"La Paloma", "The Dove" in English, is a popular Spanish song that has been produced and reinterpreted in diverse cultures, settings, arrangements, and recordings over the last 140 years. The song was written by the Spanish

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

composer

Sebastián Iradier Sebastián Iradier Salaverri (Salaberri) (20 January 18096 December 1865), or Sebastián Yradier, was a Spanish Basque composer. Biography Iradier was born in Lanciego, in the province of Álava. His publisher in Paris urged him to "universalize ...

(later Yradier) around 1860 after a visit to Cuba. In 1879, it was registered at the copyright office in Madrid as a "Canción Americana con acompañamiento de Piano". Iradier was to die in obscurity within few years, never to learn how popular his song would become. Very quickly, "La Paloma" became popular outside of Spain, particularly in Mexico, and soon spread around the world. In many places, including Afghanistan, Cuba, Colombia, Hawaii, the Philippines, Germany, Romania, Venezuela, Zanzibar, and Goa it gained the status of a quasi-

folk song Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...

. Over the years, the popularity of "La Paloma" has surged and receded periodically, but never subsided. It may be considered one of the first universal popular hits and has appealed to artists of diverse musical backgrounds. There are more than one thousand versions of this song, and together with " Yesterday" by

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

, is one of the most-recorded songs in the history of music; it is certainly the most-recorded Spanish song.

The motif

The motif of "La Paloma" (the

dove Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

) can be traced back to an episode that occurred in 492 BC, before

Darius the Great Darius I ( peo, 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 ; grc-gre, Δαρεῖος ; – 486 BCE), commonly known as Darius the Great, was a Persian ruler who served as the third King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 522 BCE until his d ...

's invasion of Greece, a time when the white dove had not yet been seen in Europe. The Persian fleet under Mardonius was caught in a storm off the shore of

Mount Athos Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the peni ...

and wrecked, when the Greeks observed white doves escaping from the sinking Persian ships. Those were most probably homing pigeons which the Persian fleet carried with them when sallying forth out of Persia for battle. This inspired the notion that such birds bring home a final message of love from a sailor who is lost at sea.

History

In the Portuguese novel ''

O Crime do Padre Amaro ''O Crime do Padre Amaro'' ("The Crime of Father Amaro"), subtitled 'Scenes of Religious Life', is a novel by the 19th-century Portuguese writer José Maria de Eça de Queiroz. It was first published in 1875 to great controversy. Background Eç ...

'' (''The Crime of Father Amaro''), written in 1871 by the Portuguese writer

José Maria de Eça de Queirós José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacu ...

, it is referred to as "'' Chiquita'', an old Mexican song". German and French versions appeared in the 1860s.

Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after he reorganized ...

recorded a version in 1941 on

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 i ...

36146., and a version in English titled "No More" with lyrics by Don Robertson and

Hal Blair HAL may refer to: Aviation * Halali Airport (IATA airport code: HAL) Halali, Oshikoto, Namibia * Hawaiian Airlines (ICAO airline code: HAL) * HAL Airport, Bangalore, India * Hindustan Aeronautics Limited an Indian aerospace manufacturer of fig ...

was recorded by both

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 ...

and

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

. That version was written by request as an adaptation of an Italian or French folk song with new English lyrics, specifically to be sung by Elvis in the movie ''

Blue Hawaii ''Blue Hawaii'' is a 1961 American musical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Elvis Presley. The screenplay by Hal Kanter was nominated by the Writers Guild of America in 1962 in the category of Best Written Americ ...

''. It was based on musical melody as remembered, and had lyrics fit to the melody which emerged during composition. In 1973 French singer

Mireille Mathieu Mireille Mathieu (; born 22 July 1946) is a French singer. She has recorded over 1200 songs in eleven languages, with more than 122 million records sold worldwide. Biography and career Early years Mireille Mathieu was born on 22 July 1946 in A ...

had a huge hit across Europe with her interpretation named "La Paloma, Adieu", released outside the

francophonie Francophonie is the quality of speaking French. The term designates the ensemble of people, organisations and governments that share the use of French on a daily basis and as administrative language, teaching language or chosen language. The t ...

countries as "La Paloma, Adé". "La Paloma" has been interpreted by musicians of diverse backgrounds including

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

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'' ( ...

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

, rock,

military band A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the ti ...

s, and

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...

. The song entered the

Guinness Book of World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

being sung by the largest

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

, 88,600 people, in

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...

on May 9, 2004.

Movies

"La Paloma" is played in these movies: * "La Paloma"

Screen Songs ''Screen Songs'', formerly known as KoKo Song Car-Tunes, are a series of animated cartoons produced at the Fleischer Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures between 1929 and 1938. Paramount brought back the sing-along cartoons in 1945, now ...

cartoon, 1930 * ''

The Private Life of Don Juan ''The Private Life of Don Juan'' is a 1934 British comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Korda and starring Douglas Fairbanks, Merle Oberon and Benita Hume. At the age of 51, it was the final role of Fairbanks, who died five years later. Th ...

'', 1934 * ''La Paloma, Ein Lied der Kameradschaft'', 1934 (also listed as ''La Paloma'', 1938) * '' Juarez'', 1939 * '' Große Freiheit Nr. 7'', 1944,

Hans Albers Hans Philipp August Albers (22 September 1891 – 24 July 1960) was a German actor and singer. He was the biggest male movie star in Germany between 1930 and 1960 and one of the most popular German actors of the twentieth century. Early life ...

singing a German version * ''

Stray Dog A free-ranging dog is a dog that is not confined to a yard or house. Free-ranging dogs include street dogs, village dogs, stray dogs, feral dogs, etc., and may be owned or unowned. The global dog population is estimated to be 900 million, of w ...

