Amor Gitano
Encyclopedia
"Amor gitano" is a latin pop
duet song by Mexican singer
Alejandro Fernández
and American
R&B
singer Beyoncé Knowles
. The song contains a mixture of cultures, mostly influenced by the exotic language of Fernández, that is Spanish, and Knowles' pop
and R&B influences. Along with Jaime Flores and Reyli Barba
, Knowles wrote the song, while Rudy Pérez and Knowles herself produced the song. "Amor gitano" serves as the theme song of the telenovela El Zorro
and it was released on February 12, 2007 during the premiere of the episode of the telenovela.
"Amor gitano" generally received mixed to positive reception from music critics. While some of them complimented the vocal exchanges between both artists and the flamenco-pop genre of the song, others criticized the song for being somehow offensive due to the stereotypical lyrics. Although it failed to make any impact on the main US Billboard Hot 100
chart, it charted on a few Billboard component charts
, peaking at number twenty-three on the US Latin Pop Songs chart. Achieving multi-platinum certifications for ringtones and digital downloads in Spain, the song remained at the top of the Spanish Singles charts for thirteen weeks, becoming Knowles' second Spanish chart-topping single, the first being "Beautiful Liar
" (2007).
as well as the producers of El Zorro
to come up with a theme song for the telenovela. At the same time, Knowles and Fernandez were in the process of selecting material for their respective upcoming projects. Paul Forat, the Vice President of the Artists and repertoire division of Sony Entertainment Television Latin America, first heard the song from Reyli Barba and felt it could be perfect for Fernandez. Lawrie later contacted Mathew Knowles, President and CEO Music World Entertainment, about Beyoncé's Spanish material, and the duet song was recorded partly at The Beach House Recording Studios in Miami Beach
, Florida
and at the Rock the Mic Studios in New York
in mid January 2007, with Rudy Perez.
In an interview with Billboard
magazine, Knowles discussed how excited she was about the collaboration stating, "I loved working with Alejandro on 'Amor Gitano.' When I was asked to record with him, I immediately said 'yes.' He is extremely talented." Alejandro Fernández stated that as the production and recording of his album was nearly over, he was told that Beyoncé wanted to record a duet with a Latino male for her next album. He stated: "So when they suggested it, I liked the idea. I thought it was spectacular. So we went, I gave her the song and she liked it [...] We recorded it in one day. She seemed like a fine lady to me, very humble, with a great voice."
According to Knowles' publicity material, she grew up in a Texas
area where Spanish was a popular language and heard it all the time. She studied the language as a child but forgot it as she grew up and rose to fame. Knowles was planning to take Spanish lessons because she had learn the language again and then the song by imitating the sounds. She stated: "I had the best coach; I did it phonetically, every sentence I recorded maybe four times." A "Making of ..." video was created while Knowles was recording the song with Fernández. While creating the song, Knowles had producer Rudy Perez coach her in her Spanish, as she did not want to misrepresent the language.
, who has worked with Fernández on multiple occasions. Additional writing was done by Jaime Flores and Knowles. "Amor gitano" was produced by Knowles as well as Grammy winning producer Rudy Perez. Labelled as inappropriate for those under the age of 14, the song features negative stereotyping of Romani or Gypsy people. Although the entire song is sung in Spanish, the English translation of the song is "Gypsy Love".
The song contains hints of flamenco-pop and strong lyrics dominate the entire track. After opening with "traditional flamenco sounds and generic Gypsy Kings-style guitarra riffs", "Amor Gitano" adds hints of pop music. As the song progresses, it transcends into a ballad, demonstrating romance, excitement and extreme emotions. "Amor Gitano" is completely dominated by flamenco guitars which is interlaced with alternating vocals. With what has been described as a "thrilling blend of the stars" by James P. Steyer of Common Sense Media
, both Knowles and Fernández exchange "heated declaration of love and passion." Lyrically the song contains a broader, melodramatic concept of love with Knowles and Fernández exchanging words between verses, for instance in one part, Fernández sings "I'm your gypsy, your pilgrimage [...]" and Knowles replies "I'm your thief, I'm going to love you even if they tear my heart out."
(2007). The song later received an additional release on the deluxe edition of Beyoncé's second studio album B'Day
(2007), where it was included on the second disc of the album which included an additional six Spanish-language tracks. The song was released as a bonus track on all European releases of the original B'Day albums. "Amor gitano" also serves as the opening track of Knowles' EP
Irreemplazable
. The promo shoots of the album Viento a favor highlighted the collaboration between Fernández and Knowles.
