The Peanut Vendor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Peanut Vendor (original title: El Manisero) is a popular Cuban song in style usually known as Cuban rumba (the more correct name of the song's style is son pregón).
- Maní, maní, maní…
- Si te quieres por el pico divertir,
- Cómprame un cucuruchito de maní.
- El manisero se va, el manisero se va.
- Me voy, te digo que me voy…
The arrangement of El Manisero by a Jewish emigrant to Cuba, Moisés Simmons [1] was recorded by a popular Cuban singer Rita Montaner in Havana in 1928. In 1930 the adaptation of Montaner’s version was recorded in New York by Don Azpiazu and his Havana Casino orchestra, sung by Antonio Machín[2]. It was featured in the Hollywood film The Cuban Love Song (1931) and quickly picked by a dozen other orchestras in the United States and Europe. The song was a top hit on the record in 1931.
Because of its cultural importance, in 2005 The Peanut Vendor was included into the United States National Recording Registry by the National Recording Preservation Board, stating:
- "It is the first American recording of an authentic Latin dance style. This recording launched a decade of “rumbamania,” introducing U.S. listeners to Cuban percussion instruments and Cuban rhythms."
