Marimba, Mambo Y Cha-Cha-Cha

  God help me, I love Marimbas! There are other singularly great instruments - trumpet and clarinet come to mind - and even among the percussion, I'm almost as big a fan of the vibraphone, but Marimbas are on another level altogether.

I've never owned one (it seems to me it would probably take up way too much space), but thanks to the wonders of modern keyboards, I've been able to work virtual marimbas into many of my own recordings. But that's a pale imitation of the sound of a bunch of marimbas playing together. So when a friend and I went to an estate sale not long ago, he knew, upon coming across this album, that he needed to pass it my way. I was not disappointed.

The '50's echo is a bit much in places, but the wonderfulness of the instruments, and of many of these songs, can't be missed. Personal favorites are Rico Mambo, Oye Negro and Guadalajara, but every track has its charms.

Bob

1.) Orchestra Marimba Chiapas - Chivirico (MP3)
2.) Orchestra Marimba Chiapas - Cherry Pink (MP3)
3.) Orchestra Marimba Chiapas - Solamente Una Vez (MP3)
4.) Orchestra Marimba Chiapas - Quien Sera (MP3)
5.) Orchestra Marimba Chiapas - Carioca (MP3)
6.) Orchestra Marimba Chiapas - Rico Mambo (MP3)
7.) Orchestra Marimba Chiapas - Rico Vacilon (MP3)
8.) Orchestra Marimba Chiapas - Oye Negra (MP3)
9.) Orchestra Marimba Chiapas - Frenesi (MP3)
10.) Orchestra Marimba Chiapas - Burundanga (MP3)
11.) Orchestra Marimba Chiapas - Guadalajara (MP3)

Front Cover (JPG)
Back Cover (JPG)

Comments

[Colin The Culture Hunter]

Bob - this is incredible.A sort of "Sylvester and Speedy Gonzalez" cartoon soundtrack in every cut dont you think?
Thanks for the smile

[Wendy del Formaggio]

Ooh! Thank you Bob, for posting this. I have been a fan of the marimba even before I knew the name of the instrument making that glorious sound.

[Mr Fab]

Wow, that production gets pretty Space Age. Marimbas from Mars?

[RBZ]

Just about anything released on Audio Fidelity is pretty great. Hadn't heard this one before. Thanks.

[Marimba Cocktail]

You've stumbled on what I think is one of the truly overlooked classics of space age pop here.One that almost ranks up there with Juan Esquivel,in my opinion.I have just about every US release that has popped up on SAP/exotica blogs/web sites/books,and a couple that haven't,as well as a few interesting foriegn records,but in all my years of trawling thrift store,flea markets,and eBay,I have seen this record a total of twice.One copy was completely trashed,the other was a sad and forlorn cover,with no record.

There are a number of marimba records like this,from the 50s,that I believe only came out in Mexico,that I have.Three 10" examples:

*"Marimba Cocktail" Peerless LPP-058 Marimba de los Hermanos Paniagua This has an incredible cover,with liquor glasses,and beer cans,with a color scheme that looks like it was dreamed up under DTs.Among the songs are "Terry's Theme",by Charlie Chaplain done as a beguine.

*"Al Son de la Marimba" Musart M171 by Marimba Chiapas.Contains a great version of "Mister Sandman",among others.May or may not be the same guys.Here's a guy http://www.ungawa.be/LP/LP21.htm that obviously has a copy.

*"Exitos de Marimba" Columbia DCL 50 (1955) Marimba de los Hermanos Paniagua,Marimba Mexico and Marimba Tuxtleca de Gabriel Solis.This has "Limelight",what is it this guys had with recording Charlie Chaplain songs,a great "Hernando's Hideaway",and other gems.

There must be hundreds of Mexican marimba records like this out there waiting to be discovered.Even here,in the southwest border states,they have never turned up much.

[dance]

cha cha is a very nice kind of dance thanx

[John Verity]

What a find! Thanks for sharing. I have "Que Rico Mambo" stuck in my head thanks to a wonderful electro-Latino version by Senor Coconut, on his recent Around the World record. He makes delicious use of marimbas, or synthesized versions of same, on some of his Kraftwerk covers.

Steve Reich is big on marimba, of course - e.g. Music for 18 Musicians, and Nagoya Marimbas (1994). And while not exactly the same instrument, xylophone as played by Red Norvo is another mallet-cious joy. Check out his "The Man I Love" from 1945, or so; there are two versions, both great, one (live at Town Hall) more energetic than the other.