. San Francisco-based non-profit organization
, Common Sense Media
gave the song a mixed review, stating that the song should remain an album track rather than a single. They stated, "With Beyoncé doing a pretty good job of phonetically singing
in Spanish (the occasional verb phrase doesn't blend), this is more about novelty than about being a great single." Agustin Gurza of The Los Angeles Times gave the song a positive review, naming it a stand-out track off of Alejandro's Viento a favor. Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic complimented the writing as well as the production on the song and called it "over-bearing in a positive way." As a positive spoof of the song's premiere on Zorro: La Espada y la Rosa, Billboard
created a wanted poster
for Fernández, which stated he was wanted "for stealing the hearts of millions" with his performance in the song.
. However, the single charted on the US Latin Pop Songs chart, and peaked at number twenty-three. "Amor gitano" was more successful on Spanish charts. The song peaked at number one on both the Spanish Singles and Download charts. It remained at the summit of the singles chart for thirteen weeks from May 28, 2007 to August 27, 2007, until later replaced by "Lamento Boliviano" by Dani Mata. "Amor gitano" is also Beyoncé's second number-one hit on the Spanish Download Chart (the first was "Beautiful Liar
") as well as her first Spanish-language number-one hit. The song was certified eight-times platinum (160,000 copies) for downloads and sixteen-times platinum (320,000 copies) for ringtone sales by the Productores de Música de España (PROMUSICAE).
's liner notes.
Latin pop
Latin pop generally refers to pop music that has what may be perceived a Latin American influence...
duet song by Mexican singer
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
Alejandro Fernández
Alejandro Fernández
Alejandro Fernández is a Mexican singer. Nicknamed as "El Potrillo" by the media and his fans, he has sold over 20 million albums worldwide. Alejandro is the son of the ranchera singer Vicente Fernández. He originally specialized in traditional, earthy forms of Mexican folk music, such as...
and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
singer Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Knowles
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
. The song contains a mixture of cultures, mostly influenced by the exotic language of Fernández, that is Spanish, and Knowles' pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and R&B influences. Along with Jaime Flores and Reyli Barba
Reyli
Reyli Barba , most commonly known as Reyli, is a well-known Mexican singer-songwriter who has reached staggering success in the past few years all over Latin America and the Latin U.S....
, Knowles wrote the song, while Rudy Pérez and Knowles herself produced the song. "Amor gitano" serves as the theme song of the telenovela El Zorro
Zorro: La Espada y la Rosa
Zorro: La Espada y la Rosa is a Spanish-language telenovela based on Johnston McCulley's characters. Telemundo aired it from February 12 to July 23, 2007. This limited-run serial shows the masked crusader as a hero torn between his fight for justice and his love for a beautiful woman...
and it was released on February 12, 2007 during the premiere of the episode of the telenovela.
"Amor gitano" generally received mixed to positive reception from music critics. While some of them complimented the vocal exchanges between both artists and the flamenco-pop genre of the song, others criticized the song for being somehow offensive due to the stereotypical lyrics. Although it failed to make any impact on the main US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, it charted on a few Billboard component charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
, peaking at number twenty-three on the US Latin Pop Songs chart. Achieving multi-platinum certifications for ringtones and digital downloads in Spain, the song remained at the top of the Spanish Singles charts for thirteen weeks, becoming Knowles' second Spanish chart-topping single, the first being "Beautiful Liar
Beautiful Liar
"Beautiful Liar" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé and Colombian Latin pop singer Shakira. The song was written by Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Ian Dench, and Stargate members Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, and produced by Stargate and Knowles for the re-release of Knowles'...
" (2007).
Background and recording
"Amor gitano" originated from the collaboration of Sony BMG's biggest talents and greatest assets. Kevin Lawrie, President of Sony BMG Latin America, contacted the Sony Entertainment Television Latin AmericaSony Entertainment Television (Latin America)
Sony Entertainment Television, commonly shortened to Canal Sony , is a general entertainment channel co-based in Perú, Chile, Venezuela, Brazil and Miami, Florida, United States. It airs in 26 countries in Latin America, and is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment...
as well as the producers of El Zorro
Zorro: La Espada y la Rosa
Zorro: La Espada y la Rosa is a Spanish-language telenovela based on Johnston McCulley's characters. Telemundo aired it from February 12 to July 23, 2007. This limited-run serial shows the masked crusader as a hero torn between his fight for justice and his love for a beautiful woman...
to come up with a theme song for the telenovela. At the same time, Knowles and Fernandez were in the process of selecting material for their respective upcoming projects. Paul Forat, the Vice President of the Artists and repertoire division of Sony Entertainment Television Latin America, first heard the song from Reyli Barba and felt it could be perfect for Fernandez. Lawrie later contacted Mathew Knowles, President and CEO Music World Entertainment, about Beyoncé's Spanish material, and the duet song was recorded partly at The Beach House Recording Studios in Miami Beach
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and at the Rock the Mic Studios in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in mid January 2007, with Rudy Perez.
