In 1913 Alomía Robles composed "El cóndor pasa" and the song was first performed publicly at the Teatro Mazzi in Lima.[2]
The musical group, "Los Incas" performed the song in Paris in 1960s where it was heard by Paul Simon of Simon and Garfunkel.[2] "Los Incas" told Simon, perhaps through ignorance, that the song was a 19th century musical composition by an anonymous composer.[2] Simon became interested in the song and composed new lyrics for the melody.[2] The song appeared on Simon and Garfunkel's 1970 album Bridge over Troubled Water.
In 1970 Alomía Robles' son, Armando Robles Godoy, filed a copyright lawsuit against Simon and demonstrated that the song had been composed by his father and that his father had copyrighted the song in the United States in 1933.[2] Godoy said that he bears no ill will towards Simon for what he considers a misunderstanding.[3] "It was an almost friendly court case, because Paul Simon was very respectful of other cultures. It was not carelessness on his part," says Robles Godoy.[3] "He happened to hear the song in Paris from a vernacular group. He liked it, he went to ask them and they gave him the wrong information. They told him it was a popular tune from the 18th Century and not my father’s composition. It was a court case without further complications."[3]
I heard this song for the first time in the late 1960s in Taipei. I have loved this song ever since, especially when I happened to come across a group of Peruvian musicians play at a street fair.
This is a song I never get tired of listening to.
ReplyDeleteYeh Tze
History (from Wikipedia)
ReplyDeleteIn 1913 Alomía Robles composed "El cóndor pasa" and the song was first performed publicly at the Teatro Mazzi in Lima.[2]
The musical group, "Los Incas" performed the song in Paris in 1960s where it was heard by Paul Simon of Simon and Garfunkel.[2] "Los Incas" told Simon, perhaps through ignorance, that the song was a 19th century musical composition by an anonymous composer.[2] Simon became interested in the song and composed new lyrics for the melody.[2] The song appeared on Simon and Garfunkel's 1970 album Bridge over Troubled Water.
In 1970 Alomía Robles' son, Armando Robles Godoy, filed a copyright lawsuit against Simon and demonstrated that the song had been composed by his father and that his father had copyrighted the song in the United States in 1933.[2] Godoy said that he bears no ill will towards Simon for what he considers a misunderstanding.[3] "It was an almost friendly court case, because Paul Simon was very respectful of other cultures. It was not carelessness on his part," says Robles Godoy.[3] "He happened to hear the song in Paris from a vernacular group. He liked it, he went to ask them and they gave him the wrong information. They told him it was a popular tune from the 18th Century and not my father’s composition. It was a court case without further complications."[3]
Very nice. Like to have more of these. Thanks....tl
ReplyDeleteI heard this song for the first time in the late 1960s in Taipei. I have loved this song ever since, especially when I happened to come across a group of Peruvian musicians play at a street fair.
ReplyDelete