"¿Quién será?" is a

bolero Bolero is a genre of song which originated in eastern Cuba in the late 19th century as part of the trova tradition. Unrelated to the older Spanish dance of the same name, bolero is characterized by sophisticated lyrics dealing with love. It has ...

mambo Mambo most often refers to: *Mambo (music), a Cuban musical form *Mambo (dance), a dance corresponding to mambo music Mambo may also refer to: Music * Mambo section, a section in arrangements of some types of Afro-Caribbean music, particula ...

song written by Mexican composers

Luis Demetrio Luis Demetrio, born Luis Demetrio Traconis Molina (April 21, 1931 – December 17, 2007), was a Mexican singer and composer best known for composing the Spanish-language 1953 pop standard " ¿Quién será?" and its English-language counterpart " ...

and

Pablo Beltrán Ruiz Pablo Beltrán Ruiz (born 5 March 1915 in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico - died 29 July 2008) was a Mexican composer and bandleader, most famous for composing the song " ¿Quién será?", a Spanish-language hit that, with English lyrics by Norman Gimb ...

. Beltrán recorded the song for the first time with his orchestra in 1953.

Pedro Infante Pedro Infante Cruz (; 18 November 1917 – 15 April 1957) was a Mexican ranchera music singer and actor, whose career spanned the golden age of Mexican cinema. His popularity spread across Latin America. Infante was born in Mazatlán, Sinalo ...

, for whom the song was written, recorded it in 1954.

Norman Gimbel Norman Gimbel (November 16, 1927 – December 19, 2018) was an American lyricist of popular songs, television and movie themes. He wrote the lyrics for songs including " Killing Me Softly with His Song", " Ready to Take a Chance Again" (both wit ...

took the song, removed the somewhat melancholy Spanish lyrics about a man wondering if he shall ever love again, and wrote brand-new English lyrics about a man praising his dancing partner's ability to affect his heart with how she "sways" when they dance. This new song, titled "Sway", has become a

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...

in the

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...

repertoire. The first version to achieve considerable success in the United States was recorded by singer

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

with the Dick Stabile orchestra in 1954.

Pablo Beltrán version

The first rendition of

's "¿Quién será?" was recorded by Pablo Beltrán Ruiz with his orchestra as an instrumental cha-cha-chá in 1953. This version was later included on the LP ''South of the Border / Al sur de la frontera - Cha-cha-cha''. According to Demetrio, Beltrán only contributed the first few chords of the song. The rest of the composition and the original lyrics (in Spanish) were all written by Demetrio. However, because Demetrio sold his rights to Beltrán, the song has often been misattributed to the latter. Beltrán re-recorded the song on numerous occasions including an upbeat

cumbia Cumbia refers to a number of musical rhythms and folk dance traditions of Latin America, generally involving musical and cultural elements from American Indigenous peoples, enslaved Africans during colonial times, and Europeans. Examples include: ...

version for the album ''Mister Cumbia'' (1966), a ska version for the album ''Caliente, caliente... a go-go'' (1966) and a

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 ...

version for the album ''Rosita bonita'' (1968), all released by

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

. The cumbia version was featured in the 1967

Cantinflas Mario Fortino Alfonso Moreno Reyes (12 August 1911 – 20 April 1993), known by the stage name Cantinflas (), was a Mexican comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He is considered to have been the most widely-accomplished Mexican comedian and is cel ...

film ''

Su Excelencia ''Su Excelencia'' (aka ''Your Excellency'') is a 1967 Mexican political satire film directed by Miguel M. Delgado and starring Cantinflas and Sonia Infante. The film is set in a parody universe where "Red" and "Green" countries are the political e ...

''.

Pedro Infante cover version

Demetrio had written the song specifically for Mexican singer

, who performed it in the film ''

School for Tramps ''School for Tramps'' (Spanish: ''Escuela de vagabundos'') is a 1955 Mexico, Mexican comedy film. It was produced by Fernando de Fuentes. It's considered one of the finest comedies of Mexican cinema, and is adapted from the screenplay for the Metr ...

'' in 1954 and later recorded it for Peerless Records. It became one of Infante's signature songs and a hit across Latin America. Shortly after,

Germán Valdés Germán Genaro Cipriano Gómez Valdés y Castillo (19 September 1915 – 29 June 1973), known professionally as Tin-Tan, was a Mexican actor, singer and comedian who was born in Mexico City but was raised and began his career in Ciudad Juarez, ...

, better known as Tin Tan, performed a parody version of Infante's rendition in the film '' The Viscount of Monte Cristo''.

