In music, versioning songs is a common practice of any beginner. At first, we try to imitate the sounds and voice of our favorite singer, but then we can add chords and make arrangements to give the song we like, features or our own personal seal. In the end, the version may not be as good as the original, or on the contrary, as has happened in some circumstances, the covers surpass the first piece.
According to certain sources, they position "Yesterday" as one of the first songs more versioned of the current popular music. This piece composed by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, also appears in the Guinness Record book as the song with the greatest radio emissions. Another one that is in all the lists, is "My Way", considered one of the songs more versioned in Spanish and in English of the XX century and that although it was popularized worldwide by Frank Sinatra at the end of the sixties, Gilles Thibaut wrote it and Jacques Revaux and Claude François played it. On the other hand, among the songs written in Spanish is the famous piece Bésame Mucho by Consuelo Velásquez, Mexican, which was composed in 1940 and has been performed by the best singers in the world.
Reviewing some pages and asking some friends who know the music, I tried to make a list with the Venezuelan songs that have more versions, whether made by national or foreign singers. In the end I have been left with five Venezuelan musical pieces that have traveled the world in the voices of renowned national and international performers. Let's see and hear:
Anxiety
This beautiful song is by Venezuelan singer-songwriter Chelique Sarabia who confessed to composing it when he was just 15 years old and coming out of a Mexican movie called Ansiedad. This song has been interpreted by Venezuelans Alfredo Sadel, Simón Díaz and Ricardo Montaner; Spanish Miguel del Río, Mexican Luis Miguel and Juan Gabriel have also made sublime versions. But without a doubt, the most famous version is the one performed by the singer Nat King Cole, who gave the song worldwide fame.
Grinding coffee
The history of the creation of this piece is full of controversy, since some say that it was not Hugo Blanco who composed it, but José Manzo. More than 200 versions of this piece have been made and among the most famous and well-known are the versions made by Julio Iglesia, Javier Solis, "Mina", Ismael Rivera, Pérez Prado, José Feliciano and Paco de Lucía. Likewise, due to its musical structure, this song can be adapted to other musical genres, so we can find versions of Moliendo café with salsa, merengue and even rock rhythms. I share with you a version I found of a festival held in Bogota, Colombia.
Tonada of the full moon
This is a magnificent piece by the great Venezuelan singer-songwriter Simón Díaz. A jewel of Venezuelan music. This piece was really made as a milking song, which is used in the fields to tame the cows and milk them. Specifically it is a tonada, one of the oldest genres of our folklore. This tune is one of Simón Díaz's best known, since the Spanish filmmaker, Pedro Almodóvar, used it in his film La flor de mi secreto (The Flower of my Secret). This piece has been versioned by Caetano Veloso, who makes a masterful and beautiful interpretation, also the young Mexican singer Natalia Lafourcade, made an interpretation felt and perfect. That version, along with another great, Jorge Glem, I share with you.
Paint me little black angels
This is a poem by Venezuelan writer Andrés Eloy Blanco, but it was taken to song like other of his poems. Considered by many as an anthem against racial discrimination, it became famous in the voice of Pedro Infante, but other singers also performed it all over the world and in many languages. Such is the case of Eartha Mae Kitt, Agustín Lara, Celia Cruz, Lola Flores, Chavela Vargas, Javier Solís, Los pasteleles verdes, Los ángeles negros. Here is an Italian version, played by Fausto Leali:
Old horse
This is the most versioned song of Venezuelan music. It also belongs to the great Venezuelan singer-songwriter, Simón Díaz. According to Wikipedia, it has been translated into 12 languages and there are more than 300 versions of this musical piece, not to mention the countless recognitions that its creator has obtained, on the subject of it. It has been performed by world-famous singers such as Armando Manzanero, Julio Iglesias, Vicente Fernández, Plácido Domingo, Gilberto Santa Rosa and the Gipsy Kings, version that I leave you here:
Just as in previous posts I spoke to you about Venezuelan food, in this text I wanted to give you a sample of the music that you may have heard at some point, but you were unaware that it is Venezuelan. The idea is to make visible the aromas, flavors, but also the sounds and rhythms that identify and belong to us. To the extent that we can know and show the riches and ingenuity that we possess, you will surely make us prouder of the noble country that we have and of its talent.
I hope you enjoyed these musical pieces and this post. I remind you that you can vote for @adsactly and join our server in discord. Until the next smile. ;)
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Great post. A beautiful reminder of how talented our musiciand and song writers have been.
I'm not surprised about Simon Diaz's song being the most versioned or copied ones.
The fact that he transcended the limitations of the genre he performed is a double achievement
Plenty of talent. Too bad, that to make an artist famous, you need investment, and at this time everyone invests only in food. Art doesn't pay in this country! Thank you for your comment, @hlezama.
That's right. It's called Old Horse and it's about the arrival of love when we're old. The song says that love has no time or date on the calendar and that when love comes when we are old, we have to take advantage of it. A clear analogy. Thanks for your comment, @ladyrebecca.
