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MIGUEL RIOS

“A SONG OF JOY (HIMNO A LA ALEGRIA)”

(Orbe, W. De Los Rios)

A & M 1193

No. 14   July 78, 1970

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Family and friends say that Miguel (b. 1944, Granada, Spain) started singing when he was six. Two years

later, he was a member of his school choir. Once his school days were behind him, he formed a rock group

that worked the local bars. A record man with Hispavox Re­cords let the lad cut some sides for the home­

land market. “El Rio,” “Vuelvo a Granada,” “Yo Solo un Hombre,” and “El Cartel” all proved winners; with

Rios being allegedly elevated to the status of “the pop star” of Spanish youth.  At this juncture, Miguel was

offered the shot at doing a commemorative number, with composer/arranger Waldo De Los Rios (no rela­

tion), for the bicentennial of Beethoven’s birth. De Los Rios and someone named Orbe had concocted a

mam­moth production of a portion of the last movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, complete with a

huge chorus and a host of instruments.

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After Ludwig’s immortal melody worked its way through the world’s pop charts–with massive sales

registered in Holland, Poland, Italy, France … and throughout all of Central America–other adaptations, as

“Himno a Ia Alegria” (another slicing of the last movement of Beethoven’s Ninth) fell on worn ears and

Miguel’s popularity returned to that of being merely a homeland hero.

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The following year, Waldo returned to Billboard’s listings with his own pop treatment, “Mozart’s Sym­phony

No.40 in G Minor K 550, First Movement” (#67, 1971). His album, Sinfonias (#53, 1971), also sold well. On

March 28, 1977, Waldo De Los Rios died.