La Bamba (song)

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“La Bamba”
“La Bamba” cover
Single by Ritchie Valens
A-side "Donna"
Released October 1958
Format 7"
Recorded 1958
Genre Latin/rock/pop
Writer(s) William Clauson
Producer Bob Keane
Ritchie Valens singles chronology
"Come On, Let's Go"
(1958)		 "Donna" / "La Bamba"
(1958)		 "Fast Freight / Big Baby Blues"
(1959)
“La Bamba”
“La Bamba” cover
Single by Los Lobos
from the album La Bamba Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
B-side "Charlena"
Released 1987
Format CD single, 7"
Genre Latin/rock/pop
Label Warner Bros. Records
Writer(s) William Clauson
Producer Los Lobos
Los Lobos singles chronology
"Come On, Let's Go"/"Ooh! My Head"
(1987)		 "La Bamba"
(1987)		 "Down on the Riverbed"
(1990)

"La Bamba" is a folk song whose origins can be traced to the Mexican state of Veracruz over 300 years ago. It is best known from a 1958 adaptation by Ritchie Valens, a top 40 hit the U.S. charts and one of early rock and roll's best-known songs.

Contents

[edit] Traditional origins

Influenced by Spanish flamenco and Afro-Mexican beats, the song uses the violin, jaranas, guitar, and harp. Lyrics to the song greatly vary, as performers often improvise verses while performing. However, versions (such as those by musical groups Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan and Los Pregoneros del Puerto) have survived due to the artists' popularity and have become the "definitive" versions. The traditional aspect of "La Bamba" lies in the tune itself, which remains the same through all versions. The name of the dance, which has no direct English translation, is presumably connected with the Spanish verb, bambolear meaning "to shake", or perhaps "to stomp". A dissenting view holds that the dance originated in or near one of the towns named Bamba in Angola or the DR Congo.

The traditional "La Bamba" was often played during weddings in Veracruz, where the bride and groom performed the accompanying dance. Today this wedding tradition is mostly lost, but the dance survives through the popularity of ballet folklórico. The dance is performed in much the same way, displaying the newlywed couple’s unity through the performance of complicated, delicate steps in unison as well as through creation of a bow from a listón, a long red ribbon, using only their feet.

The "arriba" (literally "up") part of the song suggests the nature of the dance, in which the footwork, called "zapateado", is done faster and faster as the music tempo accelerates. The repeated lyric "Yo no soy marinero" ("Lit: I am not a sailor") refers to Veracruz's marine locale and the husband's promise that he will remain faithful to his wife.

At many gatherings, including the youth conventions of Esperanto (IJK, Internacia Seminario), one traditionally dances to La Bamba in a circle. People dance in the circle and people dance out of it. The people within the circle can take a place in the outer circle by kissing one of the people dancing in it, after this ritual one swaps places. Multiple versions are used for this, Spanish as well as partly or completely sung in Esperanto.[1]

[edit] Valens' version

The traditional song inspired Ritchie Valens' rock and roll version "La Bamba" in the 1950s. Valens' "La Bamba" infused the traditional tune with a rock beat, making the song accessible to the population of the United States and earning it (and Valens) a place in rock history. The song features simple verse-chorus form. Valens learned the Spanish lyrics phonetically, as he had been raised from birth speaking English. Valens' version of La Bamba is ranked number 345 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. It is the only song on the list not sung in English. Ritchie Valens' tapping into a Mexican folk song unwittingly paved the way for Twist and Shout and all the other songs based on it since 1962. The first version of the song below is as sung by Richie Valens:


[edit] Lyrics

SPANISH:

Para bailar La Bamba Para bailar La Bamba, Se necesita una poca de gracia, Una poca de gracia, pa' mí, pa' tí y Arriba, arriba.. y arriba, arriba Por tí seré por tí seré por tí seré.

Yo no soy marinero Yo no soy marinero Soy capitán soy capitán soy capitán Ba Ba Bamba Ba Ba Bamba Ba Ba Bamba

ENGLISH

In order to dance La Bamba, In order to dance La Bamba, you need a little grace A little grace for me, for you and up up, and up up For you I'll be, For you I'll be, For you I'll be

I am not a sailor, I am not a sailor I am a captain, I am a captain Ba Ba Bamba Ba Ba Bamba Ba Ba Bamba''


Another common version is:


SPANISH

A para bailar La Bamba, A para bailar La Bamba, se necesita, una poca de gracia. Una poca de gracia, y otra cosita. Ay, arriba, arriba. Ay, arriba, arriba, arriba ire! Yo no soy marinero; por tí, seré.

