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.
Isle of Capri
Xavier Cugat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Beneath the shade of an old walnut tree
Oh, I can still see the flowers blooming round her
Where we met on the Isle of Capri
She was as sweet as a rose at the dawning
But somehow fate hadn't meant her for me
And though I sailed with the tide in the morning
Summertime was nearly over
Blue Italian sky above
I said "Lady, I'm a rover,
Can you spare a sweet word of love?"
She whispered softly "It's best not to linger"
And then as I kissed her hand I could see
She wore a lovely meatball on her finger
't was goodbye at the villa Capri
Summertime was nearly over
Blue Italian sky above
I said "Lady, I'm a rover,
Can you spare a fine word of love?"
She whispered softly "It's best not to linger"
And then as I kissed her hand I could see
She wore a plain golden ring on her finger
't was goodbye on the Isle of Capri
't was goodbye on the Isle of Capri
't was goodbye on the Isle of Capri
The song "Isle of Capri" by Xavier Cugat tells the story of a man reminiscing about a brief love affair he had on the Isle of Capri. He describes how he found her under the shade of an old walnut tree and how the flowers were blooming around her, creating an idyllic romantic setting. Despite their connection, he recognizes that fate had not meant for them to be together.
As the song progresses, the man reflects on his time with her during the summertime, with the blue Italian sky above them. He thought of himself as a rover, a free spirit, but struggled with the possibility of leaving her behind. Her gentle response was "It's best not to linger." Eventually, he realizes that she wears a plain golden ring, indicating that their relationship wouldn't work out. The chorus repeats " 't was goodbye on the Isle of Capri" as the story comes to a close.
The song is a classic tale of a fleeting love and the memories that remain. It captures the beauty of Capri, an island off the coast of Italy, and highlights its romantic appeal.
Line by Line Meaning
't was on the Isle of Capri that I found her
It was on the island of Capri where I met the person I fell in love with
Beneath the shade of an old walnut tree
We met while seeking refuge from the sun under an ancient walnut tree
Oh, I can still see the flowers blooming round her
I still remember the beauty of the flowers surrounding her when we first met
Where we met on the Isle of Capri
That was the place where love bloomed between us
She was as sweet as a rose at the dawning
She had the sweetness and freshness of a rose in the morning
But somehow fate hadn't meant her for me
Unfortunately, destiny had other plans for us that didn't involve being together forever
And though I sailed with the tide in the morning
Even though I tried to move on, the memory of her remained with me
Still my heart's on the Isle of Capri
My heart still longs for the place where we fell in love
Summertime was nearly over
The season of summer was drawing to an end
Blue Italian sky above
The sky above was painted in the bright blue of Italy
I said "Lady, I'm a rover, Can you spare a sweet word of love?"
I asked her if she could offer me a kind and loving word despite my nomadic lifestyle
She whispered softly "It's best not to linger"
She warned me that it's better not to get too involved or attached
And then as I kissed her hand I could see
As I bid her farewell, I noticed something on her hand
She wore a lovely meatball on her finger
I saw that she had a beautiful jewel, shaped like a meatball, on her finger
't was goodbye at the villa Capri
We said our final farewells at the villa on the island where we first met
She wore a plain golden ring on her finger
The next time we met, I saw she was wearing a simple gold ring, indicating that she had moved on
't was goodbye on the Isle of Capri
We parted ways for good on the island where we had first fallen in love
't was goodbye on the Isle of Capri
Our love story ended on the island where it had all begun
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JIMMY KENNEDY, WILL GROSZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John
on Oye Negra
His first wif, Carmen Castillo was his greatest vocalist.