Bread Love & Cha Cha Cha / Cugat Calvalcade

Xavier Cugat | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 30, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Collectables
• ASIN: B000056K2N
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #68,498 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #16 in Music > Indie Music > Pop > Instrumental Pop & Lounge
  • #17 in Music > World Music > Caribbean & Cuba > Cuba > Rhumba
  • #35 in Music > Indie Music > Jazz > Brazilian & Latin Jazz

Track Listings

1. Bread, Love and Cha-Cha-Cha

2. Frenesi

3. Suavecito

4. Very, Very Satisfied

5. Whatever Lola Wants (Lola Gets)

6. Penthouse Mambo

7. La Paloma

8. Maria la O (Mary My Own)

9. Coco Seco (Dry Coconuts)

10. The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)

11. Mi Musica Es Para Ti [My Music Is for You]

12. April in Portugal

13. Brazil

14. Besame Mucho

15. What a Diff'rence a Day Made

16. My Shawl

17. La Cumparsita

18. Tico-Tico

19. Orchids in the Moonlight

20. Yours

See all 24 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars On an island with Cugat's CD, December 3, 2003

By 

Sammy Somekh (Ramat-Gan Israel) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bread Love & Cha Cha Cha / Cugat Calvalcade (Audio CD)

ON AN ISLAND WITH CUGAT'S CD

If I were to spend the rest of my life on a desert island with only one Latin CD, this is the one I'd choose. I believe Xavier Cugat's best recordings were made on RCA Victor between 1937 and, especially, 1940 ("Cuban Love Song"; "Bim Bam Boom" on Harlequin). After switching to Columbia in 1941, the orchestrations got more sophisticated, creating that inimitable Cugat sound unrivalled by any other Latin orchestra. However, on several recordings, Columbia's producers probably asked Cugat to leave his rhythm section at the Waldorf because they preferred subdued percussion. It wasn't until the late forties that the beat began to pick up again ("Jack, Jack, Jack" on Harlequin).

In the latter half of the fifties, Cugat recorded three outstanding albums for Columbia: "Merengue by Cugat", "Bread, Love and Cha Cha Cha" and "Cugat Cavalcade". The latter two are on this CD representing the sweet and the sizzling. On "Cavalcade" the lush strings provide enchanting arrangements of evergreen Latin standards. On "Bread, Love..." the blistering brass explodes all the way backed by percolating percussion. Never had Cugat swung harder. Even so, the music is not devoid of depth and emotion. A case in point: "The Banana Boat Song", ably sung by Pepito Arvelo (the featured vocalist on this album) in a plaintive vein redolent of the banana picker's toil and hard life (as opposed to Harry Belafonte's gimmicky interpretation which became a hit anyway). Arvelo's soulful rendition of "Suavecito" is another high point. "Maria La O", states the theme on the French horn, an appropriate instrument for "Maria of the Winds". And dig La Paloma's unusual arrangement which segues into a rousing guaracha beat in the latter half; or "Coco Seco" (Dry Coconut) where the coconut dried up probably because of the fiery orchestrations! I agree with Rob Lee that ALL the selections are great.

So give me my island and this CD and I'll be muy contento.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ANOTHER FANTASTIC CD FROM CUGAT, January 5, 2003

By 

Rob Lee (St. Petersburg, Florida United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bread Love & Cha Cha Cha / Cugat Calvalcade (Audio CD)

I have purchased about 10 C.D.'s of Xavier Cugat's. On many of them, some of the recordings I really DON'T like. On this particular C.D., they are ALL great [to me]. I have bought several of this one to give to friends. I keep looking for your new releases. Thanks, Rob Lee.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cugat sold his numbers without even trying--and that's no small feat !!!, October 4, 2007

By 

Matthew G. Sherwin (last seen screaming at Amazon customer service) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Bread Love & Cha Cha Cha / Cugat Calvalcade (Audio CD)

Xavier Cugat produced so much wonderful music during his illustrious career; and this fine "two-fer" CD gives us all the tracks from two of his record albums entitled Bread, Love And Cha Cha Cha and Cugat Cavalcade.

The track set begins with "Bread, Love And Cha Cha Cha." The percussion and the horns work wonders for this peppy number; and the men sing wonderfully. They sing happily of how all they need in life is bread, love and that wonderful Cha Cha music. Awesome! "Frenesi" sounds beautiful in Cugat's competent hands; and "Whatever Lola Wants (Lola Gets)" boasts great percussion, horns and drums. The piano also bolsters this classic number.

"Coco Seco" is a fun number about cocoanuts; the melody swings brightly and the horns add a lot to this number. The men sing of dry cocoanuts and how they factor into the lives! "Coco Seco" is an unusual but good song. In addition, "The Banana Boat Song (Day-O)" features the men harmonizing well as they sing of how they want to go home after doing hard work.

The tracks from Cugat's Cavalcade, the second record album on this CD, continue the hits. "Besame Mucho," a very popular number at the time, gets a beautiful instrumental arrangement for the strings and the percussion; these instruments carry the melody well. Love that Latin beat! When the tempo speeds up the melody really goes into action for some great dancing music! We also get a Latin beat to that classic ballad "What A Diff'rence A Day Made." The horns and drums work wonders for the melody; and "Tico-Tico" gives us another fast paced number for some more great dancing music. Terrific!

"Jalousie (Jealousy)" starts with a brief but beautiful violin solo; and when the orchestra comes in this number takes off like a jet! Cugat really does a great job on "Jalousie (Jealousy)."

The liner notes have great artwork; and we get the song credits, too. We get the original liner notes and Al Fichera writes a great essay about Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra.

I highly recommend this CD for fans of Latin music from the 1950s and 1960s; and people who enjoy Xavier Cugat will cherish this CD for years to come.

¡Olé!