In an interview with Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine, Knowles discussed how excited she was about the collaboration stating, "I loved working with Alejandro on 'Amor Gitano.' When I was asked to record with him, I immediately said 'yes.' He is extremely talented." Alejandro Fernández stated that as the production and recording of his album was nearly over, he was told that Beyoncé wanted to record a duet with a Latino male for her next album. He stated: "So when they suggested it, I liked the idea. I thought it was spectacular. So we went, I gave her the song and she liked it [...] We recorded it in one day. She seemed like a fine lady to me, very humble, with a great voice."
According to Knowles' publicity material, she grew up in a Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
area where Spanish was a popular language and heard it all the time. She studied the language as a child but forgot it as she grew up and rose to fame. Knowles was planning to take Spanish lessons because she had learn the language again and then the song by imitating the sounds. She stated: "I had the best coach; I did it phonetically, every sentence I recorded maybe four times." A "Making of ..." video was created while Knowles was recording the song with Fernández. While creating the song, Knowles had producer Rudy Perez coach her in her Spanish, as she did not want to misrepresent the language.
Music and theme
The song was written by Grammy winning songwriter/recording artist Reyli Barba, formerly of the band ElefanteElefantes (band)
Elefante was a Spanish band playing pop musicThe band was composed with musicians Jordi Ramiro , Julio Cascán , Hugo and Shuarma .The band was active from 1994 to 2006.- Discography :...
, who has worked with Fernández on multiple occasions. Additional writing was done by Jaime Flores and Knowles. "Amor gitano" was produced by Knowles as well as Grammy winning producer Rudy Perez. Labelled as inappropriate for those under the age of 14, the song features negative stereotyping of Romani or Gypsy people. Although the entire song is sung in Spanish, the English translation of the song is "Gypsy Love".
The song contains hints of flamenco-pop and strong lyrics dominate the entire track. After opening with "traditional flamenco sounds and generic Gypsy Kings-style guitarra riffs", "Amor Gitano" adds hints of pop music. As the song progresses, it transcends into a ballad, demonstrating romance, excitement and extreme emotions. "Amor Gitano" is completely dominated by flamenco guitars which is interlaced with alternating vocals. With what has been described as a "thrilling blend of the stars" by James P. Steyer of Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media , commonly known as CSM, is a San Francisco-based non-profit organization which serves as a guide for parents that has reviews for most media types, including books, movies, video games, music, and websites, and rates them in terms of violence, sex, and profanity. The website...
, both Knowles and Fernández exchange "heated declaration of love and passion." Lyrically the song contains a broader, melodramatic concept of love with Knowles and Fernández exchanging words between verses, for instance in one part, Fernández sings "I'm your gypsy, your pilgrimage [...]" and Knowles replies "I'm your thief, I'm going to love you even if they tear my heart out."
Release and reception
"Amor gitano" debuted on February 12, 2007 on the premiere episode of Telemundo's El Zorro novella. The song was the first released as the eleventh track from Fernández's twelfth studio album Viento a favorViento a Favor (Alejandro Fernández album)
Viento A Favor is the title of the fifteenth studio album released by Mexican pop singer Alejandro Fernández.-Album information:Was produced by Aureo Baqueiro and the singer works again with the composers: Gian Marco, Reyli Barba and Leonel García. And this time, he invites Fonseca and the other...
(2007). The song later received an additional release on the deluxe edition of Beyoncé's second studio album B'Day
B'Day
B'Day is the second studio album by American R&B recording artist Beyoncé Knowles, released on September 4, 2006 by Columbia Records in collaboration with Music World Music and Sony Urban Music. It was released to coincide with Knowles' twenty-fifth birthday. The album was originally planned for a...
(2007), where it was included on the second disc of the album which included an additional six Spanish-language tracks. The song was released as a bonus track on all European releases of the original B'Day albums. "Amor gitano" also serves as the opening track of Knowles' EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Irreemplazable
Irreemplazable
Irreemplazable is the first extended play by American recording artist Beyoncé Knowles. Featuring Spanish, English and Spanglish re-recordings of songs from her second studio album B'Day, it featured as a bonus disc for the deluxe edition of B'Day, before being released separately on August 28,...
. The promo shoots of the album Viento a favor highlighted the collaboration between Fernández and Knowles.
