Critical reception
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
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7. | "Vereda tropical" (Havana For A Night) | | 21 May 1940[6] | |
8. | "Te vi pasar" | Agustín Lara | 22 May 1940[6] | |
References
- ↑ Stage, Volume 1. Ince Publishing Company. 1940. p. 27.
- ↑ Harper's Bazaar. Hearst Corporation. 1941. p. 123.
- ↑ "Commonweal". Vol. 33. Commonweal Publishing Corporation. 1941. p. 133.
- ↑ Ball, Jr., John (1947). Records for Pleasure. Rutgers Univ. Press. p. 194.
- ↑ High Fidelity, Volume 2. ABC Leisure Magazines. 1952. p. 72.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Recordings by 'Elvira Rios W Jose Morand Orch'". The Honking Duck. Retrieved 3 January 2018.