Tropic Nights is a studio album by Mexican singer Elvira Ríos, released in 1940 by Decca Records. The album was received positively by critics.

Tropic Nights
A black-and-white photo of Ríos looking over her should at a simple drawing of Mexican men in sarapes and sombreros playing guitar under the stars
Studio album by
Released1940
Recorded21–22 May 1940
Genre
LabelDecca
Elvira Ríos chronology
Tropic Nights
(1940)
Sensualidad
(1952)

Critical reception

edit

Tropic Nights received positive reviews in the early 1940s. Stage commended both Ríos' performance and Morand's orchestra: "Miss Rios displays perfect diction, great charm, and above all, a lovely voice. The orchestra accompanies in the best Latin tradition".[1] Harper's Bazaar described the album's tracks as "Mexican and Cuban melodies smolderingly interpreted by Elvira Rios".[2] Commonweal recommended it: "Decca has a good album called Tropic Nights, Mexican songs suavely delivered by Elvira Rios".[3]

Decca reissued the album in the late 1940s and 1950s. In his 1947 book Records for Pleasure, music editor John Ball, Jr. wrote: "Miss Rios has mastered completely the intimate style of half-voice singing that can make of a Spanish song a most potent and intoxicating brew".[4] In 1952, High Fidelity reviewed the album and highlighted Ríos' talent and prestige:

"If you enjoy Latin American music in a quiet vocal presentation, you may enjoy this record. Miss Rios brings admirable restraint of performance to these eight south-of-the-border standards and takes her place as an outstanding vocalist along with some of the well-known [Mexican] males: Nestor Chayres, Tito Guizar, and others".[5]

Track listing

edit
Disc 18082
No.TitleWriter(s)RecordedLength
1."Tú no comprendes" (You Don't Understand)Rafael Hernández21 May 1940[6] 
2."Perfidia" (Tonight)Alberto Domínguez21 May 1940[6] 
Disc 18083
No.TitleWriter(s)RecordedLength
3."Flores negras"Sergio De Karlo21 May 1940[6] 
4."Farolito"Agustín Lara22 May 1940[6] 
Disc 18084
No.TitleWriter(s)RecordedLength
5."Noche de ronda"María Teresa Lara22 May 1940[6] 
6."Murmullo" (Let Me Whisper)Electo Rosell22 May 1940[6] 
Disc 18085
No.TitleWriter(s)RecordedLength
7."Vereda tropical" (Havana For A Night)
21 May 1940[6] 
8."Te vi pasar"Agustín Lara22 May 1940[6] 

References

edit
  1. ^ Stage, Volume 1. Ince Publishing Company. 1940. p. 27.
  2. ^ Harper's Bazaar. Hearst Corporation. 1941. p. 123.
  3. ^ "Commonweal". Vol. 33. Commonweal Publishing Corporation. 1941. p. 133. {{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  4. ^ Ball, Jr., John (1947). Records for Pleasure. Rutgers Univ. Press. p. 194.
  5. ^ High Fidelity, Volume 2. ABC Leisure Magazines. 1952. p. 72.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h "Recordings by 'Elvira Rios W Jose Morand Orch'". The Honking Duck. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
edit