Summary
"El Rey" ("The King") is a 1971 song by Mexican singer José Alfredo Jiménez. It is one of his best known songs and a Latin Grammy Hall of Fame recipient.[1][2][3][4] The song is about "a macho guy convinced his rough-and-tumble life doesn't preclude him from remaining the king among his peers".[3]
| "El Rey" | |
|---|---|
| Song by José Alfredo Jiménez | |
| from the album El Rey | |
| Language | Spanish |
| English title | The King |
| Released | 1971 |
| Recorded | 1970/71 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 2:10 |
| Songwriter(s) | José Alfredo Jiménez |
A chart published by Record World credited "El Rey" as reaching number one in Mexico in 1974,[5] a year after Jiménez' death.
"El Rey" remains a staple of Ranchera and traditional Mexican music. The song has been covered by various artists, including Vicente Fernández - often considered the most well-known version of "El Rey" - his son Alejandro Fernández, Luis Miguel, and Maná.
Other versions
edit| "El Rey" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Vicente Fernández | |
| from the album El Ídolo de Mexico | |
| Language | Spanish |
| English title | The King |
| Released | 1973 |
| Recorded | 1973 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 2:34 |
| Label | Sony |
| Songwriter(s) | José Alfredo Jiménez |
The song has been covered by various artists. The following are other notable versions.
Vicente Fernández version
editThe song has been recorded by several artists including Vicente Fernández whose version peaked at number 40 on the Hot Latin Songs chart.[6]
Christina Aguilera version
editIn 2022, American singer Christina Aguilera released "La Reina" (transl. "The Queen") from her ninth studio album, Aguilera (2022) as a "respectful response" to Fernández' version of "El Rey".[7] In her version, Aguilera emphasizes how a king will always be a king, but that he's nothing without his queen.[8] Aguilera's rendition received acclaim and reached 9 on the US Latin Digital Songs.[9]
References
edit- ^ Paloma Jiménez Casa Museo José Alfredo Jiménez 6079254700 "Algunas de sus canciones, entre éstas "El Rey", han sido traducidas y cantadas en otros idiomas como el árabe o el holandés. ".
- ^ Encyclopedia of Latino Popular Culture – Volume 1 – Page 395 031333210X Cordelia Candelaria, Peter J. García, Arturo J. Aldama – 2004 – José Alfredo Jiménez Sandoval was México's most prolific and well-respected composer of vernacular music during the mid-twentieth century and remains a beloved singer among Mexicans and Chicanas/os in the United States. He is best known for his *canciones *rancheras, which include "El Rey" (The King), "Ella" (She), "Yo" (I), "Tu y las nubes" (You and the Clouds), "Camino de ..."
- ^ a b Ilan Stavans Latin Music: Musicians, Genres, and Themes [2 volumes] – Page 245 0313343969 - 2014 – "El rey" is a popular Mexican song written by José Alfredo Jiménez (19 January 1926 – 23 November 1973), a musician with no musical training who is known for the large repertoire of lyrics that he wrote, among them "Amanecí en tus brazos" (I Woke Up in Your Arms) and "El caballo blanco" (White Horse). "El rey" is about a macho guy convinced his rough-and-tumble life doesn't preclude him from remaining the king among his peers. Ilan Stavans See also: Jiménez, José ...
- ^ "Latin Grammy Hall of Fame – 2007". Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
- ^ 2 November 1974 issue of Record World magazine; page 111 (Retrieved 2017-12-06).
- ^ "Vicente Fernández: Chart history – Hot Latin Songs". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ "Christina Aguilera Talks Spanish EP, Motherhood & More During Twitter Space With Billboard". Billboard. 23 February 2022. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
- ^ Dino, Hiras Di (9 May 2022). "CHRISTINA AGUILERA Estrena Video De "LA REINA"". Sony Music Entertainment Latin. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
- ^ "Christina Aguilera – Latin Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Retrieved 14 October 2022.