The Most Epic Symphonic Rock Version Ever Played of "El Condor Pasa".
"El Condor Pasa" is a famous song that has long captivated people around the world. We take a close look at the music, history, and emotions that this sad melody invokes."
1. The Lyrics
I'd rather be a sparrow than a snail / Yes, I would / If I could / I surely would
If this is the first that came to your mind when asked to sing “El Condor Pasa” you are referring to the Simon and Garfunkel version recorded almost fifty years after the premiere of the play originally composed by the composer Daniel Alomías Robles. The original tune doesn’t include lyrics and it is estimated that there are around three hundred different text versions, all of them being apocryphal.
2. History
It premiered on December 19, 1913, at the Mazzi Theater in Lima. The piano arrangement of the best-known melody in this work was legally registered on May 3, 1933, by the Edward B. Marks Music Corp. at the United States Library of Congress, under the number 9643.
This zarzuela includes among its 7 musical parts the famous homonymous melody based on the traditional Andean music of Peru, which was declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation in 2004. It is estimated that there are more than 4000 versions and 300 lyrics, around the world. The parade and the cashua do not have original lyrics. All the existing lyrics of the parade and the cashua, in all languages, are to be considered apocryphal.
3. Origin And Authorship
Simon and Garfunkel version.
From the estimated five thousand different versions recorded during the twentieth century the Simon and Garfunkel’s version is definitely the most popular, achieving major international success and fame, The song became popular in countries such as Spain, Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
Paul Simon wrote the English lyrics, gaining the author credits under the song name "El Condor Pasa" (If I Could). The song was actually penned by Peruvian composer Daniel Alomía Robles but the original play doesn’t include lyrics at all.
Simon and Garfunkel's version of the song was introduced to Europe in the 1960s while the original music was first performed in 1913 in Lima Perú.
The original song was written exclusively to be played by a symphonic orchestra without Andean instruments but soon it was widely adopted by popular local folk musicians who were primarily responsible for the extended popularity of the tune.
4. Cultural Impact
El Condor Pasa is considered the non-official Peruvian National Anthem, it is without further arguing, the most recognizable Peruvian melody. As mentioned, it has been recorded approximately 4,000 times with a wide palette of instrumentations.
It is generally associated with the feeling of freedom and peace; the fly of the condor, and due to its simplicity it is very easy to play with almost any instrument.
It was covered by a huge amount of very popular artists such as Mark Anthony, Plácido Domingo, Celia Cruz, Marc Anthony, José Feliciano y Esther Ofarim.
5. Analysis
The action takes place at the dawn of the 20th century, in the Yápac mining settlement in the Andes mountains from Perú.
The work includes seven musical pieces, four of them sung and three instrumental. The best-known melodies correspond to the two instrumentals in the second frame, performed in its first scene: the cachua (dance similar to the huayno) of the wedding dance, and a parade that follows after the prayer to the Virgin.
6.-How to play El Condor Pasa on any instrument.
If you want detailed sheet music of what I am playing with the electric guitar here in this video please send me a direct message to our Instagram account: epicsymphonicrock or writing an email to epicsymphonicrock@gmail.com and I happily will help you learn this tune.
Micky Tejada.
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About the video:
Symphonic Metal Arrangement by Micky Tejada.
Guitar by Micky Tejada.
Conducted by Javier Fernandez Prada with the “Orquesta Sinfónica de Chancay”.
Drums by Hans Menacho.
Bass by Noel Marambio.
Toms and Percussion by Rodrigo Nuñez-Melgar.
Camera by Hugo Flores.
Recorded Live in Trujillo Perú, Teatro UPAO, 2018.