Good walk through the Venezuelan songs (of the best) that have been versioned. Not only will it help some Spanish speakers to identify or remember them, but it will also help other readers of this blog from other latitudes to know their origin, whether they had heard them or not.
One of the cultural phenomena that has interested me the most for many years is that of versions (expressions of intertextuality or interculturality; I don't know the most appropriate term at the moment; in the case of versions in the same country and the same type of musical genre one could speak of intratextuality). In any case, it is a very interesting cultural phenomenon that I have been following for a long time, because it allows me to recreate not only my tastes, but also my musical culture. The canvas is long to cut, they would say.
Thank you for your good and illustrated post, @nancybriti.
In checking, I found that there are many that have been versioned, but have not had major changes. The case of these pieces, have undergone changes not only in the music, but also in the lyrics. As is the case of Caballo viejo or Moliendo café, versions have been made and they have only left the music and have played with the message it conveys. Thank you for commenting, @josemalavem.
I am a music lover, my husband is a musician and I try to be one too hahaha, I belong to a choral group in which he is the director and we have versioned many songs, Anxiety and Old horse are some of them, among so many beautiful Venezuelan songs known and others not so much, I find this publication quite interesting and fresh, definitely the music relaxes us. Thank you for that@nancybriti
It's nice to meet that new facet of yours, @lights. I didn't know you sang and that your husband was a musician. In particular, I admire people with artistic talents and especially musicians. It must be because I don't sing well or happy birthday. LOL. Thank you for your comment. Greetings
Oh yes I did very much enjoy this post! I especially loved Jorge Glem, and the moment when she joins in with the ethereal call is one of the most magical moments I have ever heard! To the extent that we can know and show the riches and ingenuity that we possess, you will surely make us prouder of the noble country that we have and of its talent.
Well done! Love this one.
Hello @adsactly, thank you for sharing this creative work! We just stopped by to say that you've been upvoted by the @creativecrypto magazine. The Creative Crypto is all about art on the blockchain and learning from creatives like you. Looking forward to crossing paths again soon. Steem on!
)
Great post. A beautiful reminder of how talented our musiciand and song writers have been.
I'm not surprised about Simon Diaz's song being the most versioned or copied ones.
The fact that he transcended the limitations of the genre he performed is a double achievement
Plenty of talent. Too bad, that to make an artist famous, you need investment, and at this time everyone invests only in food. Art doesn't pay in this country! Thank you for your comment, @hlezama.
Oh, I know the Gypsy Kings song... quite famous. No idea it wasn't original!
That's right. It's called Old Horse and it's about the arrival of love when we're old. The song says that love has no time or date on the calendar and that when love comes when we are old, we have to take advantage of it. A clear analogy. Thanks for your comment, @ladyrebecca.
Now I cannot get the song out of my head 😃
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LOL. In Venezuela we would say: CHÉVERE ;) !
Good walk through the Venezuelan songs (of the best) that have been versioned. Not only will it help some Spanish speakers to identify or remember them, but it will also help other readers of this blog from other latitudes to know their origin, whether they had heard them or not.
One of the cultural phenomena that has interested me the most for many years is that of versions (expressions of intertextuality or interculturality; I don't know the most appropriate term at the moment; in the case of versions in the same country and the same type of musical genre one could speak of intratextuality). In any case, it is a very interesting cultural phenomenon that I have been following for a long time, because it allows me to recreate not only my tastes, but also my musical culture. The canvas is long to cut, they would say.
Thank you for your good and illustrated post, @nancybriti.
In checking, I found that there are many that have been versioned, but have not had major changes. The case of these pieces, have undergone changes not only in the music, but also in the lyrics. As is the case of Caballo viejo or Moliendo café, versions have been made and they have only left the music and have played with the message it conveys. Thank you for commenting, @josemalavem.
I am a music lover, my husband is a musician and I try to be one too hahaha, I belong to a choral group in which he is the director and we have versioned many songs, Anxiety and Old horse are some of them, among so many beautiful Venezuelan songs known and others not so much, I find this publication quite interesting and fresh, definitely the music relaxes us. Thank you for that@nancybriti
It's nice to meet that new facet of yours, @lights. I didn't know you sang and that your husband was a musician. In particular, I admire people with artistic talents and especially musicians. It must be because I don't sing well or happy birthday. LOL. Thank you for your comment. Greetings
Oh yes I did very much enjoy this post! I especially loved Jorge Glem, and the moment when she joins in with the ethereal call is one of the most magical moments I have ever heard!
To the extent that we can know and show the riches and ingenuity that we possess, you will surely make us prouder of the noble country that we have and of its talent.
Well done! Love this one.
Hello @adsactly, thank you for sharing this creative work! We just stopped by to say that you've been upvoted by the @creativecrypto magazine. The Creative Crypto is all about art on the blockchain and learning from creatives like you. Looking forward to crossing paths again soon. Steem on!