El Choclo

The popular Argentine tango "El Choclo" has many different lyrics. In fact, it forms the music for an English #1 hit from the 50's and a popular song by Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole-- "Kiss of Fire."

"El Choclo" first appears on the cover of this 1903 program from the elegant restaurant "The American" in Buenos Aires. It was written by Ángel Villoldo, probably around 1898.

El Choclo translates as 'the corn cob." There are some interesting theories as to the origins of this title. Irene Villoldo, sister of the composer, related this story to the singer Juan Carlos Marambio Catan . According to Catan, "El Choclo" was the nickname of a street pimp, who worked in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Junín and Lavalle, and who got that nickname from the color of his hair.

O ther sources relate the title to the popular Argentine stew called Carbonada Criolla, which contains large chunks of whole corn. When Villoldo wrote the first lyrics of this tango, he was careful that the pimp that gave title does not appear in it, rather he hinted that El Choclo was a food:

There is corn that has gold pins,

which I love

with tender passion.

For some great tango comedy check out this satire with Marcelo Guardiola and Giorgia Marchiori dancing to El Choclo

An Italian tourist in Buenos Aires because of the Tango World Championship meets a classic Argentinian tanguero.

Recorded versions of El Choclo From Wikipedia

Toni Arden (1952)
Louis Armstrong (1952)

Dick Beavers
Nat King Cole (1959)
Billy Eckstine (1952)
Lester Ferguson
Connie Francis
Georgia Gibbs (1952)
David Hughes
Allan Sherman Parody entitled Kiss of Meyer (not the same as Katz's version)
Mickey Katz Parody entitled Kiss of Meyer
Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians (vocal: Kenny Gardner) (1952)
Tony Martin (1952)
Anne Shelton
Victor Silvester
Caterina Valente
Billy Vaughn Orchestra
Victor Orchestra (1912)
Jimmy Young (1952)
Chico Vasquez & Bill Aken - Guitar duet (1970)
Ikue Mori (1995)
Julio Iglesias (1996)
Tav Falco's Panther Burns (1996)
Violetta Villas (1993)
Olavi Virta (1915–1972) of Finland (1953)
Hugh Laurie featuring Gaby Moreno (2013)

Allan Sherman sang a parody of the song as "Kiss of Meyer", which starts out like a Jewish song with the "Dye Dee Dye Dee Dye", and ending the song with a brief quote of "Whatever Lola Wants" as "Whatever Meyer wants, Meyer gets/ And that's his name: His name is Meyer Goetz!" The instrumental version by 'Chico & Bill' (Chico Vasquez and Bill Aken) in their 1970 album was notable because they were joined in the studio on that one recording by Les Paul and Chet Atkins who were both long time family friends of Aken's parents. (Wikipedia)

References and sources

El Choclo. (2015, March 24). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 19:12, August 27, 2015, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=El_Choclo&oldid=653368559