Siboney (Canto Siboney) is a 1929 classic Cuban song by Ernesto Lecuona. The music is in cut time, originally written in C major. The lyrics were reportedly written by Lecuona while away from Cuba and is about the homesickness he is experiencing (Siboney is also a town in Cuba, and can also refer to Cuba in general).

Siboney became a hit in 1931 when performed by the Cuban singer Alfredo Brito. Other artists followed suit, including Caterina Valente, Xiomara Alfaro, Dizzy Gillespie, Nana Mouskouri and Percy Faith. Siboney was used by Nino Rota the score for Fellini’s nostalgic memoir of the 1930s, “Amarcord.” It was recorded by Connie Francis in 1960, and later included in the film, “2046”.

An English version of the song was performed by Bing Crosby in 1945. In 1942, Gloria Jean sang the English version in the musical Get Hep to Love.

When You’re in Love is a 1937 musical film starring Grace Moore, Cary Grant, and Thomas Mitchell. Moore sings “Minnie the Moocher” in one scene. She also sings the wonderful Ernesto Lecuono classic “Siboney” (though her Spanish is not perfection) drooled over by Cary Grant. The movie was directed by Robert Riskin. Louise Brooks was originally cast in the female lead; she very briefly appears as one of many ballet dancers in a musical sequence. Some of the songs were by Jerome Kern.

Siboney is derived from the Ciboney tribes that inhabited Cuba at the time of Spanish discovery. I was told by cubans that Siboney was the chief of the Ciboney peoples and was killed by Spanish explorers. The song, Canto Siboney, is certainly a tribute to Siboney in both lyrics and music. This film, “When You’re in Love” portrays Grace Moore as an opera star. Her performance clearly upstages Cary Grant. Spanish architecture, language and music are skillfully blended in this 1937 film. When You’re in Love”

Grace Moore was the woman that brought opera to Hollywood. She didn’t do well at MGM but when she went to Columbia in 1934 she showed off her comedic talents too. She was nominated for an Academy Award and was a huge box office draw.

Her talents were downplayed after her death and people only remembered Jeanette MacDonald as the screen songstress but it was Miss Moore that brought the High C to the masses. It’s too bad that her films are not officially released on DVD to this day.