Critical reception
The song garnered generally mixed to positive reception from music critics, most of whom noted that the song may be taken offensively because of its stereotypical lyrics. The song has been described as a "plaintive ballad" by Joseph Woodard of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
. San Francisco-based non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
, Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media , commonly known as CSM, is a San Francisco-based non-profit organization which serves as a guide for parents that has reviews for most media types, including books, movies, video games, music, and websites, and rates them in terms of violence, sex, and profanity. The website...
gave the song a mixed review, stating that the song should remain an album track rather than a single. They stated, "With Beyoncé doing a pretty good job of phonetically singing
Phonetical singing
Phonetical singing is when a singer learns and performs, the lyrics of a song by the words' phonetic sounds without necessarily understanding of the content of the lyrics....
in Spanish (the occasional verb phrase doesn't blend), this is more about novelty than about being a great single." Agustin Gurza of The Los Angeles Times gave the song a positive review, naming it a stand-out track off of Alejandro's Viento a favor. Jason Birchmeier of Allmusic complimented the writing as well as the production on the song and called it "over-bearing in a positive way." As a positive spoof of the song's premiere on Zorro: La Espada y la Rosa, Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
created a wanted poster
Wanted poster
A wanted poster is a poster distributed to let the public know of an alleged criminal whom authorities wish to apprehend. They will generally include either a picture of the alleged criminal when a photograph is available, or of a facial composite image produced by a police artist...
for Fernández, which stated he was wanted "for stealing the hearts of millions" with his performance in the song.
Chart performance
"Amor gitano" mainly sold in markets with a Latin demographic. It failed to make any impact on the main US Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. However, the single charted on the US Latin Pop Songs chart, and peaked at number twenty-three. "Amor gitano" was more successful on Spanish charts. The song peaked at number one on both the Spanish Singles and Download charts. It remained at the summit of the singles chart for thirteen weeks from May 28, 2007 to August 27, 2007, until later replaced by "Lamento Boliviano" by Dani Mata. "Amor gitano" is also Beyoncé's second number-one hit on the Spanish Download Chart (the first was "Beautiful Liar
Beautiful Liar
"Beautiful Liar" is a song recorded by American R&B singer Beyoncé and Colombian Latin pop singer Shakira. The song was written by Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Ian Dench, and Stargate members Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, and produced by Stargate and Knowles for the re-release of Knowles'...
") as well as her first Spanish-language number-one hit. The song was certified eight-times platinum (160,000 copies) for downloads and sixteen-times platinum (320,000 copies) for ringtone sales by the Productores de Música de España (PROMUSICAE).
Credits and personnel
Adapted from the B'DayB'Day
B'Day is the second studio album by American R&B recording artist Beyoncé Knowles, released on September 4, 2006 by Columbia Records in collaboration with Music World Music and Sony Urban Music. It was released to coincide with Knowles' twenty-fifth birthday. The album was originally planned for a...
's liner notes.
- Aureo Baqueiro – vocal direction
- Andrés Bermúdez – recording
- Reyli Barba – writingSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
- Jasmin Cruz – backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
- Paco "El Sevillano" – gypsy chant
- Alejandro FernándezAlejandro FernándezAlejandro Fernández is a Mexican singer. Nicknamed as "El Potrillo" by the media and his fans, he has sold over 20 million albums worldwide. Alejandro is the son of the ranchera singer Vicente Fernández. He originally specialized in traditional, earthy forms of Mexican folk music, such as...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Jaime Flores – writing
- Paul Forat – artists and repertoire
- Max Gousse – artists and repertoire
- Beyoncé KnowlesBeyoncé KnowlesBeyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
– writing, productionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, vocals - Mathew KnowlesMathew KnowlesMathew Knowles is an American music executive and manager. He is the father and former manager of R&B singer Beyoncé , Knowles also managed Kelly Rowland as well as girl group Destiny's Child . He was also the manager of Solange Knowles.-Manager and producer:Knowles is an alumnus of Fisk...
– artists and repertoire - David Lopez – assistant recording, assistant mixing
- Vlado Meller – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Rudy PérezRudy PérezRudy Pérez is a Cuban American composer, producer and Sound engineer specialized in Latin Ballad whose songs have been very successful. He is considered one of the most outstanding creators in the field of international pop music...
– production, arrangementArrangementThe American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
, Spanish guitars, backing vocals, vocal direction - Clay PerryJustin Clay PerryJustin Clay Perry is an American jazz, pop, and Latin pianist best known for his arrangements heard behind numerous recording artists. He is a graduate of the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School in Tampa Bay where he studied classical and jazz piano and composition...
– keyboards, programming, Pro ToolsPro ToolsPro Tools is a digital audio workstation platform for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, developed and manufactured by Avid Technology. It is widely used by professionals throughout the audio industries for recording and editing in music production, film scoring, film, and television...
editingDigital audio editorA digital audio editor is a computer application for audio editing, i.e. manipulating digital audio. Digital audio editors are the main software component of a digital audio workstation.-For use with music:...
, recording - Rene Lus Toledo – Spanish guitars
- Bruce Weeden – mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Shane Woodley – assistant recording
Weekly charts
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Spanish Singles Chart | 1 |
| Spanish Download chart | 1 |
Certification
| Country (provider) | Format | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|---|
| Spain (PROMUSICAE) | Digital download | 8× Platinum |
| Ringtone | 16× Platinum |