Granada (song)

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"Granada" is a 1932 latin popular song written by the Mexican composer Agustín Lara, which has become a standard. It is about the Spanish city of Granada.

The most popular versions are: the original with Spanish lyrics by Lara (often sung operatically); a version with English lyrics by Australian lyricist Dorothy Dodd; and instrumental versions in jazz, pop, easy listening, flamenco or rock styles. Other versions in English also exist (one with lyrics by Al Stewart, and one with lyrics by Robert Musel and Edward Lisbona) but these are much less common. There are also versions in German and in other languages.

The song has been covered many times. Popular versions include those by Frankie Laine who had the biggest hit version of it, Mario Lanza and Frank Sinatra and, in German, by Fritz Wunderlich and spanish pop-duo Baccara 1977.

This music was much favoured by theatre organists in the hey-day of their broadcasting in the UK, not least because it provided an opportunity for showing off many of the organ's tuned [harp, glockenspiel, etc.] and non-tuned (castenets, tambourine] percussions.

Because of the flamboyant nature of the tune, and the Spanish lyrics, "Granada" has been accepted by college music courses as an "art song." The piano accompaniment is also elaborate, requiring considerable skill to play.

Contents

[edit] Lyrics

Lara's opening lyrics are:
Granada tierra soñada por mi.
Mi cantar se vuelve gitano cuando es para ti.


Dodd's version begins thus:
Granada, I'm falling under your spell,
And if you could speak, what a fascinating tale you would tell.

[edit] Selective list of recorded versions

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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