El Condor Pasa

Even if I am alone, I rarely have the radio on in the car, but today was an exception. On the way back from Chuz health club, I decided to listen to some classic rock/ folk singer music on Pandora. One of the songs that came on was “El Condor Pasa”, a song that was popularized by Simon and Garfunkel in 1970. As I listened to the song, I realized that the lyrics simply did not make any sense. If you listen to the video below,  I think you’ll agree with my thoughts on this one. WHAT were these guys thinking of? (EL Condor Pasa, incidentally, translates into “the condor passes”).

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pey29CLID3I

 

When I got home, I did some research on the song to see if there was any hidden meaning, and I came across the link posted below. The short version is that the song was composed in by Peruvian composer Daniel Alomia Robles in 1913, and was based on traditional Andean music, specifically folk music from Peru. After its release, the song became wildly popular, which resulted in THOUSANDS of versions around the world. In 2004, Peru declared the song as part of its national cultural heritage, and it is now considered the second national anthem of Peru.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_C%C3%B3ndor_Pasa_(song)

In 1965, Paul Simon heard the song being played by the band Los Incas when he was in Paris. He asked permission to use the song in production, and they agreed. Ultimately, it became part of the 1970 album, Bridge Over Troubled Water.

 

Although the lyrics written by Paul Simon sometimes have you scratching your head, he IS a master of composing music that is pleasant to listen to, and has done a better job than most musicians of incorporating music from other cultures into his sons. The 1987 song, “Under African Skies” still gives me shivers when I listen to it. In 2013, he produced a documentary with the same title.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85rr5SqrCZI

 

  

I've come to realize that are few coincidences in life, and today was no exception to that rule.

 

The History Channel this morning mentioned that the Peruvian landmark Machu Picchu was discovered on this day in 1911. In the native Peruvian language, Machu Picchu means “Old Peak”. Since its discovery, the lost city has become one of the world’s top tourist attractions, and it attracts an average of 300,000 people a year, one of whom is a former neighbor of mine

 

 

 

The odds of hearing an old Peruvian song on the same day that a Peruvian landmark makes the news are fairly slim, but I’m convinced that it’s a sign of good luck. I guess I’d better buy a lotto ticket!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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