"Dos gardenias" | |
---|---|
Song | |
Language | Spanish |
Written | 1945 |
Published | 2 April 1947[1] |
Genre | Bolero |
Songwriter(s) | Isolina Carrillo |
"Dos gardenias" is a bolero written in 1945 by Cuban composer and pianist Isolina Carrillo.[2] Widely considered a standard of the Latin music repertoire, the song became a hit for Daniel Santos in 1948, due to his recording with La Sonora Matancera with an arrangement by Pérez Prado.[3][4] Years later the composition would achieve international fame beyond the Spanish-speaking world thanks to Ibrahim Ferrer's 1996 recording with the Buena Vista Social Club collective.
"Dos gardenias" was first recorded by Guillermo Arronte for the RHC-Cadena Azul radio station in Havana, in 1945.[2] Arronte would later become Carrillo's husband. That year Avelina Landín popularised the song in Mexico.[4] The song achieved its greatest success in Cuba in 1947 thanks to the recording by La Sonora Matancera with an arrangement by Pérez Prado and lead vocals by Daniel Santos.[4] Fernando Álvarez recorded the song that year as well, which became Carrillo's favourite rendition.[4] Soon after, Antonio Machín made the song famous in Spain.[4]
In 1948, jazz singer Miguel de Gonzalo recorded the song for Peerless Records backed by Julio Gutiérrez's orchestra.[5] He later recorded another version with Sonora Matancera for Stinson Records under the name Conjunto Tropicavana for legal reasons.[6]