Brilla, brilla, pequeña estrella

Oh, how we love Mondays. At least the storms seem to be over for the moment, just in time to go back to the office.

To cheer ourselves up, it is to the prodigious Edmundo Ros (whose 114th birthday it would have been last week) we turn on this Tacky Music Monday to provide us with a bit of a wake-up call...

Here he is with frequent collaborator Caterina Valente [RIP] - and a bevy of brilliantly-chosen dance clips from a variety of films and shows [courtesy of Bissenses Swedish Retro Vintage Music and Film Art Production, indeed]:

Edmundo Ros and Caterina Valente - Estrellita Del Sur [Little Southern Star]

Now that's what I call a pick-me-up!

Have a good week, dear reader.

Nothing little about this star!

Where did that weekend go? Hi ho. It's off to work we go. Ohhhhhhhhh.

Among the birthday celebrants today: centenarian Eli Wallach, Bucks Fizz singer Mike Nolan, libertarian Noam Chomsky, Clarence Nash (aka Donald Duck), Victor Kiam (he "bought the company"), former All Saints singer Nicole Appleton, Tom Waits, Harry Chapin, Ellen Burstyn and Louis Prima.

But it is the prodigious Edmundo Ros (who would have been 105 today; and he almost made it! He only died in 2011; and we celebrated his centenary) to whom we turn on this Tacky Music Monday to provide us with a bit of a wake-up call...

Here he is with frequent collaborator Caterina Valente - and a bevy of brilliantly-chosen dance clips from a variety of films and shows [courtesy of Bissenses Swedish Retro Vintage Music and Film Art Production, indeed]:

Caterina Valente - Estrellita Del Sur [Little Southern Star]

Now that's what I call a pick-me-up!

Edmund William Ross OBE, FRAM (7th December 1910 – 21st October 2011)

The master of the cheesy Calypso

As we celebrate the remarkable survival of one early 20th century star, (see my previous blog about Joan Fontaine), so another old-timer has popped their clogs today.

At the remarkable ripe old age of 100, we at Dolores Delargo Towers are rather sad to hear of the death of Edmundo Ros - the man who brought Latin Music to drizzly Britain!

I featured a few of his songs when I blogged about his centenary last year, but in memoriam to a great master of the cheesy Calypso, here are some more of his classics to lighten our Saturday evening...

Edmundo Ros - Cuban Love Song

Edmundo Ros - Olé Mambo

Edmundo Ros - The Girl From Ipanema

And off he goes to the great Cha-cha-cha in the sky... RIP Mr Ros.

BBC obituary

The Rhythm Method

"The Pope says we should use the rhythm method - but where do you find Edmundo Ros when you need him?!"



I am reminded (by Radio 2 mainly) that I neglected to mention the centenary on Tuesday last week of the magnificent maestro of cha-cha-cha kitsch Edmundo Ros OBE!

Remarkably still alive and well and living in Alicante, Trinidad-born Snr Ros began his estimable career as a pioneer of Rumba music in London during the Second World War. Apparently a favourite of Royals and the masses alike, his inspired Latin American cover versions of popular standards became staple fodder for aficionados of middle-of-the-road music. He has recorded more than 800 albums, selling millions in the process. Despite officially retiring in 1975, his most recent recordings were released in 1994!

Here is just a sample of the sound of Edmundo Ros...

Edmundo Ros - The Coffee Song

Edmundo Ros - Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps

Edmundo Ros - The Peanut Vendor

Edmundo Ros on Wikipedia