La canción de la semana #217

...is Pa Mi Casa by the Spanish singer Bebe, from her 2009 album Y.

La canción de la semana #216

Truena Truena by Venezuelan band Desorden Público.

La canción de la semana #215

Just voice and double bass: Alfonsina y El Mar performed by the Israeli jazz bassist and singer Avishai Cohen. This song appears on Cohen's latest album, Aurora.

La canción de la semana #214

...is No llores mujer by Alberto Gambino. This song appears on Coffy All Stars, a 2005 compilation of Valencian hip-hop and reggae.

La canción de la semana #213

El Carretero by Guillermo Portables was made famous by Buena Vista Social Club. However, my favourite version is the one by Alex Cuba. Awesome! (And I love the little dance the band performs between 4:30 and 5:00.)

A caballo vamos pa'l monte, a caballo vamos pa'l monte
A caballo vamos pa'l monte, a caballo vamos pa'l monte.

Jardín de Cactus

We went to Guatiza to see this beautiful cactus garden designed by César Manrique. It is a beautiful place.


Usually, public conveniences (aseos) in Spain are designated caballeros, hombres or señores for men and damas, mujeres or señoras for women. But not there, as you can see:

La canción de la semana #212

...is Mambo Jambo, aka Que Rico el Mambo, performed by the legendary Xavier Cugat and his orchestra.

La canción de la semana #211

...is Se Me Hizo Fácil, performed by Concha Buika and Cuban jazz legend Chucho Valdés. This song is taken from El Último Trago, Buika & Chucho's homage to Chavela Vargas (recorded last year on occasion of her 90th anniversary). A wonderful album.

En este homenaje tan acertado y emocionante, Buika muestra una Chavela afrocubana y jazzificada, por obra y gracia de un acompañante de excepción, Chucho Valdés y su grupo. A Buika y a Chucho les une África, y Cuba palpita en cada una de las teclas del pianista, tan ecléctico como la intérprete. Viendo como Concha se acerca a la copla, el tango, las bulerías, el bolero, la música cubana y el jazz, digiriendo y mezclando todos los géneros de un modo tan espontáneo y magistral, uno piensa que el futuro no puede ser tan malo como parece, mientras podamos ser testigos de la evolución riquísima de esta intérprete infinita. Pedro Almodóvar

La canción de la semana #210

This week's issue of The Big Issue features an interview with Shakira, where the sexy goddess talks about her childhood, her charity involvement, her singing at the Barack Obama Inauguration, and her work on the new (long overdue) Spanish-language album. Yes! I am looking forward to it. In the meantime, the deservedly record-breaking duo with Alejandro Sanz: La Tortura, from her last Spanish album, Fijación Oral Vol. 1.

La canción de la semana #209

This song was performed by Louis Armstrong, Stan Kenton, Duke Ellington, Fania All-Stars and Bebo Valdés, to name just a few. According to Wikipedia, El Manisero (The Peanut Vendor), written by Moisés Simons, "is possibly the most famous piece of music created by a Cuban musician." Since its first performance by Rita Montaner in 1928, El Manisero has been recorded more than 160 times! Perhaps the best known version is the one by Don Azpiazú and his Havana Casino Orchestra, featuring Antonio Machín.