The Peanut Vendor

Don Azpiazu’s Havana Casino Orchestra

The first Cuban song to become a hit in the United States Advertisement

Cuban and Latin music have long been a natural part of the American music and jazz scene, but the full integration of Cuban music and jazz did not take place until the mid-1940s with the bebop era.

Back in 1930, Don Azpiazu and his Havana Casino Orchestra had a recording session in New York that resulted in the debut recording of “The Peanut Vendor.”

“The Peanut Vendor” was such a hit that it started a craze for rumbas and Latin music in general.

While “The Peanut Vendor” later became part of the repertoire of the Stan Kenton Orchestra and was recorded many times (including by Louis Armstrong), the original version has a charm and timelessness of its own.

– Scott Yanow

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