José María Lacalle García, known in Anglo America as Joseph M. Lacalle (November 17, 1859 – June 11, 1937) was a

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

ist, composer, conductor and music critic. He is best known for composing the song " Amapola". His surname is misspelled LaCalle in some sources.

Biography and career

José María Lacalle García was born in Cadiz,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, and emigrated to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

in 1884, sailing from the Port of Havana, Cuba, to the Port of New York on the S/S ''Newport'

He performed on woodwind instruments with a number of popular bands including the John Philip Sousa Band, the Patrick Gilmore Band, the 7th Regiment Band, the Hoadley Musical Society Amateur Orchestra, and the Columbia Spanish Band. He conducted his own band, the Lacalle Band, and the 23rd Regiment Band. Lacalle directed instrumental groups for

Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...

between 1917 and 1929, and participated in early recordings for other recording companies. Lacalle composed numerous songs and marches, including "Twenty-third Regiment March" (1902), "Pobrecito Faraon" (1923), "Amapola" (1920), "Aquel Beso" (1927) and "The Light That Never Fails (Luz Eterna)" (1928). " Amapola" was originally composed with Spanish lyrics and performed instrumentally. In the early 1940s "Amapola" was given English lyrics by Albert Gamse. The song was then recorded by a number of artists. Jimmy Dorsey recorded a version which hit #1 on the

Billboard charts The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in '' Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...

. "Amapola" went to #1 on Your Hit Parade in 1941.William Emmett Studwell, Mark Baldin ''The big band reader: songs favored by swing era orchestras'' 2000 Page 172 "Joseph M. Lacalle wrote the original Spanish lyrics, an English translation, and the melody for "Amapola," which was a top number of the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra." In later life Lacalle worked as a music critic for Columbia Phonograph Company. He founded the Spanish Theater Company in Brooklyn and presented

Zarzuela () is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular songs, as well as dance. The etymology of the name is uncertain, but some propose it may derive from the name of ...

s to American audiences. He was also influential in promoting Spanish and Cuban music. He died in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

in 1937 at the age of 76.

References

External links

''The Clarinetists of the John Philip Sousa Band: 1892-1931''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lacalle, Joseph American male composers American composers American clarinetists American conductors (music) American male conductors (music) Spanish emigrants to the United States Musicians from Brooklyn 1860 births 1937 deaths Classical musicians from New York (state)