Dean Martin cover version

In 1954, the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

lyrics were written by

and recorded by

backed by Dick Stabile's orchestra. This recording reached number 15 on the

Billboard magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the musi ...

best-seller chart and number six on the UK chart. The single was released with the B-side "Money Burns a Hole in My Pocket" (

Jule Styne Jule Styne (; born Julius Kerwin Stein; December 31, 1905 – September 20, 1994) was an English-American songwriter and composer best known for a series of Broadway musicals, including several famous frequently-revived shows that also becam ...

Bob Hilliard Bob Hilliard (born Hilliard Goldsmith; January 28, 1918 – February 1, 1971) was an American lyricist. He wrote the words for the songs: "Alice in Wonderland", "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning", " Any Day Now", " Dear Hearts and Gentle ...

) in the US, while the British version was backed by "Pretty as a Picture" (Johnny Anz). The song was well received by critics, being described as a "happy reading of a listenable ditty in the Latin-American manner" by a contemporary reviewer. A version of his rendition is used in the trailer for the movie '' Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre'' (2022).

Charts

Shaft cover version

British

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to ...

band

Shaft Shaft may refer to: Rotating machine elements * Shaft (mechanical engineering), a rotating machine element used to transmit power * Line shaft, a power transmission system * Drive shaft, a shaft for transferring torque * Axle, a shaft around whi ...

recorded "Sway", retitled as "(Mucho Mambo) Sway", and released it on 23 August 1999 as their debut single. This version is based on

Rosemary Clooney Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 – June 29, 2002) was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the song " Come On-a My House", which was followed by other pop numbers such as " Botch-a-Me", " Mambo Italiano" ...

's 1960 version, but following a dispute with the copyright holders of her recording, Shaft recorded new vocals with

session singer Session musicians, studio musicians, or backing musicians are musicians hired to perform in recording sessions or live performances. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a recording artist on a t ...

Donna Canale. The single peaked at No. 2 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, topped the

New Zealand Singles Chart The Official New Zealand Music Chart ( mi, Te Papa Tātai Waiata Matua o Aotearoa) is the weekly New Zealand top 40 singles and albums charts, issued weekly by Recorded Music NZ (formerly Recording Industry Association of New Zealand). The Music ...

, and reached the top 10 in Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and on the

Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart was a chart compiled by the American-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan, which began publication in November 1996. It was published every Wednesday and also published on Thursday by ''Jam!''/Canoe. It ...

. The single was later included on Shaft's 2001, album ''Pick Up on This''.

Background

"(Mucho Mambo) Sway" first gained attention after being featured in a television advertisement for London radio station

Kiss FM Kiss FM, Kiss Radio or variants may refer to: Asia-Oceania * Various Kiss FM-branded stations in the Philippines ** 95.1 Kiss FM, Lucena, Quezon ** 102.3 Kiss FM, Tagbilaran, Bohol * Kiss92 FM, Singapore * KISS 969, Sri Lanka * Kiss Radio Taiwan ...

. This recording was an updated version of

's 1960 version, featuring her vocals. The cover was set to be released, and many copies had already been mailed out, but the copyright holders of Clooney's version enacted a moratorium on the single to prohibit commercial usage. As a result, it was pulled from radio and television, and production of the single ceased, causing the original recording of "(Mucho Mambo) Sway" to become exponentially more valuable. Following the ban, Shaft recruited Donna Canale to sing the vocals on a new version of the song. This time, they were allowed to market the single, and two days after production was finished, it went sent to record shops.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Michael Bublé cover version

"Sway" was covered by Canadian singer

Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...

for his debut studio album, ''

'', released in 2003. ''Sway'' was chosen for release as the album's third single, and was released in Australia on 22 June 2004. ''Sway'' was only released as an individual single in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

. In many other countries, the release of the track was held back until 26 July, and packaged as a double A-side with the album's fourth single, '' Spider-Man Theme''. However, due to its popularity with Australian radio stations, the track was given a separate release in the region, with ''Spider-Man Theme'' being released three months later in September 2004, as a separate release. Bublé's version of the song has appeared in such television shows and films as ''

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

'', ''

CSI: NY ''CSI: NY'' (''Crime Scene Investigation: New York'', stylized as ''CSI: NY/Crime Scene Investigation'') is an American police procedural television series that ran on CBS from September 22, 2004, to February 22, 2013, for a total of nine season ...

'', ''

Malcolm in the Middle ''Malcolm in the Middle'' is an American family television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for Fox. The series premiered on January 9, 2000, and ended on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes. The series follows a dysfunction ...

'', '' The Wedding Date'', '' Da Kath and Kim Code'' and '' No Reservations''. The music video for the track was directed by Peter Kasden, who also filmed a music video for the single's B-side, ''Moondance'', which was released exclusively to Australian music channels to promote the release of the single. The video features scenes of Bublé performing the song in the studio, intercut with scenes of Bublé driving a car through the Australian outback. The separate release, two music videos and strong radio airplay meant that ''Sway'' reached a peak of No. 15 on the

ARIA Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

, making it Bublé's highest charting single to that date.

