Siboney (song)

"Siboney" (Canto Siboney) is a 1929 classic Cuban song by Ernesto Lecuona. The music is in cut time, originally written in C major.^[1] The lyrics were reportedly written by Lecuona while away from Cuba and is about the homesickness he is experiencing (Siboney is also a town in Cuba, and can also refer to Cuba in general).^[2]

Siboney became a hit in 1931 when performed by the Dominican baritone Eduardo Brito. Other artists followed suit, including Caterina Valente, Xiomara Alfaro, Dizzy Gillespie, Nana Mouskouri and Percy Faith. Siboney was used by Nino Rota in the score for Fellini's nostalgic memoir of the 1930s, "Amarcord."^[3] It was recorded by Connie Francis in 1960, and later included in the film, "2046".^[4]

An English version of the song was performed by Bing Crosby in 1945. In 1942, Gloria Jean sang the English version in the musical Get Hep to Love.

The song inspired the Mexican-Cuban film Siboney, directed by Juan Orol and starring María Antonieta Pons. The film was released in 1938 as a part of the called Rumberas film saga of the Mexican Cinema.

Lyrics

Siboney, yo te quiero, yo me muero por tu amor, Siboney, en tu boca la miel puso su dulzor. Ven a mí, que te quiero, y que todo tesoro eres tú para mi. Siboney, al arrullo de la palma pienso en tí. Siboney, de mi sueños, ¿si no oyes la queja de mi voz? Siboney, si no vienes, me moriré de amor. Siboney, de mi sueños, te espero con ansia en mi caney, Porque tú eres el dueño de mi amor, Siboney. Oye el eco de mi canto de cristal, no se pierda por entre el rudo manigual.

English

English lyrics were written by Dolly Morse,^[5] but they bear no resemblance to the original Spanish.

References