En mi Viejo San Juan: Difference between revisions

While it was performed by others, it became truly iconic after ”’[[Daniel Santos (singer)|Daniel Santos]]”’, one of Puerto Rico’s most celebrated bolero and plena singers, recorded it. ~~Noel Estrada wrote the song, but ”’Daniel~~ Santos ~~made it famous worldwide~~‘~~” with his recordings and performances. His deep~~ emotional delivery connected strongly with Puerto Ricans living overseas, and his version helped transform the song into an anthem of nostalgia and patriotism.

While it was performed by others, it became truly iconic after [[Daniel Santos (singer)|Daniel Santos]], one of Puerto Rico’s most celebrated bolero and plena singers, recorded it. Santos’ emotional delivery connected strongly with Puerto Ricans living overseas, and his version helped transform the song into an anthem of nostalgia and patriotism.

“En mi Viejo San Juan” is considered a classic and has been performed by numerous artists.<ref>María de la Luz Reyes. Words Were All We Had: Becoming Biliterate Against the Odds. p.122. María de la Luz Reyes, editor. Chapter 10. Boriquen Querido: Growing Up Bilingual in a Military Family. Teachers College Press. 2011. {{ISBN|9780807770764}}.</ref> Originally interpreted by [[Vega Baja, Puerto Rico|El Trío Vegabajeño]],<ref>{{cite book|title=Cien años de boleros: Su historia, sus compositores, sus mejores intérpretes y 600 boleros inolvidables|language=es|first=Jaime Rico|last=Salazar|editor=Centro Editorial de Estudios Musicales|orig-year=unknown|year=1993|page=541}}</ref> and ”’made famous”’ by [[Daniel Santos (singer)|Daniel Santos]], the song would later be interpreted by artists like [[Luis Miguel]],<ref>[http://viajar.elperiodico.com/destinos/centroamerica-y-caribe/puerto-rico/el-viejo-san-juan-el-alma-de-puerto-rico ”El Viejo San Juan, el alma de Puerto Rico.”] Silvia Roba. El Periodico Viajar. 30 July 2012</ref> [[Javier Solis]],<ref>Maria Viruet. ”La Hija de Fela y Aladino.” Palibrio. 2012. {{ISBN|9781463330422}}. p.16.</ref><ref>Fernando Díez Losada. ”Género de los toponímicos.” In, ”La tribuna del idioma”. Editorial Tecnológica de Costa Rica. 2004. {{ISBN|9789977661612}}. p.396.</ref><ref>[http://www.prpop.org/biografias/n_bios/noel_estrada.shtml ”Noel Estrada.”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116104222/http://www.prpop.org/biografias/n_bios/noel_estrada.shtml |date=16 January 2014 }} Clarissa Santiago-Toro, National Foundation for Popular Culture. Retrieved 1 February 2014.</ref>[[Vikki Carr]],<ref>[https://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/bCZpLumo_t0 ”VIKKI CARR – EN MI VIEJO SAN JUAN.”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203170031/http://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/bCZpLumo_t0 |date=3 February 2014 }} IPC Media Entertainment Network.</ref> [[Danny Rivera]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/bCZpLumo_t0#1c95BaeczmTh0VQO.99. |title=Vikki Carr. En mi Viejo San Juan: a dúo con Danny Rivera. |website=[[NME]] |access-date=2 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203170031/http://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/bCZpLumo_t0#1c95BaeczmTh0VQO.99. |archive-date=3 February 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Marco Antonio Muñiz]],<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/song/en-mi-viejo-san-juan-mt0034886441 ”Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán / Marco Antonio Muñiz: En mi Viejo San Juan.”]</ref> [[Los Panchos|Trío Los Panchos]],<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=MX5BXxjwV9cC&pg=PA317 ”Encyclopedia of Latin American Music.”] George Torres. Page 317.</ref> [[Rafael Cortijo]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.latinastereo.com/html/gentelatina/salseroMes/rafaelCortijo/cronologia.shtm |title=Rafael Cortijo: Cronología. |access-date=2 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203170646/http://www.latinastereo.com/html/gentelatina/salseroMes/rafaelCortijo/cronologia.shtm |archive-date=3 February 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Ismael Rivera]],<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/En-Mi-Viejo-San-Juan/dp/B006EG06IA ”Ismael Cortijo: En mi viejo San Juan.”]</ref> [[Celia Cruz]],{{efn|Ruiz Patton (1998) “She must have known there was a large Puerto Rican population in the audience because she included in her set the song, “En mi Viejo San Juan,” “In my Old San Juan.” The crowd of about 6,500 went wild, arms in the air, standing and cheering when they heard her begin the song.”<ref>[https://www.mcall.com/1998/08/09/queen-of-salsa-celia-cruz-sizzles-for-crowd-of-6500-at-musikfest/ ”Queen of Salsa Celia Cruz, Sizzles for crowd of 6,500 at Musikfest.”] Susan Ruiz Patton. [[The Morning Call]]. 9 August 1998.</ref>}} and [[Rocío Dúrcal]],{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} plus “hundreds of other voices including [[Libertad Lamarque]], [[Marco Antonio Muñiz]], [[Ginamaría Hidalgo]], and [[Felipe Pirela]]. In 1999, Mexican singer-songwriter [[Marco Antonio Solís]] performed a live cover of the song during his concert in the [[Centro de Bellas Artes]] which was included on his live album ”[[En Vivo (Marco Antonio Solís album)|En Vivo]]” (2000).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/en-vivo-mw0000108736|title=En Vivo — Marco Antonio Solís: Overview|access-date=2 February 2014|publisher=[[AllMusic]]. [[Rovi Corporation]]}}</ref> His version peaked at number 23 on the [[Hot Latin Songs|”Billboard” Hot Latin Songs]] and number eight on the [[Regional Mexican Airplay]] charts in the United States.<ref name=”Billboard”>{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=marco antonio solis|chart=all}}|title=Marco Antonio Solís — Chart history: Hot Latin Songs|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=2 February 2014}}</ref> In 2012, American pianist [[Arthur Hanlon]] performed a live cover of the song where he was accompanied by [[Marc Anthony]] for Hanlon’s album ”Encanto del Caribe” (2012). It was presented during the first concert to ever be recorded on the [[Castillo de San Cristóbal (Puerto Rico)|Castillo de San Cristóbal]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://voxxi.com/2012/08/14/arthur-hanlon-marc-anthony-concert-pbs/|title=Arthur Hanlon’s Latin concert with Marc Anthony premieres on PBS tonight|author=Laura Sanchez Ubanell|work=[[Voxxi]]|publisher=Interactive One|date=14 August 2012|access-date=3 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220181942/http://voxxi.com/2012/08/14/arthur-hanlon-marc-anthony-concert-pbs/|archive-date=20 February 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

