Artist:Los Indios Tabajaras
Song:Maria Elena
Album:Serie Platino: 20 Exitos
Maria Elena was a top ten pop hit in 1963. It was the only big hit for the Brazilian duo Los Indios Tabajaras. They are not a one hit wonder as one of their other songs charted. But Maria Elena is the definition of a fluke hit. Los Indios Tabajaras are brothers Antenor and Natalicio Lima from Tiangua in northeast Brazil. They are from the Tabajara tribe which is where the group name comes from. They found a guitar in the jungle and taught themselves to play. Eventually they moved to Rio de Janeiro. The brothers performed in ceremonial costumes and on the radio. The radio appearances got them a record deal with RCA in 1943. They moved to the US in the mid 50s. They recorded Maria Elena in 1958. They recorded an album. Maria Elena was written by Mexican songwriter Lorenzo Barcelata in 1932. It was dedicated to the wife of Mexican president Emilio Portes Gil. The song was popularized in the US when Bob Russell wrote English lyrics. Jimmy Dorsey with Bob Eberly on vocals topped the charts in 1941. The Los Indios Tabajaras instrumental recording reached #6 in 1963. New York radio station WNEW was using Maria Elena as bumper music for newscasts. Listeners wanted to know about the song. And it grew from there. As I said, it's the definition of a fluke hit. But it did allow Los Indios Tabajaras to record and perform for years. Chet Atkins liked them and brought them to Nashville to record. This budget comp is a good intro to their music. Antenor Lima retired in 1979 and died in 1997. Natalicio continued to perform with his wife until his 2009 death. Here's a video for Maria Elena by Los Indios Tabajara. Thanks to The Independent's obit of Natalacio Lima for the WNEW story.
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