"El Pito (I'll Never Go Back to Georgia)" is a 1965 Latin and soul fusion or

Latin boogaloo Boogaloo or bugalú (also: shing-a-ling, Latin boogaloo, Latin R&B) is a music genre, genre of Latin music and dance which was popular in the United States in the 1960s. Boogaloo originated in New York City mainly among teenage African Americans ...

song, co-written by Jimmy Sabater and

Joe Cuba Joe Cuba (April 22, 1931 – February 15, 2009), was an American conga drummer of Puerto Rican descent widely regarded as the "Father of Latin Boogaloo". Early years Joe Cuba (birth name: Gilberto Miguel Calderón) was born in Harlem, New York ...

. It was popularized by the Joe Cuba Sextet, featuring

Cheo Feliciano Cheo Feliciano (3 July 1935 – 17 April 2014) was a Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican Singing, singer and composer of Salsa music, salsa and bolero music. Feliciano was the owner of a recording company called "Coche Records". He was the first t ...

on vocals. In many instances, the song is referred to as being exclusively

's. The song is characterized for its bilingual lyrics and urban sound, all part of the

music style of the late 1960s in New York City.

Writing and composition

The "I'll Never Go Back to Georgia" chant was taken from

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie (; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy Eldridge but addi ...

's intro to the Afro-Cuban jazz standard " Manteca". The piece refers to racial tensions in the United States. Jimmy Sabater Sr., has said however: "None of us had ever been to Georgia." David Gonzalez from the New York Times writes: ″'Oye, ese pito!' Hey, that whistle! That was the first line to "El Pito," which was always followed by five quick toots. In the mid-'60s those five notes heralded an emerging musical movement. From El Barrio to the South Bronx, hipsters in knit shirts and Caesar haircuts went around whistling, clapping and singing, "I'll never go back to Georgia! I'll never go back!" Of course, the farthest south most of these guys had ever been was Delancey Street to buy their Playboy loafers.″ Nevertheless, Jimmy Sabater was "struck both by the sentiment and the way the cadence of the line perfectly fit a clave rhythm. And in 1965, when the song came out, the political timing was just right to make "El Pito" a rare crossover hit for Latin and black audiences".

Madison Square Garden performance

According to a story published by record label Fania, to celebrate the success of the song, five thousand whistles were handed out during a concert at New York's

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...

in 1967. At the time, the Sextet was touring with the

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...

show. During the performance, the group ″hurled thousands of whistles from the stage, causing a mild uprising with people running down the aisles trying to get their hands on a Joe Cuba "El Pito" whistle.″ After the incident, James Brown reportedly decided never to tour with Joe Cuba again.

References

{{authority control Songs about Georgia (U.S. state) 1965 songs Boogaloo songs 1966 singles