Maria Elena
Encyclopedia
"María Elena" is a 1932
popular
song
written by Lorenzo Barcelata
(Spanish
words and music). It was published by Peer International Corporation of Mexico. The English
words by Bob Russell
.
The song was dedicated to María Elena, the wife of Mexican President Emilio Portes Gil
.
An instrumental version of the song was used for the background theme of the film Bordertown
, starring Paul Muni
and Bette Davis
, in 1935. The next year the words and music were used in the Mexican film María Elena.
Lawrence Welk
later introduced the tune in the United States on his radio program, then in 1941 on the Okeh Records
label.
The song was a hit for the Jimmy Dorsey
orchestra
with Bob Eberly
doing the vocals. The recording was made on March 19, 1941 by Decca Records
as catalog number
3698. The flip side was "Green Eyes." The record first reached the Billboard magazine charts on May 16, 1941 and lasted 17 weeks on the chart, peaking at #1 on June 14, 1941. Since "Green Eyes" was also a #1 hit, this was a major double-sided hit recording. In the same year the Wayne King
Orchestra also had a #2 hit with "Maria Elena".
An instrumental version was recorded in 1958 and released in the United States in 1962 by Natalico and Antenor Lima, better known as Los Indios Tabajaras
. This popular revival hit No.6 in the Billboard pop chart and No.3 on the Billboard easy listening chart in the USA in late 1963, as well as making No.5 on the UK singles chart at the same juncture.
Ry Cooder
performed an instrumental version of this song on his 1972 album Boomer's Story
.
1932 in music
-Events:*January 14 – Maurice Ravel's Piano Concerto is premièred in Paris.*May 1 – The music to John Alden Carpenter's ballet Skyscrapers is recorded by the Victor Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Nathaniel Shilkret; in addition to be being issued as six sides on 78 rpm discs, the...
popular
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
written by Lorenzo Barcelata
Lorenzo Barcelata
Lorenzo Barcelata was a Mexican composer and actor born in Tlalixcoyan. He died in Mexico City from cholera, shortly before his 45th birthday....
(Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
words and music). It was published by Peer International Corporation of Mexico. The English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
words by Bob Russell
Bob Russell (songwriter)
Sidney Keith "Bob" Russell, was an American songwriter born in Passaic, New Jersey.In 1968, Russell along with songwriting partner Quincy Jones was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Original Song category...
.
The song was dedicated to María Elena, the wife of Mexican President Emilio Portes Gil
Emilio Portes Gil
Emilio Cándido Portes Gil was President of Mexico from 1928 to 1930.-Biography:Portes Gil was born in Ciudad Victoria, the capital of the state of Tamaulipas in northeast Mexico....
.
An instrumental version of the song was used for the background theme of the film Bordertown
Bordertown (1935 film)
Bordertown is a 1935 American drama film directed by Archie Mayo. The screenplay by Laird Doyle and Wallace Smith is based on Robert Lord's adaptation of the 1934 novel Border Town by Carroll Graham....
, starring Paul Muni
Paul Muni
Paul Muni was an Austrian-Hungarian-born American stage and film actor...
and Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
, in 1935. The next year the words and music were used in the Mexican film María Elena.
Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982...
later introduced the tune in the United States on his radio program, then in 1941 on the Okeh Records
Okeh Records
Okeh Records began as an independent record label based in the United States of America in 1918. From 1926 on, it was a subsidiary of Columbia Records.-History:...
label.
The song was a hit for the Jimmy Dorsey
Jimmy Dorsey
James "Jimmy" Dorsey was a prominent American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, trumpeter, composer, and big band leader. He was known as "JD"...
orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
with Bob Eberly
Bob Eberly
Bob Eberly was a big band vocalist, best-known for his association with Jimmy Dorsey and his duets with Helen O'Connell....
doing the vocals. The recording was made on March 19, 1941 by Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
as catalog number
Catalog numbering systems for single records
This article presents the numbering systems used by various record companies for single records.- Capitol :...
3698. The flip side was "Green Eyes." The record first reached the Billboard magazine charts on May 16, 1941 and lasted 17 weeks on the chart, peaking at #1 on June 14, 1941. Since "Green Eyes" was also a #1 hit, this was a major double-sided hit recording. In the same year the Wayne King
Wayne King
Wayne King was an American musician, songwriter, singer and orchestral leader. He was sometimes referred to as "the Waltz King" because much of his most popular music involved waltzes; "The Waltz You Saved For Me" was his standard set closing song in live performance and on numerous radio...
Orchestra also had a #2 hit with "Maria Elena".
An instrumental version was recorded in 1958 and released in the United States in 1962 by Natalico and Antenor Lima, better known as Los Indios Tabajaras
Los Indios Tabajaras
Los Indios Tabajaras was a guitar duo of two brothers from Ceará, in the Northeast of Brazil.Their beginnings are not clear, though most stories have them becoming accomplished guitar players after finding a guitar near Ceará, Brazil. Playing in Rio de Janeiro, they found success as Natalicio and...
. This popular revival hit No.6 in the Billboard pop chart and No.3 on the Billboard easy listening chart in the USA in late 1963, as well as making No.5 on the UK singles chart at the same juncture.
Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder
Ryland Peter "Ry" Cooder is an American guitarist, singer and composer. He is known for his slide guitar work, his interest in roots music from the United States, and, more recently, his collaborations with traditional musicians from many countries.His solo work has been eclectic, encompassing...
performed an instrumental version of this song on his 1972 album Boomer's Story
Boomer's Story
Boomer's Story is an album by American roots rock musician Ry Cooder, released in 1972.-Side one:# "Boomer's Story" – 4:13# "Cherry Ball Blues" – 4:10# "Crow Black Chicken" – 2:14...
.