woensdag 6 december 2017

Riu Riu Chiu (1556) / Guardo El Lobo (1961)


Ríu Ríu Chíu, also known as Ríu Chíu, is a Spanish villancico that has attained some contemporary fame as a Christmas carol.

The villancico is attributed by some sources to Mateo Flecha the Elder, who died in 1553; it has also been described as anonymous.

It is known from a single source, the Cancionero de Upsala, published in 1556 in Venice; a unique copy is preserved at the library of the University of Uppsala. The song appears on page XLII and XLIII of that collection


Page 52 on the link below:





The first recording I could find is by the vocal emsemble New York Pro Musica (1957).

(o) New York Pro Musica (1957) (as "Riu, Riu")


Listen here:




The same year it was  recorded by the Brasilan vocal ensemble Madrigal Renascentista.

(o) Madrigal Renascentista (1957) (as"Riu, Riu, Chiu")
Vocals: Maria Lúcia Godoy
Director: Isaac Karabtchevsky
Recorded in 1957 but not released at the time

Listen here:




(c) Madrigal Renascentista (1959) (as"Riu, Riu, Chiu")
Vocals: Amin Abdo Feres
Director: Isaac Karabtchevsky
This version was released on Chantecler CMG 2038





Listen here:




The original Kingston Trio of Bob Shane, Nick Reynolds, and Dave Guard sing their adaptation of "Riu Riu Chiu", retitled "Guardo El Lobo" (contributed to Erich Schwandt)
The song appeared on their 1961 album "Goin' Places", the last of nine albums that included founding member Guard, who shortly after the record's release left the group, to be replaced by singer-songwriter John Stewart.

The Kingston Trio (1961) (as "Guardo El Lobo")

Listen here:




In 1967 The Monkees performed the song live on a Christmas episode of their TV series, "The Monkees' Christmas Show".

(c) The Monkees (1967) (as "Riu, Chiu")

Listen here:



An official studio version was recorded in October 1967, featuring Monkees producer Chip Douglas on vocals who was substituting for an absent Davy Jones. It went unreleased until 1990's "Missing Links Volume Two".

Listen here:



It is likely the Monkees learned the song from their producer, Chip Douglas, who himself performed it with his former band The Modern Folk Quartet on their 1964 album Changes.

(c) The Modern Folk Quartet (1964) (as "Riu, Chiu")


Listen here:




In 1978 British ensemble Chorale had an unexpected Dutch Christmas Top 30 Hit with "Riu Riu".

(c) Chorale (1978) (as "Riu Riu"


Listen here:




In 1993 Bruce Cockburn include a version of "Riu Riu Chiu" on his Christmas album:

(c) Bruce Cockburn (1993) (as "Riu Riu Chiu")  


Listen here:




Sixpence None The Richer made their own arrangement of this Christmas Carol, which was contained on their Christmas album "The Dawn of Grace" (2008)

(c) Sixpence None The Richer (2008) (as "Riu Riu Chiu")


Listen here: 






The song also bears a strong resemblance to another villancico, "Falalanlera", by Bartomeu Càrceres, a Catalan composer.

Listen here:





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