OJOS ESPAÑOLES - Hugo Avendaño

This morning someone over on YouTube posted a "Spanish Eyes."   I thought about Hugo Avendaño's version at once. 

Placido Domingo is way out  in front of nearly every one else with this song but in my mind there is one who stands head and shoulders above all the crowd -  Hugo Avendaño.

Hugo Avendaño Espinoza was born in Tuxpan, Veracruz, Mexico on 8 March 1927.  He died 5 January 1998 from pancreatic cancer.  In his youth he began medical studies but left that to learn  voice under Joseph Pierson who also was instructor to such greats as Jorge Negrete, Pedro Vargas, and Esquivel.   Leonard Warren was his teacher at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

Hugo Avendaño sang in many Verde operas across the Americas and enjoyed a popular career singing romantic Mexican songs.  He was married many years with the soprano Graziella Garza.  They had three children together.  This list of  Avendaño's lifetime achievements is long indeed.

Today we respectfully submit his version of OJOS ESPAÑOLES as perhaps the best ever sung.

Las Letras:
Son como el mar,
como el azul del cielo,
como el sol;
Son del color
de un clavel que empieza a despertar.
Son algo más
que las estrellas al anochecer,
¡Olé y olé!
Los ojos de la española
que yo amé
Yo fuí feliz,
mirando aquellos ojos
de mi amor;
Yo nunca ví
ni en el arco iris su color
Son algo más
que las estrellas al anochecer,
¡Olé y olé!
Los ojos de la española
que yo amé
ojos de amor, que nunca olvidaré

on english this is approximately:
They are like the sea,
as the blue sky,
like the sun;
Are the color
of a carnation that starts to awaken.

Are more
the stars at night,
Ole and Ole!
The eyes of the Spanish
I loved

I was happy,
looking at those eyes
of my love;
I never saw
rainbow or color

Are more
the stars at night,
Ole and Ole!
The eyes of the Spanish
I loved
eyes of love, I will never forget

Ojos Espanoles was written by Berthold Kämpfert (16 October 1923 – 21 June 1980) from Hamburg, Germany. Known in most of the world as "Spanish Eyes" the song has  been sung and heard almost everywhere.

and now the song:

Kotasierota has a particularly beautiful instrumental version of this song for which she has graciously offered Avendaño's version to be a response.


Richard Abel - Spanish Eyes

do sljedeći put, blagoslov - until next time, blessings,

Canovals a.k.a. Slavonac

12 Ožujak 2012