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.
When The Swallows / Come Back To Capistrano
Xavier Cugat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's the day you promised to come back to me
When you whispered, "Farewell", in Capistrano
Twas the day the swallow flew out to sea
All the mission bells will ring
The chapel choir will sing
The happiness you'll bring
When the swallows come back to Capistrano
That's the day I pray that you'll come back to me
All the mission bells will ring
The chapel choir will sing
The happiness you'll bring
Will live in my memory
When the swallows come back to Capistrano
That's the day I pray that you'll come back to me
The song "When The Swallows Come Back To Capistrano" by Xavier Cugat speaks of a hopeful lover who awaits the return of his beloved. The lyrics revolve around the annual migratory pattern of swallows returning to the town of Capistrano in California. The singer is using these patterns as a sign of hope for his lover to come back to him, just like the arrival of the swallows.
The first part of the lyrics reminds us of an earlier time when the lover and his special someone were together in Capistrano, probably sharing beautiful moments. The days have passed, and they eventually parted ways. However, the parting was not enough to reset the lover's hope of reuniting with his beloved. The lover believes that the day the swallows arrive in Capistrano is the same day his lover promised to come back to him.
The lyrics continue to describe the beauty of the mission bells ringing and the chapel choir singing for the arrival of the swallows. These elements characterize the town of Capistrano, depicting the rich cultural heritage and significance of the place. The singer envisions what it would be like if his beloved returned along with the swallows. He dreams of the memories that they will create together and how much happiness it will bring.
Overall, the song "When The Swallows Come back To Capistrano" is a beautiful reminder of the power of hope and helps to keep one's dreams alive.
Line by Line Meaning
When the swallows come back to Capistrano
I'll know you're coming back to me the day the swallows arrive in Capistrano
That's the day you promised to come back to me
You promised to come back to me on the day the swallows return to Capistrano
When you whispered, "Farewell", in Capistrano
The day the swallow flew out to sea was the day you said goodbye to me in Capistrano
Twas the day the swallow flew out to sea
The day you left me was the same day the swallow flew out to sea
All the mission bells will ring
The bells in the mission will chime loudly
The chapel choir will sing
The choir in the chapel will sing joyfully
The happiness you'll bring
Your return will bring me great joy and happiness
Will live in my memory
I will always remember the happiness you bring when you return
That's the day I pray that you'll come back to me
I hope and pray that the day the swallows return is the day you'll come back to me
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LEON T. RENE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
John
on Oye Negra
His first wif, Carmen Castillo was his greatest vocalist.