Cuban composer Moisés Simons is credited by some for creating the rumba ‘craze’ in the US and Europe with his song “The Peanut Vendor” which he wrote in 1927-28. According to Wikipedia, “The Peanut Vendor” has been recorded more than 160 times, sold over a million copies of the sheet music, and was the first million-selling 78 rpm of Cuban music.”
During a time when songwriters could be poorly paid, by 1943, he netted $100,000 from this popular song. I like it because for many reasons, including that it is a song written to capture nothing more than the cajoling and enticing cries of a peanut vendor on the street (a pregón). This song has been recorded by many, and has been a ‘hit’ several times.
Here is one of many versions of this song, recorded about the time it was written:
And here is a fun version of the song by the group “German Brass”, a quintet founded in 1974. They use this song to demonstrate the sounds made by various sizes of trombones.
Enjoy!
Muse Tunes 