"Y Volvere"

Somewhere in the early seventies, still in Nicaragua, I heard a beautiful Indian song usually played simply with a couple of guitars and perhaps a drum. I thought it was Indian because I lived deep in the Central American jungles and outsiders just never heard of it. The name was "Y Volvere" (I will return.)

"You cannot have any successes in life unless you learn to accept some failures."

I left for the States and it took a while but I forgot it for almost 40 years. Then I found it recently when I had a little more time for the Internet due to the horrible bus situation, increasingly crowded. Very tiring to ride standing up and even worse seeing old ladies ride standing up from Waianae to town. Yoshioka couldn't care less. I copied the music, the simple version and sent it to Calvin.

Then I did a little more research and found a nice version by Los Bunkers, a Chilean band, beautiful arrangement. And right after that I ran into a Philippine version and music by Lydia Lau, another fine arrangement. And then one Mexican Mariachi version. I posted them in the blogs.  And I got more curious as Calvin Ota emailed that it reminded him of an old Carlos Santana song.



I can do research but this is the first in depth research I have ever done using only the Internet. It can be done. Apparently it was published by a Frenchman, Alain Barriere, under the name "Emporte Moi" (Important To Me) which he wrote in 1968. Aside from five notes in the beginning of Europa by Carlos Santana, the lead guitar is identical to the melody of "Y Volvere," by Los Angeles Negros, (the Black Angels, Mexican group) recorded in 1970.

Carlos is a great guitarist but at least the Los Angeles Negros credit French singer/composer Alain Barriere as composer. It was kind of a let down for me. I admired Carlos for so many years. He never said he wrote it but he allowed others to think so. It seems as though there is plenty of this going on.

Most of it is inadvertent, they pick up the sheet music from somewhere and they don't know who wrote it, but they like it and may make a few changes. I like the entire song but somehow it has a special flavor with a Rumba-Bolero rhythm.

Pub's Side Note: Now I am doing a little research on another one of my favorites, Dime by Morris Albert, which he wrote first in Portuguese, (he is Brazilian) and then wrote it Spanish, very similar. Then he renamed and rewrote the lyrics in English, "Feelings," when he came to the US on tour. It then became a smash hit in the US.