Cumbia Enamorada Demo

When my dad first came to the US, for some reason, he joined a band. Not just any band, Malezza, which my mom Guadalupe Franco and aunt/godmother Elvira Enriquez were in. I am sorry I cannot remember off the top of my head who the guitarist and drummer were. Please help me fill in the blanks with that.
My mom played keyboard and sang back up, and my aunt co-fronted with my dad who also played bass.
When I was a teenager, my mom told me about a song my dad wrote that she still remembered. It was in a sealed envelope to copyright it. I of course made her open it and teach me. I never forgot it. I even rewrote the melody to make it modern when I was 14 or so.
The night my dad passed was rough, I didn't sleep till noon, and when I woke I went to be with my siblings whom stayed up with me until 4 a.m. On the drive home I started singing the song without thinking about it. I couldn’t stop. I was amazed I still remembered it at all. I went to sleep and woke up and the song was still there. I called up my mom to see if my uncle was with her and asked him if he could help me record it.

I thought I had more time, but the services were scheduled so soon. So just this week on Tuesday before the service, we were able to record the demo. My mom sang back up which was perfect, and my uncle recorded all the parts on my electric piano. I used a generic drum track to keep the tempo and feel of the cumbia. The result is this!

I am super happy my mom participated and coached us on the song. My uncle is a musician as most my mom’s side are… my dad is a bit unique in that on his side, there aren’t many who seek out music like he did. So I got the best of both worlds. My uncle suggested I write a second verse because the song was simple, so in a way I feel like I ended up co-writing something with my dad.

He wrote this song when he was in his early 20’s, maybe not too long before I was born. So this song is older than me… (more than 36 years!)
Growing up, my siblings and I always knew our dad as a musician, playing at events and just for fun. Several of us continue that passion. All of us inherited his gifts.

While this is my demo and I plan to record this song with more time and detail, this is my tribute to that gift we inherited… We will always sing, we will always dance, we will always be together.

Enjoy the photo slide show of his Malezza years, and I included some footage of my mom, my uncle and me recording the song… we did it in my mom’s dining room, but it turned out pretty good. No autotuned or effects, so not bad at all. I almost feel like I am there with them at a show!