“En mi Viejo San Juan” is considered a classic and has been performed by numerous artists.<ref>María de la Luz Reyes. Words Were All We Had: Becoming Biliterate Against the Odds. p.122. María de la Luz Reyes, editor. Chapter 10. Boriquen Querido: Growing Up Bilingual in a Military Family. Teachers College Press. 2011. {{ISBN|9780807770764}}.</ref> Originally interpreted by [[Vega Baja, Puerto Rico|El Trío Vegabajeño]],<ref>{{cite book|title=Cien años de boleros: Su historia, sus compositores, sus mejores intérpretes y 600 boleros inolvidables|language=es|first=Jaime Rico|last=Salazar|editor=Centro Editorial de Estudios Musicales|orig-year=unknown|year=1993|page=541}}</ref> and made famous by [[Daniel Santos (singer)|Daniel Santos]], the song would later be interpreted by artists like [[Luis Miguel]],<ref>[http://viajar.elperiodico.com/destinos/centroamerica-y-caribe/puerto-rico/el-viejo-san-juan-el-alma-de-puerto-rico ”El Viejo San Juan, el alma de Puerto Rico.”] Silvia Roba. El Periodico Viajar. 30 July 2012</ref> [[Javier Solis]],<ref>Maria Viruet. ”La Hija de Fela y Aladino.” Palibrio. 2012. {{ISBN|9781463330422}}. p.16.</ref><ref>Fernando Díez Losada. ”Género de los toponímicos.” In, ”La tribuna del idioma”. Editorial Tecnológica de Costa Rica. 2004. {{ISBN|9789977661612}}. p.396.</ref><ref>[http://www.prpop.org/biografias/n_bios/noel_estrada.shtml ”Noel Estrada.”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116104222/http://www.prpop.org/biografias/n_bios/noel_estrada.shtml |date=16 January 2014 }} Clarissa Santiago-Toro, National Foundation for Popular Culture. Retrieved 1 February 2014.</ref>[[Vikki Carr]],<ref>[https://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/bCZpLumo_t0 ”VIKKI CARR – EN MI VIEJO SAN JUAN.”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203170031/http://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/bCZpLumo_t0 |date=3 February 2014 }} IPC Media Entertainment Network.</ref> [[Danny Rivera]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/bCZpLumo_t0#1c95BaeczmTh0VQO.99. |title=Vikki Carr. En mi Viejo San Juan: a dúo con Danny Rivera. |website=[[NME]] |access-date=2 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203170031/http://www.nme.com/nme-video/youtube/id/bCZpLumo_t0#1c95BaeczmTh0VQO.99. |archive-date=3 February 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Marco Antonio Muñiz]],<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/song/en-mi-viejo-san-juan-mt0034886441 ”Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán / Marco Antonio Muñiz: En mi Viejo San Juan.”]</ref> [[Los Panchos|Trío Los Panchos]],<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=MX5BXxjwV9cC&pg=PA317 ”Encyclopedia of Latin American Music.”] George Torres. Page 317.</ref> [[Rafael Cortijo]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.latinastereo.com/html/gentelatina/salseroMes/rafaelCortijo/cronologia.shtm |title=Rafael Cortijo: Cronología. |access-date=2 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203170646/http://www.latinastereo.com/html/gentelatina/salseroMes/rafaelCortijo/cronologia.shtm |archive-date=3 February 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Ismael Rivera]],<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/En-Mi-Viejo-San-Juan/dp/B006EG06IA ”Ismael Cortijo: En mi viejo San Juan.”]</ref> [[Celia Cruz]],{{efn|Ruiz Patton (1998) “She must have known there was a large Puerto Rican population in the audience because she included in her set the song, “En mi Viejo San Juan,” “In my Old San Juan.” The crowd of about 6,500 went wild, arms in the air, standing and cheering when they heard her begin the song.”