
"El Cóndor Pasa (If I Could)" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Bridge Over Troubled Water | ||||
B-side | "Why Don't You Write Me" | |||
Released | September 1970 | |||
Recorded | November 1968 and November 1969 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:06 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) | Daniel Alomía Robles (music), Paul Simon (English lyrics), Jorge Milchberg (Arrangement) | |||
Producer(s) | ||||
Simon & Garfunkel singles chronology | ||||
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Audio | ||||
"El Cóndor Pasa (If I Could)" on YouTube |
In 1965, the American pop musician Paul Simon heard for the first time a version of the melody by the band Los Incas in a performance at the Théâtre de l'Est parisien in Paris in which both were participating. Simon became friendly with the band, later even touring with them and producing their first American album. He asked the band for permission to use the piece in his production. The band's director and founding member Jorge Milchberg , who was collecting royalties for the piece as co-author and arranger, responded erroneously that it was a traditional Peruvian composition. Milchberg told Simon he was registered as the arrangement's co-author and collected royalties.
In 1970, the
In regard to the Simon & Garfunkel version, Daniel Alomía Robles, Jorge Milchberg, and Paul Simon are now all listed as songwriters, with Simon listed alone as the author of the English lyrics.
Copyright lawsuit
In late 1970, Daniel Alomía Robles' son Armando Robles Godoy, a Peruvian filmmaker, filed a successful copyright lawsuit against Paul Simon. The grounds for the lawsuit extended that the song had been composed by his father, who had copyrighted the song in the United States in 1933.[3] Armando Robles Godoy said that he held no ill will towards Paul Simon for what he considered a "misunderstanding" and an "honest mistake".[8]
"It was an almost friendly court case because Paul Simon was very respectful of other cultures. It was not carelessness on his part", said Armando Robles Godoy.[8] "He happened to hear the song in Paris from a vernacular group Los Incas. He liked it, he went to ask the band for permission and they gave him the wrong information. Jorge Milchberg told him it was a traditional folk song from the 18th century and not my father's composition. It was a court case without further complications."[8]
Later that year, Perry Como released a recording of Paul Simon's version on his album It's Impossible, while Julie Felix had a UK Top 20 hit with it, taking advantage of Simon & Garfunkel's decision not to release their version as a UK single.[9]
Armando Robles Godoy subsequently wrote new Spanish lyrics for the song, taking Paul Simon's version as a reference.
Charts
Chart (1970) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian (Kent Music Report)[10] | 1 |
Austrian Singles Chart[11] | 1 |
Canada (RPM)[12] | 4 |
Danish Singles Chart (IFPI Denmark)[13] | 3 |
Dutch Singles Chart[14] | 1 |
Indonesia (Aktuil)[15] | 2 |
Japan (Oricon International Chart)[16] | 1 |
New Zealand (RIANZ)[17] | 14 |
Spanish Singles Chart[18] | 1 |
Switzerland Singles Chart[19] | 1 |
US Singles Chart (Billboard Hot 100)[20] | 18 |
West German Singles Chart[21] | 1 |
Sales
Region | Sales |
---|---|
Austria | 60,000[22] |
France | 250,000[23] |
Germany | 1,000,000[24] |
Other versions
Renowned Argentinean guitarist and composer
References
- ^ "musica musique musica". Latinoamerica-online.info. April 13, 2004. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
- ^ El cóndor pasa: así sonaba la canción de Daniel Alomía Robles en los años 1930 (y otras versiones)
- ^ a b ""El Cóndor Pasa" patrimonio cultural de la nación". Acuarela.se. Archived from the original on 2018-01-01. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
- ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001. Record Research. p. 222.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 29, 1970. p. 28. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ "Spotlight Singles" (PDF). Billboard. August 29, 1970. p. 54. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
- ^ a b c Juan Carlos Bondy (July 6, 2008). "El cine, los libros, la muerte (an interview with Armando Robles Godoy)" (PDF). Diario la Primera (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 10, 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-10.
- ^ "El Condor Pasa". Archived from the original on November 26, 2010. Retrieved February 12, 2010.
- ^ Australian charts:
- ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- "Discography Simon & Garfunkel". australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
- ^ Steffen Hung. "Simon & Garfunkel – The Boxer". Austriancharts.at. Archived from the original on August 7, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - October 24, 1970" (PDF).
- Billboard. October 3, 1970. p. 64. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
- ^ "Netherlands Top 40 - week 15, 1970". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
- ^ Majalah Aktuil 65 (PDF). 1970.
- ^ "Japan #1 IMPORT DISKS by Oricon Hot Singles". Oricon Singles Chart. Archived from the original on September 11, 2010. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Discography Simon & Garfunkel". New Zealand Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
- ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
- ^ "Hitparade Singles Top 100". Swiss Hitparade. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Hot 100, Week of October 31, 1970". Billboard Hot 100. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
- ^ "Musik Charts" [Music Charts] (in German). Charts Surfer. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
Click on "Liedsuche" under "Musik" on the right side (on the left side from reader's perspective), then after "Nach was soll gesucht werden?" write the album, song, interpret, etc. and then choose the chart.
- Billboard. November 7, 1970. p. 55. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
- ^ "Top - 1970". Top - France. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
- ^ "German product now in demand" (PDF). Music Week. February 14, 1975. p. 8. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - October 31, 1970" (PDF).
Sources
- Colectivo Cultural Centenario El Cóndor Pasa, ed. (2013). El cóndor pasa…Cien años después. Lima. ISBN 9786124647208. Registered in the National Library of Peru.
- Salazar Mejía, Luis (2013). El misterio del cóndor: Memoria e historia de "El cóndor pasa…". Lima: Taky Onqoy Ediciones. ISBN 9786124660504. Registered in the National Library of Peru.
- Cerrón Fetta, Mario (2014). Cuadernos de Música Peruana Nº 12. Lima.Editorial/ Cuadernos de Música. Register: Legal deposit Nº2008-06894. Registered in the National Library of Peru.