Monthly Archives: August 2022

An Old Polish Tango (sung in Polish and Hebrew)

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Władysław Lidauer (1890-died in 1940s during nazi occupation)

Władisław Lidauer was a Polish/Jewish composer who wrote one of the most popular Polish tangos of the late 1930s: Graj, skrzypku, graj! (Play, violin, play!). The lyrics of the tango were originally written by Zdrojewski and translated by Biderman. The composer, Władisław Lidauer died in the Warsaw ghetto.

During WWII, the recording I have included in this blog post was sent to Tel Aviv. The musicians on the recording are singer Olga Mielszczuk, pianist Hadrian Tabeçki, violinist Grzegorz Lalek, and Bassist Wojciech Pulcyn. I hope that you enjoy this music. I find it to be quite a catchy tune.

Osvaldo Farrés – Quizás, Quizás, Quizás (Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps) Rubén Gonzaléz – Piano

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Osvaldo Farrés (1903-1985)

Osvaldo Farrés (1903-1985) was a Cuban composer who is best known for writing songs such as “Quizás, Quizás, Quizás”, “Acércate Más”, “Tres Palabras”, “Toda Una Vida”, and “Madrecita.” His songs have been recorded by famous singers such as Doris Day, Nat King Cole, Natalie Cole, and Charlie Haden.

Rubén Gonzaléz (1919-2003)

Rubén Gonzaléz was a Cuban pianist who along with Lili Martinez and Peruchin helped form the modern style of Cuban piano playing in the 1940s. Between the 1940s and 1980s Rubén performed with many of Cuba’s top musicians. He retired in the 1980s. In the 1990s there was a revival of Cuban music, and Rubén came out of retirement to play with the Afro-Cuban All Stars and the Buena Vista Social Club. He recorded some piano solos and performed live until 2002, one year before his death at the age of 84. Here is Rubén Gonzaléz playing Quizás, Quizás, Quizás with a group of musicians (a flute player, guitarist Eliades Ochoa, and percussionists). I don’t know the names of the other musicians. If you are reading this post and listening to the music (and know the names of all of the musicians), I would appreciate it if you could send me a message, or post the names into a comment. Thank you, and enjoy this wonderful music.