Maracas, Marimbas & Mambos: Latin Classics At M-G-M - Motion Picture Soundtrack Anthology [Soundtrack]

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 15, 1997)
• Original Release Date: April 15, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B0000033Z7
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #401,612 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Bim Bam Bum - Lina Romay

2. Viva Mexico - Carlos Ramirez & Company

3. Walter Winchell Rhumba - Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra

4. Cuanto le Gusta - Carmen Miranda

5. Alma Llanera - Lina Romay

6. Cae Cae - Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra

7. El Cumbanchero - Betty Riley

8. La Bamba - MGM Studio Chorus & Orchestra

9. Boneca de Pixe - Esther Williams, Van Johnson, Ethel Smith & Co.

10. Te Quiero Juste - Carlos Ramirez & Company

11. Babalu - Lina Romay

12. Caroom Pa Pa - Carmen Miranda

13. Tico Tico - Ethel Smith, Organist

14. Take It Easy - Lina Romay, Virginia O' Brien, & The Wilde Twins

15. Granada - Carlos Ramirez

16. Rumba Rumba - Lina Romay

17. Yipsee-I-O - Carmen Miranda & Frank Fontaine

18. Yo Te Amo Mucho (And That's That!) - Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars NON-STOP FUN FROM START TO FINISH. YOU'LL LOVE IT!, June 22, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Maracas, Marimbas & Mambos: Latin Classics At M-G-M - Motion Picture Soundtrack Anthology (Audio CD)

With a host of tremendously talented Latin performers, most notably XAVIER CUGAT and CARMEN MIRANDA, this dazzingly fun CD is dynamite entertainment. Derived from recordings made for the soundtracks of classic MGM movies from the '40s, there are ample delights here, with amazing sound quality. Some tracks are even in stereo! My favorite oddity: No less than Esther Williams, Van Johnson, & organist Ethel Smith in a Portugese ditty called "Boneca de Pixe". It's astounding!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ALOT OF SMILES, March 11, 2001

By 

MOVIE MAVEN (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Maracas, Marimbas & Mambos: Latin Classics At M-G-M - Motion Picture Soundtrack Anthology (Audio CD)

For a fan of Bach and Ravel, Mahler and Brahms, it doesn't make too much sense to let you know that this CD is one of my favorites. If you are now, or if you have ever been, a fan of the M.G.M. musical movies, this one is for you. Here collected on one CD are 18 Latin numbers in movies from the 1940's. Most of them starred Esther Williams or Jane Powell and featured the musical talents of Xavier Cugat or Carmen Miranda. 16 of the 18 tracks are previously unissued; the sound is terrific, esp. when you consider that the movies were made 60 years ago; and I promise you alot of smiles.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dig that funky Wurlitzer!, March 26, 2003

By 

Curmudgeon "grantc" (West Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maracas, Marimbas & Mambos: Latin Classics At M-G-M - Motion Picture Soundtrack Anthology (Audio CD)

Depending on your perspective this is great campy fun or just great fun; Either way it's a good document of Hollywood's high spirited yet stereotyped interpretation of South American cultures. What makes this music (somewhat) enduring is its irrepressible energy and great performances: the swingin' Xavier Cugat, the transcendently loopy Carmen Miranda and Ethel Smith on the mighty Wurlitzer organ - dig those crazy runs on "Boneca De Pixe" and "Tico Tico"! So rather than slogging through the movies themselves - mostly tedious and very dated - you can get to their meat with this anthology. Recommended!