Battle of the Bands: Los Felinos vs Harry Connick Jr

Time for the next round of Battle of the Bands!

Here’s how it works: I’ll be posting two versions of the same song and after you give a listen to each, place your vote for your favorite and reason for the way you voted in the comments section.

The Battles take place on or around the 1st and 15th of each month, and the results will be posted on or around the 7th and 21st. As I only post Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays, the posting date will be closest to those dates as possible.

The other blogs participating in the Battle of the Bands are posting different battles (different songs), So once you’re done voting and commenting on my battle, take a moment to visit the other participants and vote & comment on their battles.  There are some really good battles going on!




The Song:  "Jambalaya (On The Bayou)"


Wikipedia tells us this:
"Jambalaya" is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Hank Williams that was first released in July 1952. Named for a Creole and Cajun dish, jambalaya, it spawned numerous cover versions and has since achieved popularity in several different music genres.

FOR REFERENCE ONLY here is Hank Williams version: (please do not vote on this one)



With a melody based on the Cajun song "Grand Texas", some sources, including Allmusic, claim that the song was co-written by Williams and Moon Mullican, with Williams credited as sole author and Mullican receiving ongoing royalties. Williams' biographer Colin Escott speculates that it is likely Mullican wrote at least some of the song and Hank's music publisher Fred Rose paid him surreptitiously so that he wouldn't have to split the publishing with Moon's label King Records. Williams' song resembles "Grand Texas" in melody only. "Grand Texas" is a song about a lost love, a woman who left the singer to go with another man to "Big Texas"; "Jambalaya", while maintaining a Cajun theme, is about life, parties and stereotypical food of Cajun cuisine. The narrator leaves to pole a pirogue down the shallow water of the bayou, to attend a party with his girlfriend Yvonne and her family. At the feast they have Cajun cuisine, notably Jambalaya, crawfish pie and filé gumbo, and drink liquor from fruit jars. The second line in the verse has had various interpretations. (1) Yvonne is his "ma chaz ami-o", which is Cajun French for "my good girlfriend" (ma chère amie). Williams uses "ma chaz ami" as one word, thus the "my" in front of it. The "o" at the end of "ami" is a poetic/lyrical device making the line match the phrasing of the previous line and rhyme with it. (2) If you listen closely, Hank Williams is singing "I'm gonna see mamma chers amio." referring to seeing the mother he loves and the first line refers to the home cooked food he is used to. This avoids the awkward "my" with "ma cher", which doesn't make sense to someone who is bi-lingual. Mamma in this context can mean either his real mother or can be an affectionate term for his wife/girlfriend.



The First Contender: Los Felinos

Los Felinos is a Mexican musical group from the mid 70's. They boast a very extensive discography, where they had much success with Flor Morena, Morena of 15 years, Jambalaya, as well as others. (info loosely translated from their Facebook page)




The Second Contender: Harry Connick Jr 

Harry Connick Jr. is an American singer, musician, and actor. He has sold over 28 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with 16 million in certified sales. He has had seven top 20 US albums, and ten number-one US jazz albums, earning more number-one albums than any other artist in US jazz chart history. He gives a big band sound for this song.



If you are having trouble viewing this video, please try this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpeM_s10g0s

Who will you choose?

Do you prefer the Latin flair of Los Felinos or do you like the Big Band sound of Harry Connick Jr? Enter your votes in the comments below!  Voting will end Aug 7 and results will be posted on Aug 8.


And don’t forget to visit these other battles going on today!

What does tomorrow bring?

Tune in to find out!