Cugat was born Francisco de Asis Javier Cugat Mingall de Bru y Deulofeo in Girona, Spain. His family immigrated to Cuba when he was five. He trained as a classical violinist and played with the Orchestra of the Teatro Nacional in Havana.
Sometime between 1915 and 1918, Cugat moved to New York, where he played with a band called "The Gigolos" during the tango craze. Later, he went to work for the Los Angeles Times as a cartoonist (Cugat's caricatures were later nationally syndicated).
In the late 1920s, when sound began to be used in films, Cugat put together a tango band that had some success in early short musical films. By the early 1930s, he began appearing with his group in feature films. Cugat took his band to New York to open the new Waldorf Astoria Hotel and it became the hotel's resident group.
He shuttled between New York and Los Angeles for most of the next thirty years, alternating hotel and radio dates with movie appearances.
In 1940, he recorded the song Perfidia with singer Miguelito Valdés which became a big hit. Cugat followed trends closely, making records for the conga, the mambo, the cha-cha-cha, and the twist when each were in fashion.
His first marriage in 1952 was to singer, Abbe Lane, they performed together until they divorced in 1964. He married salsa dancer Charo on August 7, 1966; the two were the first couple to marry in the newly opened Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.
Cugat did not lose sleep over artistic compromises: "I would rather play
Chiquita Banana and have my swimming pool than play Bach and starve."
Cugat died of heart failure at age 90 in Barcelona, in his native province of Catalonia, Spain.
Baía
Xavier Cugat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When twilight is deep in the sky,
Baia-yah! Someone that I long to see
Keeps haunting my reverie,
And so the loneliness deep in my heart
Calls to you, calls to you
The lyrics to "Baia" reflect the romantic nostalgia one feels when longing for a lost love. The song begins with the two-word exclamation "Oh! Baia-yah" which serves to introduce the title and set the mood. As the song progresses, the singer describes the feeling of longing they have when they see the twilight in the sky. The lyrics mention someone the singer longs to see, who keeps haunting their reverie. Despite the distance and loneliness in their heart, they call out to this person.
Overall, the lyrics of "Baia" demonstrate a powerful sense of yearning for a lost love. The use of nature imagery and the repeated phrase "Baia-yah" help to convey the intensity of the feelings being expressed.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh! Baia-yah
Oh, the beauty and wonder of Baia! It's a place of great significance and nostalgia.
When twilight is deep in the sky
As the sun sets and darkness envelops the sky, I am transported to a nostalgic feeling, evoking sweet memories and emotions.
Baia-yah! Someone that I long to see
In Baia, there is someone who I desperately long to see. This person is constantly on my mind, and their absence is felt deeply.
Keeps haunting my reverie
Thoughts of this person continue to enter my daydreams and fantasies. They persistently appear in my mind, never allowing me to forget them.
And so the loneliness deep in my heart
It is because of the sense of loneliness in my heart that I am constantly yearning for this person. They represent a source of comfort and companionship that I deeply desire.
Calls to you, calls to you
My heart and soul are calling out to this person, begging for their presence in my life. Every fiber of my being longs for them to return to Baia.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ARY BARROSO, RAY GILBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
hipsterdoofus1026
You might have the only surviving clean copies of these Bing Crosby songs from the 40s. It is said that Universal lost a lot of his music in a fire.
Pepe Carrillo
What I’d give to be able to sing like this to a gal... 😔
Cont0rt
BAIAIAIAIAIAIAIAIAIAIAIAA
randomeditor
Have you been to baia donald?