El Cóndor Pasa

Paul Simon is a prodigious talent, one of the most prominent voices of the giddy 1960s, with a career stretching into the 21st century; he’s even worked with salsa superstar Ruben Blades. Though best known for his often melancholy analyses of the American psyche, Simon also has an ear for what’s broadly known as “world music.”

Some have accused Simon of ripping off artists in foreign lands, stealing their ideas and inspirations - an accusation that has been leveled at other people who draw inspiration from outside their national borders. Part of the problem may be “El Cóndor Pasa,” which Simon was once accused of pirating.

If the charges were true, Simon’s best defense could well be El Cóndor Pasa, which became famous around the world after it was featured on Simon and Garfunkel’s 1970 album Bridge Over Troubled Water. El Cóndor Pasa is now possibly the best known Peruvian song worldwide; in fact, many people wouldn’t even know of the existence of Andean music if not for El Cóndor Pasa, whose origins apparently weren’t known to Simon.

History

El Cóndor Pasa (literally “The condor goes by” or “flies past”) is the title song of a Peruvian zarzuela (musical play) of the same name. The music, which is based on traditional Andean folk tunes, was written in 1913 by Daniel Alomía Robles, with the libretto by Julio Baudouin under the pseudonym Julio de La Paz. It was published in 1933.

Half a century later, Paul Simon heard a version called “Paso Del Condor” by Jorge Milchberg, who was head of the group Urubamba. Milchberg told Simon, perhaps through ignorance, that the song was an 18th-century musical composition by an anonymous composer.

Simon composed new lyrics for the melody and unveiled the makeover in the album Bridge Over Troubled Water. He then toured with Urubamba and produced their first American album.

Legal Nondispute

On the heels of the release of his new album, Simon was hit with a copyright lawsuit filed by Alomía Robles’ son, Armando Robles Godoy, who demonstrated that his father had copyrighted the song in the United States in 1933.

The court case was apparently amiable. Robles recalls, “It was an almost friendly court case, because Paul Simon was very respectful of other cultures. It was not carelessness on his part. He happened to hear the song in Paris from a vernacular group. He liked it, he went to ask them and they gave him the wrong information. They told him it was a popular tune from the 18th Century and not my father’s composition. It was a court case without further complications.”

In 2004 the piece was declared Patrimonio cultural de la Nación, an official part of Peru’s cultural heritage.

Lyrics

The original lyrics are in Quechua, the language of the Inca Empire, which is still spoken by indigenous peoples of the Andes. According to Wikipedia,

MP3 Downloads (Amazon.com)

• Nature’s Harmony (FREE)
• Simon & Garfunkel
• Paul Simon (Live, with Urubamba)
• Los Cabaleros (Flute Music of the Andes)
• Los Indios de Nazca
• Inka Kenas
• Peruvian Harp & Flute Ensemble
• Los Tarumas
• Quintin Gutierrez (harp)
• Barbados Steel Drums
Album
• The Best Versions of El Condor Pasa (10 versions)
(Songs from the album)
• 101 String Orchestra
• Pan Pipes version
• Andino Pipes version
• Patrick & Sam (Vocal)
• Whistled version (Curro Savoy)
• Guitar version (Antonio de Lucena)
• Instrumental Orchestra
• Indian version (Los Indios Paraguayos)
• Spanish version (Logical)
• Billy Vaughn Orchestra

Set in a mine in Cerro de Pasco, the story deals with a tragic conflict between Indians and “Sajones” (Saxons), their European bosses. The exploitative Mr. King, owner of the mine, is killed by Higinio but is soon replaced by another owner, Mr. Cup, and the fight continues. The song appears in the finale, with the singer calling on the condor - a symbol of freedom - to take him back to the old Inca kingdom of Machu Picchu.

Versions

The original tune is a cashua, an Andean dance similar to a huayno. However, many contemporary versions are quite different.

The table on the right lists just a few of the many artists who have recorded El Cóndor Pasa. There’s even an album featuring the “10 best versions” of the song, though it doesn’t include Simon & Garfunkel’s version.

Though most recordings of El Cóndor Pasa are nice to listen to, they tend to sound a little generic. Most are instrumental versions with the melody played on a flute or panpipe, accompanied by a guitar or an Andean equivalent. Many versions sound like non-Andean groups trying to emulate Andean music or, ironically, Andean groups trying to emulate Paul Simon’s version.

Recordings made by more mainstream (e.g. non-Andean) bands tend to be more unique, though some sound a little garish (in my opinion).