Like many American children, many of my initial cultural experiences were mediated by Walt Disney.  I’m thinking specifically of the film, The Three Caballeros, which I have always loved for its music and animation/live action sequences.  Only later did I learn it was part of the studio’s almost-propagandistic effort to participate in the US government’s Good Neighboor policy of the time.  Anyway, as a kid, my favorite part was the Bahia sequence where Donald Duck and José Carioca meet Aurora Miranda and sing an infectious samba about who has the best cookies.  I was reminded about my love for that song, “Os Quindins de Yayá,” when it popped up again in the middle of Strictly Ballroom last night (Yes, I was watching that movie.  As well as three or four others in an orgy of Christmas relaxation).

So, now I’m on a binge to learn more about the history of “Os Quindins de Yayá”: who originally composed it, and what Latin- and South- American artists have performed it over the years.  Bring in the ethnomusicologists!  Teh internets are revealing very little.  Disney has never released a soundtrack for the movie. On the Strictly Ballroom soundtrack, the credited artist is Stanley Black.  It also seems that Roberto Inglez (a Scotsman posing as a Latin American bandleader so that he could ride the Latin dance music craze of the 40s) also covered the tune.  iTunes shows that Cuban songwriter Bola de Nieve has contributed a more rubato rendition.  And in my favorite recent post, a passionate fan loved the music so much that he ripped it from the Disney VHS and posted for all to download and enjoy.  So, the mystery of composer/original artist remains unsolved until I can talk to an expert.  In the meantime, here is the original clip from the movie.  Rock on!

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 27th, 2008 at 1:13 pm and is filed under Artistry. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.