<ref>[https://www.mcall.com/1998/08/09/queen-of-salsa-celia-cruz-sizzles-for-crowd-of-6500-at-musikfest/ ”Queen of Salsa Celia Cruz, Sizzles for crowd of 6,500 at Musikfest.”] Susan Ruiz Patton. [[The Morning Call]]. 9 August 1998.</ref>}} and [[Rocío Dúrcal]],{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} plus “hundreds of other voices including [[Libertad Lamarque]], [[Marco Antonio Muñiz]], [[Ginamaría Hidalgo]], and [[Felipe Pirela]]. In 1999, Mexican singer-songwriter [[Marco Antonio Solís]] performed a live cover of the song during his concert in the [[Centro de Bellas Artes]] which was included on his live album ”[[En Vivo (Marco Antonio Solís album)|En Vivo]]” (2000).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/en-vivo-mw0000108736|title=En Vivo — Marco Antonio Solís: Overview|access-date=2 February 2014|publisher=[[AllMusic]]. [[Rovi Corporation]]}}</ref> His version peaked at number 23 on the [[Hot Latin Songs|”Billboard” Hot Latin Songs]] and number eight on the [[Regional Mexican Airplay]] charts in the United States.<ref name=”Billboard”>{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=marco antonio solis|chart=all}}|title=Marco Antonio Solís — Chart history: Hot Latin Songs|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=2 February 2014}}</ref> In 2012, American pianist [[Arthur Hanlon]] performed a live cover of the song where he was accompanied by [[Marc Anthony]] for Hanlon’s album ”Encanto del Caribe” (2012). It was presented during the first concert to ever be recorded on the [[Castillo de San Cristóbal (Puerto Rico)|Castillo de San Cristóbal]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://voxxi.com/2012/08/14/arthur-hanlon-marc-anthony-concert-pbs/|title=Arthur Hanlon’s Latin concert with Marc Anthony premieres on PBS tonight|author=Laura Sanchez Ubanell|work=[[Voxxi]]|publisher=Interactive One|date=14 August 2012|access-date=3 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220181942/http://voxxi.com/2012/08/14/arthur-hanlon-marc-anthony-concert-pbs/|archive-date=20 February 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The song has also been [[music recording|recorded]] in at least three other languages in addition to its original Spanish version: English, German, and French. “There are versions in all [[musical genre]]s, including [[instrumental music|instrumental]], [[Acoustic music|acústico]], [[tango]], [[bolero]], [[ranchera]], and even a [[disco]] version by Oscar Solo”.<ref>[http://www.prpop.org/biografias/n_bios/noel_estrada.shtml ”Noel Estrada.”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116104222/http://www.prpop.org/biografias/n_bios/noel_estrada.shtml |date=16 January 2014 }} Clarissa Santiago Toro. [[National Foundation for Popular Culture|Fundación Nacional para la Cultura Popular]]. Retrieved 2 February 2014.</ref> The song is heard in over 50 Mexican and over 20 Puerto Rican motion pictures, including “Romance en Puerto Rico” (1961) and [[Antonio Aguilar]]’s “Mi aventura en Puerto Rico” (1975). “En mi Viejo San Juan” has been recorded by American, Russian, German, French, Japanese orchestras, among others. The first known interpretation in French was by the [[vedette (cabaret)|vedette]] [[Teófilo Villavicencio Marxuach|Lolita Cuevas]]. At least over 1,000 distinct recordings of the song have been made worldwide. The only other [[bolero]]s to have achieved such popularity are “Obsesión” and “Perdón” (by [[Pedro Flores (composer)|Pedro Flores]]) y “Piel canela” (by [[Bobby Capó]]) followed by “Desvelo de amor” and “Capullito de alelí” (by [[Rafael Hernández Marín]]).<ref name=”prpop.org”/>

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