Perfidia
| External audio | |
|---|---|
 You may listen to Juan Arvizu performing Alberto Domínguez's bolero Perfidia with the Lorenzo Barcelata Orchestra here |
"Perfidia" (Spanish for "perfidy", meaning faithlessness, treachery or betrayal) is a 1939 Spanish-language song written by Mexican composer and arranger Alberto Domínguez (1906–1975).[1] The song is sung from the perspective of a man whose lover has left him. The song has also been recorded in English (with lyrics by Milton Leeds) and as an instrumental.[2]
Recordings
[edit]- The song became a hit for Xavier Cugat on the Victor label in 1940.[3]
- In late 1960, a rock instrumental version of "Perfidia" was released by the Ventures, which rose to number 15 on the Billboard chart.[4] The record was a Top 10 hit on a number of popular US music radio stations.
Other recordings
[edit]"Perfidia" has been recorded by several artists, including:
- Juan Arvizu[5]
- Crveni Koralji[6]
- Xavier Cugat[7]
- Carlos García. A one-armed Mexican street performer, originally from Michoacán, who makes music by blowing on the side of an ivy leaf. Recorded on a sidewalk, and featured on a CD, Sinfonia Urbana. It was overdubbed with strings by the Kronos Quartet for their 2002 album Nuevo.[8]
- Mel Tormé on his 1959, ¡Olé Tormé!: Mel Tormé Goes South of the Border with Billy May[9]
In popular culture
[edit]- "Perfidia" is the title to a chapter of Nora Johnson's 1986 novel Tender Offer. The song highlights the theme of the story's zenith and the actual song is described being played during a crucial scene.[10]
- Perfidia is the title of a 1997 novel by Judith Rossner. The song lyrics are quoted several times in the narrative.[11]
- Linda Ronstadt's version of the song in English with a Spanish introduction was used in the 1992 film The Mambo Kings. Ronstadt also recorded the song in Spanish for her 1992 album Frenesí. At the 9th Lo Nuestro Awards, her version received a nomination for Tropical Song of the Year.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ Dominguez, Alberto (1939). Perfidia: canción. New York: Southern Music. OCLC 70080033. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
De la pelicula de William Rowland 'Perfidia' con Maria Teresa Montoya, Marina Tamayo, Domingo Soler, Magda Haller, Ramon Vallarino, Carlos Lopez Moctezuma y Maria Calvo. Distribuida por RKO Radio Pictures.
- ^ "Search Results for 'perfidia'". SecondHandSongs.
- ^ Dean, Maury (2003). Rock N Roll Gold Rush: A Singles Un-Cyclopedia. Algora Publishing. ISBN 978-0-87586-227-9.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 884.
- ^ Perfidia interpreted by Juan Arvizu and the Lorenzo Barcelata Orchestra on archive.org
- ^ Janjatović, Petar (2007). EX YU ROCK enciklopedija 1960–2006. Belgrade: self-released. p. 48.
- ^ "Pop Chronicles 1940s Program #5". 1972. Archived from the original on 2020-04-11. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
- ^ "Leaf Player". NPR.org. NPR. Archived from the original on 8 August 2020. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ^ "www.allmusic.com". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved July 7, 2024.
- ^ Johnson, Nora (1985). Tender Offer. New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 176–200. ISBN 0-671-55666-5.
- ^ "Time Bomb". archive.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2025-05-16.
- ^ Lannert, John (March 30, 1993). "Secada Lead Latin Noms Following Grammy Win". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 10. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 10. Archived from the original on January 3, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