'', 1949 * ''

Invasion of the Body Snatchers ''Invasion of the Body Snatchers'' is a 1956 American science fiction horror film produced by Walter Wanger, directed by Don Siegel, and starring Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter. The black-and-white film was shot in Superscope and in the film ...

'', 1956 * ''La Paloma'', Germany 1958 * ''Habanera'', Spain 1958 * '' Freddy, die Gitarre und das Meer'', 1959 * '' Freddy und der Millionär'' * ''

Adua e le compagne ''Adua and Her Friends'' ( it, Adua e le compagne), also known as ''Hungry For Love'', is a 1960 Italian film directed by Antonio Pietrangeli with a collaborative screenplay by the film's director together with Ruggero Maccari, Ettore Scola and T ...

'', 1960 * ''

'', 1961, Elvis Presley singing "No More". His recording was also featured on the

soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' ...

and a re-recorded "live" version for the American version of ''

Aloha from Hawaii ''Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite'' is a concert starring Elvis Presley that took place at the Honolulu International Center and was broadcast live via satellite to audiences in Asia and Oceania on January 14, 1973. The show was presented ...

'' which was not used in the broadcast''.'' This 1973 version was originally released on the budget album '' Mahalo from Elvis'' but has since been included on various reissues of the

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...

. * ''

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'', 1974. The band are playing "La Paloma" in the opening scene of the New Year party in Havana. * '' Bröderna Lejonhjärta'', 1977. Karl's mom is heard singing the Swedish version of "La Paloma". * ''

The Tin Drum ''The Tin Drum'' (german: Die Blechtrommel, ) is a 1959 novel by Günter Grass. The novel is the first book of Grass's ' ('' Danzig Trilogy''). It was adapted into a 1979 film, which won both the 1979 Palme d'Or and the Academy Award for Bes ...

'', 1979 * ''

Das Boot ''Das Boot'' (, English: "The Boat") is a 1981 West German war film written and directed by Wolfgang Petersen, produced by Günter Rohrbach, and starring Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, and Klaus Wennemann. It has been exhibited both as ...

'', 1981 (performed in German by

Rosita Serrano Rosita Serrano (born María Esther Aldunate del Campo, 10 June 1912 – 6 April 1997) was a Chilean singer who had her biggest success in Nazi Germany between the 1930s and the early 1940s. Because of her bell-like voice and pitch-perfect whis ...

). * '' Mortelle Randonnée'', 1983. In the film, the

version is heard. * ''

The House of the Spirits ''The House of the Spirits'' ( es, La casa de los espíritus, 1982) is the debut novel of Isabel Allende. The novel was rejected by several Spanish-language publishers before being published in Buenos Aires in 1982. It became an instant best-sel ...

'', 1993 * ''

Sonnenallee ''Sonnenallee'' (''Sun Avenue'' or ''Sun Alley'') is a 1999 German comedy film about life in East Berlin in the late 1970s. The movie was directed by Leander Haußmann. The film was released shortly before the corresponding novel, ''Am kürzere ...

'', 1999 * ''

A Moment to Remember ''A Moment to Remember'' (; lit. "Eraser in My Head") is a 2004 South Korean film based on the 2001 Japanese television drama ''Pure Soul''. It stars Son Ye-jin and Jung Woo-sung and follows the theme of discovery in a relationship and the burdens ...

'', 2004 * "La Paloma" is the subject of the 2008 documentary ''La Paloma. Sehnsucht. Weltweit'' (German for ''La Paloma. Longing. Worldwide'') by . * '' Soul Kitchen'', 2009 * '' Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story'', 2011 * In the musical film, '' Down Argentine Way'',

Charlotte Greenwood Frances Charlotte Greenwood (June 25, 1890 – December 28, 1977) was an American actress and dancer. Born in Philadelphia, Greenwood started in vaudeville, and starred on Broadway, movies and radio. Standing almost six feet tall (some sour ...

sings an upbeat, fast song called "Sing To Your Senorita". The melody is loosely based on that of "La Paloma".

Lyrics

Cuando salí de la Habana ¡Válgame Dios! Nadie me ha visto salir Si no fui yo. Y una linda Guachinanga Allá voy yo. Que se vino tras de mí, que sí, señor. Refrain: Si a tu ventana llega una paloma, Trátala con cariño que es mi persona. Cuéntale tus amores, bien de mi vida, Corónala de flores que es cosa mía. Ay, chinita que sí! Ay, que dame tu amor! Ay, que vente conmigo, chinita, A donde vivo yo! El día que nos casemos ¡Válgame Dios! En la semana que hay ir Me hace reir Desde la Iglesia juntitos, Que sí señor, Nos iremos a dormir, Allá voy yo. (Refrain) Cuando el curita nos eche La bendición En la Iglesia Catedral, Allá voy yo Yo te daré la manita Con mucho amor Y el cura dos hisopazos Que sí señor (Refrain) Cuando haya pasado tiempo ¡Válgame Dios! De que estemos casaditos Pues sí señor, Lo menos tendremos siete Y que furor! O quince guachinanguitos Allá voy yo (Refrain)

References

External links

Sheet music
artsongcentral.com
Audio
Banda de Zapadores de Mexico,

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