Juan García Esquivel (January 20, 1918 – January 3, 2002) was a Mexican band leader, pianist, and composer for television and films. He is recognized today as one of the foremost exponents of a sophisticated style of largely instrumental music that combines elements of lounge music and jazz with Latin flavors. Esquivel is sometimes called "The King of Space Age Pop" and "The Busby Berkeley of Cocktail Music." Esquivel is considered one of the foremost exponents of a style of late 1950s-early 1960s quirky instrumental pop that became known (in retrospect) as "Space Age Bachelor Pad Music".
He was born in Tampico, Tamaulipas, and his family moved to Mexico City in 1928 where he studied at the UNAM.
Esquivel is considered the king of a style of late 1950s-early 1960s quirky instrumental pop known today as lounge music. Esquivel's musical style was highly idiosyncratic, and although elements sound like his contemporaries, many stylistic traits distinguished his music and made it instantly recognizable, including exotic percussion, wordless vocals, virtuoso piano runs, and exaggerated dynamic shifts. He used many jazz-like elements; however, other than his piano solos, there is no improvisation, and the works are tightly, meticulously arranged by Esquivel himself, who considered himself a perfectionist as a composer, performer, and recording artist.
His orchestration tended toward the very lush, employing novel instrumental combinations, such as Chinese bells, mariachi bands, whistling, and numerous percussion instruments, blended with orchestra, mixed chorus, and his own heavily-ornamented piano style. The chorus was often called upon to sing only nonsense syllables, most famously "zu-zu" and "pow!" A survey of Esquivel's recordings reveals a fondness for glissandi, sometimes on a half-valved trumpet, sometimes on a kettle drum, but most frequently on pitched percussion instruments and slide guitars.
Esquivel's use of stereo recording was legendary, occasionally featuring two bands recording simultaneously in separate studios, such as on his album Latin-Esque (1962). The song "Mucha Muchacha" makes particularly mind-bending use of the separation, with the chorus and brass rapidly alternating stereo sides.
He arranged many traditional Mexican songs like "Bésame Mucho", "La Bamba", "El Manisero" (Cuban/Mexican) and "La Bikina"; covered Brazilian songs like "Aquarela do Brasil" (also known simply as "Brazil") by Ary Barroso, "Surfboard" and "Agua de Beber" by Tom Jobim, and composed spicy lounge-like novelties such as "Mini Skirt", "Yeyo", "Latin-Esque", "Mucha Muchacha" and "Whatchamacallit". He was commissioned to compose the music of a Mexican children's TV show Odisea Burbujas.
His concerts also featured elaborate light shows years before effects like that became popular in live music. He performed in Las Vegas on several occasions, often as the opening act for Frank Sinatra.
Several compilations of Esquivel's music were issued starting with Space Age Bachelor Pad Music in 1994. The apparent success of these releases led to reissues of several of Esquivel's albums. The first reissues were compiled by Irwin Chusid, who also produced the first CD reissues of Raymond Scott and The Langley Schools Music Project.
The last recording on which Esquivel worked was Merry Christmas from the Space-Age Bachelor Pad in 1996, for which he did a voiceover on a track by the band Combustible Edison. This album also included several obscure tracks from his past sessions. The last CD released during his lifetime, See It In Sound, was actually recorded in 1960, but was not released at the time because the record company believed it would not be commercially successful. When finally released in 1998, it exhibited very unusual and introspective stylings absent from his other works, including a version of "Brazil", played as a musical soundscape of a man bar-hopping where the band plays different renditions of "Brazil" at each bar.
Esquivel also worked as a composer for Revue Productions/Universal Television; where he scored the TV western series "The Tall Man," and wrote the familiar Revue/Universal TV logo fanfare.
Tribute performances (current)
Jan 14, 2011 Boston - Mr. Ho's Orchestrotica - CD Release for "The Unforgettable Sounds of Esquivel"
Mar 18, 2011 New York City - Mr. Ho's Orchestrotica - CD Release for "The Unforgettable Sounds of Esquivel" (first-ever live performance of Esquivel's big band studio orchestra music in NYC)
Influences
Kronos Quartet recorded a string quartet arrangement of Esquivel's song "Mini Skirt" for their album Nuevo.
