The Moonlight Lounge was so much fun when it was a part of my old Moonlight Radio on-line jukebox, that I decided to resurrect it here in Jukebox Heart and keep its old name. This new category can best be described as “all things fabulous,” but if you need more detail than that, you can expect the kitsch end of the spectrum, with music from artists such as Arthur Lyman, Martin Denny, Hugo Winterhalter, Martin Bottcher, among others. Representative genres may be Cheesey EZ Listening, old soundtracks, ping-pong percussion, and general thrift-store stock. It’ll be fun, trust us…
We start of The Moonlight Lounge with a record that has become something of a family heirloom, and it will make you want to break out your smoking jacket or cha-cha heels. Or both. *wink*. “The Speak-Up Mambo (Cuentame)” was Al Castellanos’ first big hit with New York’s premier Latin music imprint, Mardi Gras. It was a precursor to his great tongue-twister (or speed vocal), “Merengue Ta-Ka-Ta”. The Speak Up album came a few years later, see the image below, and is one the label’s best, collecting many the orchestra’s 45s. Castellanos does equally well with cha cha chas (check out ‘Together 1-2-3’ if you ever come across that record!), mambos, and merengues in equal parts. Covered by (at least) the Manhattan Transfer and Brave Combo, this is a classic, and the best version, in my opinion, is this original. The LP was remastered and released by Fania in 2000, after being out of print for over 40 years.
Sing along, if you please: (It’s infectious. Try it…)
[Intro:]
IOA IOAE, IOA IOAE (Pronounced e-oh-ah, e-oh-ah-a)
IOA IOAE, IOA IOAE
Cuentame que te paso
Cuentame que te paso
Que estaba alla en la playa
Recorriendo las aguaritas
Y vino una abejita y me pico ay ay!
Cuentame que te paso
Cuentame que te paso
Yo me saque la loteria
Corriendo fui de romeria
Y fue alli donde to el dinero perderi
Pero las dos vienen las dos pao pao
Pao pao pao pao pao (chiquita)
Pao pao pao pao pao (senorita)
Pao pao pao pao pao
Pero las dos vienen la colococota
E La la la la la la la la la pao pao
Pao pao pao pao pao (chiquita)
Pao pao pao pao pao (senorita)
Pao pao pao pao pao
Woo-ooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!