Our second visit to the works of Gilbert and Sullivan sees us return to Iolanthe for our first offering. Lord Chancellor who is the main protagonist (“The law is the true embodiment”). is appealed to by the peers to decide who will have the hand of Phyllis with whom they are all smitten. The Lord […]
Comic Songs (1)
Today we begin a new series in which we will seek to discover that quintessential British institution, the so called Comic (comedy) Song. Our journey will begin with the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, throught the age of the Music Hall, via some the great comic song writers and performers and onto those songs that […]
Music of The World (The Missing Songs 2)
Our final entry in this series bring us the four last songs that I discovered I had missed out during the initial trawl through the UK charts. “Désenchantée” (Disenchanted” or “Disappointed”) is a 1991 song recorded by French singer-songwriter Mylene Farmer. In 2002, Belgian singer Kate Ryan released her dance-pop style version of “Désenchantée” as […]
Music of The World (The Missing Songs 1)
“Quando quando quando” (“When, When, When”) is an Italian pop song from 1962, in the bossa nova style, with music written by Tony Renis and lyrics by Alberto Testa. The song, originally recorded in two different versions, competed in the Sanremo Music Festival in 1962, where it placed fourth, and later became a commercial success […]
Music of The World (20)
“Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Blackpink. It was released in June 2018, in conjunction with the release of the group’s first Korean-language extended play, Square Up. Described as a hip-pop song infused with trap beats and bubblegum pop sounds, the track was written by YG collaborator Teddy Park, whilst […]
Music of The World (19)
“Despacito” (“Slowly”) is a song by Puerto Rican singer uis Fonsi featuring Puerto Rican rapper and singer Daddy Yankee as the lead single from Fonsi’s 2019 studio album Vida. Released in January 2017, the song was written by Fonsi, Erika Ender and Daddy Yankee, and produced by Mauricio Rengifo and Andres Torres. A remix version […]
Music of The World (18)
“Danza Kuduro” (Dance Kuduro) is a Spanish/Portuguese song by Puerto Rican recording artist Don Omar and Portuguese–French singer Lucenzo from Don Omar’s collaborative album Meet The Orphans. The song is an adaptation of Lucenzo’s “Vem Dancar Kuduro”, a Portuguese/English song. “Danza Kuduro” was released as the lead single from the album in August 2010. It […]
Music of The World (17)
“Mas, Que Nada!” is a song written and originally recorded in 1963 by Jorge Ben on his debut album Samba Esquema Novo, which was covered in 1966 by Sergio Mendes, becoming one of the latter’s signature songs. In 2006, Mendes again re-recorded the song, this time with American musical group the Black Eyed Peas and […]
Music of The World (16)
“La Tortura” (“The Torture”) is a song by Colombian singer Shakira, featuring Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz, from Shakira’s sixth studio album Filacion Oral, Vol. 1 (2005). It was released in April 2005, by Epic Records as the lead single from the album. The song was written and produced by Shakira, with additional writing and production […]
Music of The World (15)
“The Ketchup Song (Aserejé)” is the debut single by Spanish pop group Las Ketchup, taken from their debut studio album Hijas del Tomate (2002). The song is about a man who enters a nightclub while singing and dancing. In addition to the original Spanish version, the song exists in a form with Spanglish verses, although […]