Ken Foote Summer Songs: Los Del Rio And Macarena

(CBS11) - Talk about timing! This song, originally charting in 1995 but only to #45 on the Billboard Hot 100, is once again released in 1996 and becomes a #1 hit!

Los Del Rio is a Spanish flamenco guitar duo from Seville, Spain, formed in 1962 by Antonio Romero Monge and Rafael Ruiz Perdigones.

Now I salute those individuals who can master the art of the flamenco guitar. I had a Spanish teacher in high school who played flamenco guitar and there is nothing easy about it at all.

When the song "Macarena" was released in the U.S. originally, it was already a smash it internationally but, as mentioned above, not as much as in the States. Later, though, the Miami-based production group called the Bayside Boys got a hold of it, remixed it for release, and it went all the way to #1 for fourteen consecutive weeks and stayed on the Hot 100 for thirty seven weeks. It was originally released on August 15, 1995 but the remix version hit the charts in April/May 1996 where is had its best run.

Written by Monge and Perdigones and running 3:41, the lyrics go like this:

When I dance they call me Macarena
And the boys they say que soy buena
They all want me
They can't have me
So they all come and dance beside me

Move with me
Chant with me
And if you're good, I'll take you home with me
Move with me
Chant with me
And if you're good, I'll take you home with me

Dale a tu cuerpo alegría Macarena
Que tu cuerpo es pa' darle alegría why cosa buena
Dale a tu cuerpo alegría, Macarena
Hey Macarena

Get up and dance!