Showing posts with label Vivo Cantando. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vivo Cantando. Show all posts

Sunday, January 11, 2009

4 X 40 - Madrid 1969 - Vivo Cantando

The second winner in Eurocovers 4 X 40 series is the entry from the host country Spain. Vivo Cantando by Barcelona born Salomé (Maria Rosa Marco I Poquet).
She started her career as a singer for Radio Barcelona. In 1963* she won the 5th mediterranean songfestival with the song Se'n va anar.
Salomé recorded Vivo Cantando in Spanish in three different versions but also in Catalan, Basque, French, Italian, English and probably several other languages (but these versions remain unreleased, full details in the list)
Vivo Cantando was written by Maria José Cerato & Aniano Alcalde.
* - although some sources say 1962

Eurocovers
I found details on 50 coverversions of Vivo Cantando. No sensational names this time, and only a few of the repeat offenders of the Eurovision world have recorded the 1969 winner. There's Ronnie Tober (NL68), Birthe Kjaer (DK 98) and Edina Pop (DE 79). 40% of the covers listed are instrumental. Your Mauriats, Caravelli's and Lefêvres are all there. As usual the list is a Word document with all details on Salomé's own versions of Vivo Cantando (with picture sleeves) and on the coverversions of the song.


Rika Zaraï
Vivo Cantando wasn't the international hit Salomé had hoped for but the song became a modest European success for Rika Zaraï with her French adaptation titled Alors Je Chante.
Jerusalem born Zaraï scored her first international hit in 1961 with Exodus and she popularised Israeli songs like Hava Nagila and Jerushalaím Shel Zahav (a hit in 1967). She had her biggest European hit with Casatchock in 1969 which was immediately followed up by Alors Je Chante.
Rika Zaraï's version adds an extra melody line to the original composition which Salomé never recorded. It's this version that has been covered quite often for example by Edina Pop, Birthe Kjaer and Ad Nijkamp.
She just celebrated her 50th anniversary as an artist. Her latest CD Quand Les Hommes was released in 2007.

Rika Zaraï Eurocovers
Among the hundreds of songs Rika Zaraï recorded in her 50 year career there are several Eurovision tunes to be found.

France 1963 - Elle était si jolie (Alain Barrière)
- In French - on EP Tournez Manèges (Bel Air 211 101)Spain 1969 - Vivo Cantando (Salomé)
- Alors je chante (French) - on 7" (Philips BF 370 849) and others
- Allora canto (Italian) - on 7" (Dischi cgd 9755)
- Alors je chante (Live version) - on LP Olympia 70 (Philips 6311 017)
A version recorded in Japanese has been mentioned, but I haven't found any proof or details on that.
Spain 1973 - Eres Tu (Mocedades)
- C'est Pour Toi (French) - on LP Un Refrain (Philips 6325 040)Netherlands 1975 - Ding A Dong (Teach In)
- Le Petit Train (French) - on 7" (Philips 6009 676)Israel 1978 - A Ba Ni Bi (Izhar Cohen)
- In Hebrew - on LP Rika Zaraï (CD re-issue Helicon HL 02-94149)
- In French - on 7" (Philips 6172 140)
- In Italian - on 7" (Carosello, possibly 20466 and/or promo JB 143)
Israel 1979 - Hallelujah (Milk & Honey)
- Alleluia (French) - on 7" (Philips 6042 474)




You can find a Dutch Carnaval version in this Eurocovers post. A drag version of the song titled Wintersport can be found in the Eurocovers post Free at last, Costume Drama at Eurocovers. A German version by Edina pop is here.
Vivo Cantando Youtube Rika Zaraï Fansite


Thursday, January 31, 2008

Vivo cantando - Carnaval is coming!

With Carnaval coming to the lowlands this weekend it's time to share this gem. Way back in the 70's someone thought it a good idea to humpa-up the Spanish Eurovision entry of 1969 Vivo Cantando, originally by Salomé. The song was one of 4 winners that year, the only year in Eurovision history that saw multiple winners. Ja Ja Daar Gaan We translates roughly as Yeah, Yeah, here we go.

Ad Nijkamp was one of Father Abraham's Good Sons (Goede zonen) The Father Abraham we all know and love from the Smurf Song. De Goede Zonen were his band in the early 70's and together they scored many hits and Carnaval schlagers in the Netherlands. Later Ad Nijkamp became Father Abrahams manager.

This coverversion has an added melody in the song, which was used in several other coverversions of Vivo Cantando, but hasn't been sung by the original performer. For example the version by Birthe Kjaer and the German one by Edina Pop (Marika Késmárky) you can find in this Eurocovers post (Zwischen Wolga und Don). A drag version of the song titled Wintersport can be found in the Eurocovers post Free at last, Costume Drama at Eurocovers.

The pictures are the front and back of the record sleeve. -----