Autumn Leaves
Esquivel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The autumn leaves of red and gold
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sun-burned hands I used to hold
Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
But I miss you most of all my darling
C'est une chanson, qui nous ressemble
Toi tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
Nous vivions tous deux ensemble
Toi qui m'aimais moi qui t'aimais
Mais la vie separe ceux qui s'aiment
Tout doucement sans faire de bruit
Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants desunis
The lyrics to "Autumn Leaves" are a reflection on lost love during the melancholic autumn season. The opening lines paint a picture of falling leaves drifting past a window, which signifies the changing of the season. The autumn leaves are described as red and gold, capturing the beauty and vibrancy of the season. The singer reminisces about summer kisses and holding hands with their loved one, whose hands are sunburned from the hot weather.
The lyrics take a somber turn as the reality of the lost love sinks in. The days grow long since their departure, and the singer knows that winter is around the corner. However, the most significant pain hits the singer when the autumn leaves start falling, which reminds them of their beloved. The French verse adds more depth to the meaning of the song, expressing the shared love between two people who are now separated. The lines "And the sea will erase on the sand, the steps of separated lovers," convey the idea that love can disappear and fade with time, just as footsteps on the sand do.
Line by Line Meaning
The falling leaves drift by the window
The falling leaves are blowing past the window and moving on with the season.
The autumn leaves of red and gold
Autumn is characterized by leaves changing colors to red and gold around this time of year.
I see your lips, the summer kisses
I can still remember the kisses we shared during the warm summer months.
The sun-burned hands I used to hold
I miss holding your hands as we enjoyed the heat of the sun together.
Since you went away the days grow long
Ever since the day you left, time seems to drag on longer and longer.
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
Winter is approaching and the sounds of the season will soon be heard.
But I miss you most of all my darling
Despite all of the things I miss about you, I miss you the most.
When autumn leaves start to fall
My longing for you intensifies as the leaves begin to fall.
C'est une chanson, qui nous ressemble
This song reflects our own experiences.
Toi tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
We loved each other equally.
Nous vivions tous deux ensemble
We were living together as one.
Toi qui m'aimais moi qui t'aimais
We both loved each other deeply.
Mais la vie separe ceux qui s'aiment
Unfortunately, life has a way of separating those who love each other.
Tout doucement sans faire de bruit
Slowly and quietly.
Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants desunis
The ocean erases the footsteps of separated lovers in the sand.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Angel Eric Mendoza Gutiérrez
Tenía cincuenta años de adelanto. Ahora es cuando muchos lo están apreciando.
Carls Lobato
Auténtica música de compositor. Tamaño de artista.
David Diffenderfer
I loved Esquivel at the Stardust in Las Vegas 1960s.
alp
My favourite version for all times.
Jimmy D
I'm enjoying this fine music by this great musician here in Ensenada Baja Mexico. Viva Zoom-man!
RESIDUOS CON SOLUCIÓN R.C.S.
No questions...Esquivel, the BEST OF THE BEST...A LATIN ARRANGER COMPOSER MAESTRO, of course.
David Garcia Ortega
Fue un gran arreglista.
Nadie es profeta en su tierra.
Que grande fuiste Esquivel.
En las Vegas nevada estuvo tocando muchos años.
La única vez que regresó a México contratado por Ascarraga para hacer el arreglo de odisea Burbujas.
Y al terminar regresó a las Vegas nevada.
Miguel Angel Duque
Explosiva emoción y sutileza nos brinda Esquivel el mejor arreglista musical que ofrecio nuestra tierra, Que pasa hoy ya no existen orquestas inovadoras, solo fascilistas en computadores.
Zaroff's Trophy Room
he really killed that. gorgeous.
Joshua Hymann
Awesome