Track listing

*Australian CD single # "Sway" (Junkie XL Mix) – 3:46 # "Sway" (acoustic version) – 3:08 # "Moondance" (live version) – 3:45

Charts

The Pussycat Dolls cover version

American

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of wh ...

The Pussycat Dolls The Pussycat Dolls were an American girl group and dance ensemble, founded in Los Angeles, California, by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995 as a burlesque troupe. At the suggestion of Jimmy Iovine, Antin decided to take the burlesque troupe ...

recorded "Sway" and released as the only single for the ''Shall We Dance?'' soundtrack. It is also the group's debut single overall. It was later included as a bonus track on their debut studio album, '' PCD'' (2005).

Critical reception

While reviewing the ''Shall We Dance?'' soundtrack, Heather Phares cited "Sway" as one of the highlights of the album. Ashley Spencer from the ''

Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by parent company, '' Tribune P ...

'' described the rendition as having a "mesmerizing rhythm". While reviewing the DVD of ''Shall We Dance?'' Renata Joy of Dvdizzy.com pointed the song out as "a catchy tune". Rachel Sexton of MovieFreak.com called the cover "great" and noted it as "a classic updated".

Promotion

The music video for "Sway" was directed by

Steve Antin Steven Antin (born April 19, 1958) is an American actor, stunt performer, screenwriter, producer, and director. Early life Antin was born in Queens, New York City, the son of British Jewish immigrants. He is the brother of fellow actor Neil ...

, the brother of The Pussycat Dolls creator,

Robin Antin Robin Antin is an American actress, entrepreneur, dancer, choreographer and clothing designer. In 1995, she founded the modern burlesque troupe the Pussycat Dolls. By 2005, she diversified into various media including a pop recording group with i ...

. The video features The Pussycat Dolls dancing against a backdrop of scenes from the movie. The music video was included as bonus clip in the DVD release of ''Shall We Dance''. At that point, the Pussycat Dolls were still recording their album PCD, and the group featured members of the original Pussycat Dolls burlesque troupe who remained after the re-casting process, such as Robin Antin, Cyia Batten, Kasey Campbell and Kaya Jones. Reviewers for Comingsoon.net, Edward Douglas and Scott Chitwood described the video as "sexy" and "stylish". They also wrote that "it perfectly fits the mood of the film." ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yo ...

's'' writer Ed Gonzales wondered if the editors of ''

Maxim Maxim or Maksim may refer to: Entertainment * ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine ** ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition ** ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition *Maxim Radio, ''Maxim'' magazine's radio channel on Sir ...

'' financed the video. Rachel Sexton of MovieFreak.com suggested buyers to skip the video calling it "cheesy". Renata Joy of Dvdizzy.com noted that "the song is much more enjoyable when not watching the accompanying video." "Sway" was performed on ''

Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the form ...

'' along with " Don't Cha" during the results show on 27 January 2006.

Track listing

Digital download # "Sway" (Alternate version) – 3:12

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of '' Shall We Dance - Soundtrack from the Motion Picture''. *

Nicole Scherzinger Nicole Scherzinger (; born Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Valiente, June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She is best known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, one of the best-selling g ...

– lead vocals, background vocals *

Carmit Bachar Carmit Maile Bachar ( he, כרמית בכר; born September 4, 1974), known professionally as Carmit, is an American singer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. She is a member of the Pussycat Dolls. She is married to longtime partner Kevin Whit ...

– additional vocals *

Melody Thornton Melody Thornton (born September 28, 1984) is an American singer and television personality. After graduating high school, Thornton became one the main vocalists of the pop girl group the Pussycat Dolls and released the albums '' PCD'' (2005) a ...

– additional vocals * Kaya Jones – additional vocals *

Ron Fair Ronald Fair is an American A&R executive, record producer, record executive, musical arranger, recording engineer and conductor. In a career that has spanned over 30 years at major record labels he has produced and arranged hits for several ar ...

– producer, marimba * Bill Reichenbach – trombone *

Tony Terran Anthony Terran (May 30, 1926 – March 20, 2017) was an American trumpet player and session musician. He was part of the Wrecking Crew, a group of largely uncredited session musicians in Los Angeles, California, who helped famous artists record ...

