Post #425004 by Similau on Sat, Dec 20, 2008 4:52 AM

I just found these comments about the song "Similau." I'm coming a little late to the discussion, but better late than never! This is song that I like a lot, and for that reason I've done a lot of searching. This is what I've found so far.

The song was probably inspired by a voodoo chant dedicated to the spirit Similó. (When transcribed to English, "Similó" was turned into "Similau." Also, in the transcribed lyrics, the part that says "I, Similau" should read "aye" instead of "I.")

Similó is said to belong to the Petro family of spirits, which have a reputation for being aggressive, for loving blood, and for eating human beings. Not the nicest spirits! But they can heal and protect those who invoke them. They are generally described as "supernatural magicians."

There's one account that mentions a manifestation of Similó in the shape of a goat, in the act of eating human body parts. I don't know if Similó had a specific area of expertise, but it sure makes sense to think that he (or she?) was related to fertility, given the song's lyrics.

We can safely say that the chant originated in the Caribbean. Voodoo is a Haitian religious system, developed from African traditions brought by slaves the islands. Besides voodoo in Haiti, there is the related religion known as santería, practiced in Cuba, and to a much lesser extent in Puerto Rico. It's very likely that Similó is also one of the saints and spirits that are invoked by santeros.

Back to the song as we know it.

The songwriter who originally wrote "Similau" was Leopoldo González. Then a gentleman by the name of Harry Coleman wrote (or translated?) the lyrics in (into?) English. And, as we already know, the music is credited to Clar Arden. The song has a 1948 copyright. Many internet sites do not mention González, which is wrong. He's officially credited as co-author.

I haven't been able to find out much about Leopoldo González. The little I found out calls him either Puerto Rican or "Puerto Rican by adoption." He is credited with writing one or two famous Spanish songs about Puerto Rico. In the 1950's, he was a pianist and also the producer of Verne Records, a Latin record label with offices in New York. My guess is that he was acquainted with the voodoo chant, and, based on that chant, he wrote the original, Spanish version of the song.

There's at least one version with the original Spanish lyrics. It's by Desi Arnaz (who was Cuban-born, of course, and had a Latin-flavored orchestra before he became famous on TV). He recorded that version in 1949. He also recorded the song in English, both in 1949 and in 1951. I've heard only the 1951 English version. There also a Peggy Lee CD in which he is her guest on an episode of her radio show, in 1951. He sings "Similau." (He also sings a duet with Lee, but it's not "Similau.")

I don't know which was the original version in English. Most likely, there were various competing versions, out around the same time. The one by Edmund Ros is from either 1948 or 1949. Others from 1949 are by Gene Krupa, Ray McKinley, Ray Anthony, Artie Shaw, and Jimmy Dorsey. Some of those are instrumentals, with no vocal.

But the most important by far is Peggy Lee's. She had the hit version - a top 20, in April of 1949. This Peggy Lee recording is very exotica-sounding, especially the jungle sounds in the intro, and in other parts of the osng. There is also a short, wordless interlude, in which the drums get very loud, while Peggy chants "ayeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee." (Four drummers play in her version.) Of the later, post-40's versions, the one by Bobby Darin was probably inspired by Peggy's, because he was a friend and fan of hers.

I've heard the aforementioned version by Sallie Blair, and I like it a lot, too. Yet another version by a female singer is by Caterina Valente.