ENGLISH

In order to dance La Bamba, In order to dance La Bamba, you need a little grace. A little grace, and a little something. Hey! Up, up, up I go! I am not a sailor; for you I will be

There are many other variations and additional verses.

Liverpool Football Club fans adopted the song in 2004 in celebration of their manager Rafael Benitez and some of the Spanish players he brought to the club. The original version of the song the fans sung at matches is:

"Ra-Ra-Ra-Rafa Benitez, Ra-Ra-Ra-Rafa Benitez, Xabi Alonso, Garcia and Nunez. Ra-fa Benitez, Ra-fa Benitez, Ra-Ra-Ra-Rafa Benitez."

There has been multiple versions of the song, as the players mentioned in the song were sold and replacement names were found for the song. These included "Reina", "Nando" and "Torres". It is still sung regularly at games by the Liverpool fans.

[edit] Charts

Chart (1959) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Pop Singles 22[2]
UK Singles Chart 49[3]
Chart (1987) Peak
position
Australian Kent Music Report 1
Austrian Singles Chart 3
French Singles Chart 1
Irish Singles Chart 1
Italian Singles Chart 1
New Zealand Singles Chart 1
Norwegian Singles Chart 4
Swedish Singles Chart 3
Swiss Singles Chart 1
UK Singles Chart 1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 1
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks 57
U.S. Billboard Hot Latin Tracks 1
U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks 11
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 4
United World Chart 2

[edit] Cover versions

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Please help convert this timeline into prose or, if necessary, a list.

The Los Lobos version of the song, released in as part of the soundtrack of the 1987 movie La Bamba about Valens' life, concludes with the traditional ever-faster instrumentation, instead of the "bamba-bamba, bamba-bamba..." fadeout of Valens' version. The single went to No. 1 on the Billboard charts. It also went to No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart and the Australian ARIA Chart.

One of the last versions is from the German-Portuguese singer Marco da Silva, released in 2000.

In 1986, "La Bamba" featured as the background music to a British TV ad for the Vauxhall Nova motor car.

In 1988, Latin superstar Selena released the song on her album entitled Preciosa.

In 1988, song parody writer/performer "Weird Al" Yankovic wrote and recorded a parody of "La Bamba" entitled "Lasagna".

In 2001, country music superstar Clay Walker covered this song in his Tex Mex style on his album "Say No More".

In 2004, fans of Liverpool Football Club adapted the lyrics of "La Bamba" into a song celebrating their new Spanish manager Rafa Benitez and the Spanish players he brought to the club. The song's popularity grew and became an anthem of their UEFA Champions League win in 2005.

In 2005, the Japanese J-ska band Yum!Yum!ORANGE recorded a ska punk cover released in their third album Orange Funky Radio.

In 2006, it was performed in the Hungarian version of Pop Idol competition (local name: Megasztár) by Magdolna Rúzsa, a Serbia-born Hungarian singer. Her recording was also released on her first CD album (A döntőkben elhangzott dalok).

In 2007 a cover by Leon Thomas III was featured on the soundtrack of the film August Rush.

More cover versions :

[edit] Trivia

 Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

Tom Miller collected over 80 versions of La Bamba for his Rhino Records compilation The Best of La Bamba.

"Come a Little Bit Closer" by Jay and the Americans, later recorded by Johnny Duncan and Janie Fricke, has the same tune in part of its chorus.

Preceded by
"Who's That Girl" by Madonna		 UK number one single (Los Lobos version)
July 28, 1987		 Succeeded by
"I Just Can't Stop Loving You" by Michael Jackson & Siedah Garrett
Preceded by
"Who's That Girl" by Madonna		 Billboard Hot 100 number one single (Los Lobos version)
August 29, 1987- September 12, 1987		 Succeeded by
"I Just Can't Stop Loving You" by Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett
Preceded by
"Ahora Te Puedes Marchar" by Luis Miguel		 Billboard Hot Latin Tracks number one single (Los Lobos version)
September 19, 1987- October 31, 1987		 Succeeded by
"Ahora Te Puedes Marchar" by Luis Miguel
Preceded by
"Joe le taxi" by Vanessa Paradis		 French (SNEP) number one single (Los Lobos version)
October 17, 1987 - December 26, 1987		 Succeeded by
"Étienne" by Guesch Patti

[edit] References

  1. ^ YouTube - La Bamba
  2. ^ allmusic ((( Ritchie Valens > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))
  3. ^ Chart Stats - Ritchie Valens - La Bamba

[edit] External links