Phillip Sear: Prelude on 'La Bamba'

'La Bamba' is a Mexican folksong. It was made famous in the early 1950s in an adaptation by Ritchie Valens, which forms the basis for this extemporisation. Valens died (in the same plane crash as Buddy Holly) in February 1959; almost exactly 50 years to the day before this video was made.
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Played by Phillip Sear
http://www.psear.co.uk

Category:

Music

Tags:

• piano
• classical
• British
• English

[OrbiliusMagister]

Oh, bliss! I'm hearing Alfredo Ginastera and Debussy clapping at your performance. You really know how to enrich a theme. I appreciate some ingenious rhythmical twists of it to give an old melody new flavour. As for harmonies my only word is: "irreproachable".

*Clap clap* (from a distant cloud)...

[PSearPianist]

Thanks for your most kind and imaginative comment!

[valensueala]

i see an angel in front of me 5 stars sirXDtotaly love this song im only 14 but ritchie is my no.1 idol

[PSearPianist]

That's a lovely comment - thanks very much!

[zalmoxe]

Wow, this song brings back memories... well, memories of the song, mostly... I think I was too young to remember anything else :-)

[PSearPianist]

Thank you. The song has always been familiar to me - I suspect it was covered by quite a few other singers after Valens' death.

[PSearPianist]

Thank you - only sorry I can't take a bow!

[PSearPianist]

Thank you! I have not really tried to focus on the 'Latin' feel of the piece here, more on the melodic shapes.

[rhythmruns]

Wow! Clap, clap, clap.

[Babejuda]

I remember the original. Wonderful! PianoScales said it all before me, so just - thanks for uploading :)