Pepe Bandera
Fiesta At The Waldorf
Los Chavales de Espana
RCA Victor LPM-1095
1958
From the back cover: From the beginning in Barcelona in 1940, Los Chavales de Espana has been a cooperative venture. With no real leader, the group produces all its arrangements, both vocal and instrumental, by a combined effort in preparation. From these elven men (all Spanish) comes an incredible variety of sounds, for almost every member plays at least three different instruments.
Los Chavales play without written music of any kind – each member has about four hundred arrangements entirely in his head. Disciplined, precise, ereating dazzling colors without parallel, this flawless group is not limited to the Spanish music which is its specialty. These Continental artists perform in a variety of tongues – three of which are heard on this recording.
The content of this album might well be described as a musical tour of Spain, Portugal and France, and is typical of the group's program at the Waldorf-Astoria. In the opening medley, entitled Spanish Fiesta, Luis Tamayo sings an excerpt from the musical comedy "La Verbean de la Paloma," following it with a description of the beauties of Madrid. Luis Bona then tells of Pepe Bandera, the Spanish singer for whom all men are mad, and the medley closes as Pepe Lara sings the charms of Granada.
Trini Reyes lends castanets and heel-tapping to a portrait of Granada's gypsy quarter in Scromonte; Dos Cruces, which follows in a vocal by Pepe Lara, tells of a lover who is reminiscing about his lost amours. El Embrujo del Fandango ("The Magic Of The Fandango") marks the return of dancer Reyes, after which Luis Tamayo takes us to Portugal in Lisboa Antiqua. The first side concludes with Retablo Espanol, which contains a vocal version of Granados' Danza Espanola No. 5 (by Pepe Lara) and the instrumental Jota from the musical comedy "La Dolores."
On Side Two we are treated to more Jotas–Quisiera, fearing Senores Lara and Tamayo, and Ebro, a fiery dance by Trini Reyes. Taking a short trip into France we hear Luis Tamayo sing "Aimer come je t'aims, and our immediate return to Spain is greeted by the brilliant bull-fight music of Gallito. Luis Tamayo then returns to sing "Sous le Cielo de Paris and Pepe Lara follows with a rendition of Manuel Palos' composition, Three Roses. The side ends with a medley called Alegria Espanola ("Spanish Happiness") – an excerpt from the musical, "La Revoltoas", the ever-popular Malaguena La Tana, the tale of an Andalusian gypsy's unrequited love (with Tamayo, Bona, Lara and Palos); and finally Pepe Lara's sining of everyone's favorite, Valencia.
Spanish Fiesta
La Verbena de la Paloma
Madrid
Pepe Bandera
Granada
Sacromonte
Don Crues
El Embrujo del Fandango
Lisboa Antiqua
Jotas Tipicas
Quisiera, Ebro
Aimer comme je t'aime
Gallito
Sous le ciel de Paris (Under Paris Skies)
Three Roses
Alegria Espanola
La Revoltosa
Malaguena
La Tana
Valencia