– trumpet

Charts

Other versions

"¿Quién será?" and "Sway" have been recorded dozens of times by many artists over the decades, many of which have been included in

feature film A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...

s and TV episodes. This is merely a select list of popular recordings, not a comprehensive listing. * 1960 –

Bobby Rydell Robert Louis Ridarelli (April 26, 1942 – April 5, 2022), known by the stage name Bobby Rydell, was an American singer and actor who mainly performed rock and roll and traditional pop music. In the early 1960s he was considered a teen idol. Hi ...

recorded the first of two hit versions of the song, reaching number 14 on the ''Billboard'' charts and number 12 in Canada. A

disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric p ...

re-recording in 1976 reached number 27 on the adult contemporary charts. * 1960 –

Connie Francis Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero (born December 12, 1937), known professionally as Connie Francis, is an American pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Called the “First Lady of Rock & Roll” ...

– '' Connie Francis Sings Spanish and Latin American Favorites'',

MGM Records MGM Records was a record label founded by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946 for the purpose of releasing soundtrack recordings (later LP albums) of their musical films. It transitioned into a pop music label that continued into the ...

* 1960 –

and

Dámaso Pérez Prado Dámaso is a Spanish masculine given name. The name is equivalent to that of Pope Damasus I in English. The name also exists in Italian as Damaso, though it is uncommon. People * Dámaso Alonso (1898–1990), Spanish poet * Dámaso Berenguer, 1st ...

– '' A Touch of Tabasco'',

* 1963 –

Julie London Julie London (née Peck; September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. A torch singer noted for her sultry, languid contralto vocals, London recorded over thirty album ...

– '' Latin in a Satin Mood'', Liberty Record *1965 –

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million ...

– ''Cliff Richard'',

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese conglomerate Sony. It was founded on January 15, 1889, evolving from the A ...

* 1997 –

Brent Spiner Brent Jay Spiner (; born February 2, 1949) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as the android Data on the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', as well as four subsequent films. In 2019, he reprised the role for ...

on the soundtrack of the movie ''

Out to Sea ''Out to Sea'' is a 1997 American romantic comedy film directed by Martha Coolidge and written by Robert Nelson Jacobs. It was the final film role of Donald O'Connor, Gloria DeHaven and Edward Mulhare, and the penultimate film of Jack Lemmon ...

'' * 1998 – The film '' Dark City'', featured the version by Anita Kelsey, lip-synched by

Jennifer Connelly Jennifer Lynn Connelly (born December 12, 1970) is an American actress. She began her career as a child model before making her acting debut in the 1984 crime film ''Once Upon a Time in America''. After having worked as a model for several year ...

's character as a lounge act (Jennifer Connelly herself sang it in the Director's Cut) * 2005 – The documentary film '' Romántico'', directed by Mark Becker, features a version of the song played by Arturo Arias and Carmelo Muñiz * 2005 – The film '' The Wedding Date'', directed by

Clare Kilner Clare Kilner is an English film director. She directed the films ''How to Deal'' (2003) and ''The Wedding Date'' (2005). Credit *''Saplings'' (1993, short film) * ''Half Day'' (1994, short film) * ''The Secret'' (1994, short film) * ''Symbiosi ...

, features the version by Michael Bublé * 2008 – The film ''

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

'', directed by

Cédric Klapisch Cédric Klapisch ( ; born 4 September 1961) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer. Life and career Klapisch was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine. He is from a Jewish family; his maternal grandparents were deported to Ausc ...

, features the version by Pérez Prado and Rosemary Clooney * 2008 – The film ''

Revolutionary Road ''Revolutionary Road'' is American author Richard Yates's debut novel about 1950s suburban life in the East Coast. It was a finalist for the National Book Award in 1962, along with ''Catch-22'' and ''The Moviegoer''. When published by Atlant ...

'', directed by

Sam Mendes Sir Samuel Alexander Mendes (born 1 August 1965) is a British film and stage director, producer, and screenwriter. In 2000, Mendes was appointed a CBE for his services to drama, and he was knighted in the 2020 New Years Honours List. That s ...

* 2010 – The film '' Repo Men'', directed by

Miguel Sapochnik Miguel Sapochnik (born 1 July 1974) is an English film and television director of Argentine origin, and former storyboard artist. For his work as a director on the HBO epic fantasy series ''Game of Thrones'', he won the award for Outstanding ...

, features the version by Pérez Prado and Rosemary Clooney

References

External links

Original lyrics (in Spanish) to the song Sway (¿Quien será?)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quién será? Songs with lyrics by Norman Gimbel 1953 songs 1999 debut singles 2004 debut singles Pop ballads Dean Martin songs Michael Bublé songs Rosemary Clooney songs The Pussycat Dolls songs Jennifer Lopez songs Spanish-language songs Trio Los Panchos songs Number-one singles in New Zealand RCA Victor singles Capitol Records singles Universal Records singles 143 Records singles Reprise Records singles A&M Records singles Interscope Records singles