3 posts tagged “nueyorican sound”

Pedro Navaja

Nov 10, 2008
2 comments

Mack the Knife, aka The Ballad of Mack the Knife, originally Die Moritat von Mackie Messer, is a song composed by Kurt Weil with lyrics by Bertold Brecht for The Three Penny Opera (Die Dreigroschenoper). the song has enjoyed popularity for almost 80 years, being covered by many, many performers.

Ruben Blades, the Panamenian singer and composer (sorry, Drude for making you homesick for Panama), recreated "Mack the Knife" as "Pedro Navaja" in 1970s Bronx. it is a great song.

03-pedro navaja - ruben blades

Ruben Blades and Willy Colon

NOTE: I have a *tiny bit* of a thing for "Mack the Knife" and have collected dozens of versions. Mack was a favorite during the golden age of American jazz and big band. here are a couple of exemplars:

the lovely Ella and the Duke

Mack the Knife - Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington

Ella Fitzgerald & Duke Ellington

the two Louis*

Louis Prima and Louie Armstrong - Mack The Knife

Louis Armstrong

*sorry for the lack of cover art. I've had this for ages and can't locate the album it originally came from

Blogito ergo sum

aguanile

Nov 9, 2008
5 comments

Aguanile (literally nile water, i.e. "water from the Nile", "holy water") is used in Santeria rituals. Santeria is derived from religious practices of African slaves in the Caribbean.
Willy Colon's arrangement of the song begins with African animal and human sounds - recalling the African origins and traditions prevalent in Latin America.
my favorite part of the song is near the beginning when the singer namechecks the Catholic latin mass by calling Kyrie eleison, Christus eleison.