wocomoCULTURE | La Paloma: The true story behind the world most popular song @wocomoCULTURE | Uploaded May 2023 | Updated October 2024, 1 hour ago.
La Paloma was born in the 1860s as a Cuban Habanera, composed by the Basque Sebastian Iradier. This simple love song took off on a flight around the world and became an immediate hit in Mexico. La Paloma brought tears to the eyes of the unfortunate Hapsburg Emperor Maximilian on the Mexican throne, while liberals mocked him in a satirical version. As a marching song La Paloma arrived in Europe and came of age. To her melody children in Auschwitz filed into the gas chambers. A song that has scored countless personal moments, and spoken for itself for 150 years, doesn’t need our commentary – it deserves our celebration!
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In Zanzibar they play it at the end of weddings, in Romania at the end of funerals, in Mexico as a protest song, and in Germany as a sailor’s lament. Written a century and a half ago by Sebastián Iradier and first performed in Cuba, “La Paloma”—the most frequently played song in the world—has circled the globe like a dove to touch listeners’ hearts with longing. La Paloma is recognizable by its song's rhythm, which defines the style of the habanera, a popular music genre in the 19th century. But Jazz artists, opera singers, pop stars, and others raced to perform the song--even Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, Frankie Laine or Harry Belafonte.
Drawing upon insightful expert commentary, moving personal anecdotes, and snippets from dozens of versions of “La Paloma,” this program follows the song’s trail in an effort to understand its power to enchant so very many people. A mix of music history and ethnomusicology to tells the story of this popular song, which through the history has carried divergent messages and signification. Music thus has the ability to cross ages and borders, and to resonate differently in different cultures.
Original title: La Paloma - The Melody of Longing
2008, © Licensed by First Hand Film
#documentary #music #history #lapaloma
La Paloma was born in the 1860s as a Cuban Habanera, composed by the Basque Sebastian Iradier. This simple love song took off on a flight around the world and became an immediate hit in Mexico. La Paloma brought tears to the eyes of the unfortunate Hapsburg Emperor Maximilian on the Mexican throne, while liberals mocked him in a satirical version. As a marching song La Paloma arrived in Europe and came of age. To her melody children in Auschwitz filed into the gas chambers. A song that has scored countless personal moments, and spoken for itself for 150 years, doesn’t need our commentary – it deserves our celebration!
Subscribe to wocomoCULTURE: goo.gl/VITuUt
Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/wocomo
In Zanzibar they play it at the end of weddings, in Romania at the end of funerals, in Mexico as a protest song, and in Germany as a sailor’s lament. Written a century and a half ago by Sebastián Iradier and first performed in Cuba, “La Paloma”—the most frequently played song in the world—has circled the globe like a dove to touch listeners’ hearts with longing. La Paloma is recognizable by its song's rhythm, which defines the style of the habanera, a popular music genre in the 19th century. But Jazz artists, opera singers, pop stars, and others raced to perform the song--even Elvis Presley, Bill Haley, Frankie Laine or Harry Belafonte.
Drawing upon insightful expert commentary, moving personal anecdotes, and snippets from dozens of versions of “La Paloma,” this program follows the song’s trail in an effort to understand its power to enchant so very many people. A mix of music history and ethnomusicology to tells the story of this popular song, which through the history has carried divergent messages and signification. Music thus has the ability to cross ages and borders, and to resonate differently in different cultures.
Original title: La Paloma - The Melody of Longing
2008, © Licensed by First Hand Film
#documentary #music #history #lapaloma
