Gene Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973) was a famous and influenti… Read Full Bio ↴Gene Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973) was a famous and influential American jazz and big band drummer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.

Many consider Krupa to be one of the most influential drummers of the 20th century, particularly regarding the development of the drum kit. Many jazz historians believe he made history in 1927 as the first kit drummer ever to record using a bass drum pedal. His drum method was published in 1938 and immediately became the standard text. He is also credited with inventing the rim shot on the snare drum. Rhythm, the UK's best selling drum magazine voted Gene Krupa the third most influential drummer ever, in a poll conducted for its February 2009 issue. Voters included over 50 top-name drummers

Krupa was born Eugene Bertram Krupa to Polish parents in Chicago, Illinois. He began playing professionally in the mid 1920s with bands in Wisconsin. He broke into the Chicago scene in 1927, when he was picked by MCA to become a member of "Thelma Terry and Her Playboys", the first notable American Jazz band (outside of all-girl bands) to be led by a female musician. The Playboys were the house band at The Golden Pumpkin nightclub in Chicago and also toured extensively throughout the eastern and central United States.

Krupa made his first recordings in 1927, with a band under the leadership of banjoist Eddie Condon and "fixer" (and sometime singer, who did not appear on the records), Red McKenzie: along with other recordings beginning in 1924 by musicians known in the "Chicago" scene such as Bix Beiderbecke, these sides are examples of white "Chicago Style" jazz. The numbers recorded at that session were: 'China Boy', 'Sugar', 'Nobody's Sweetheart' and 'Liza'. The McKenzie - Condon sides are also notable for being the first records to feature a full drum kit.

In 1929 he moved to New York City and worked with the band of Red Nichols. In 1934 he joined Benny Goodman's band, where his featured drum work — especially on the hit "Sing, Sing, Sing" — made him a national celebrity. In 1938, after a public fight with Goodman at the Earl Theater in Philadelphia, he left Goodman to launch his own band and had several hits with singer Anita O'Day and trumpeter Roy Eldridge. Krupa made a memorable cameo appearance in the 1941 film Ball of Fire, in which he and his band performed an extended version of the hit Drum Boogie.

Perdido
Gene Krupa Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Perdido,
I look for my heart
It`s perdido
I lost it way down in Torito
The day the fiesta started

Bolero,
I sway that they play the Bolero

I kissed me the listing sombrero
And that`s when my heart departed

High, was the sun when I held him close
Low, was the moon when we said, "Adios"

Perdido
My heart ever since is Perdido
I know I must go to Torito
To find what I lost Perdido

High, was the sun when I held him close
Low, was the moon when we said, "Adios"

Perdido

Goodnight perdido
I lost perdido

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Gene Krupa's song "Perdido" speaks of a lost heart in Torito during a fiesta where the Bolero was played, and the singer's heart departed when he kissed someone wearing a sombrero. The song seems to suggest a feeling of longing and heartbreak. The singer is searching for their lost heart and acknowledges that they need to go back to Torito to find it. The song also portrays the beauty of Torito and its fun-loving atmosphere, despite the singer's sorrow.

The use of the Spanish language in the song adds to its charm, and the Bolero rhythm complements the lyrics well. The words "perdido" meaning "lost" are repeated in the chorus, highlighting the singer's state of mind. The lines "High, was the sun when I held him close. Low, was the moon when we said, "Adios"" evokes a bittersweet feeling of love that is now lost.

Line by Line Meaning

Perdido
Lost

I look for my heart
Searching for my heart

It's perdido
It's lost

I lost it way down in Torito
I lost it during the fiesta in Torito

The day the fiesta started
On the day the fiesta began

Bolero
A type of music, Bolero

I sway that they play the Bolero
I move my body to the rhythm of Bolero music

I kissed me the listing sombrero
I kissed my lucky hat

And that`s when my heart departed
That's when I lost my heart

High, was the sun when I held him close
The sun was high when we were together

Low, was the moon when we said, "Adios"
The moon was low when we said goodbye