HOW THE SONG "TO CHIMBOTE" WAS BORN (THE RUMBANEYS)

HOW THE SONG "TO CHIMBOTE" WAS BORN

 BY: EDUARDO QUEVEDO SERRANO

A modest tribute to

Chimbote’s most popular song

The Rumbaney (1)

(Photo:  Courtesy of Daniel Cortez Belupú)

Much has been said and written in Chimbote about the circumstances in which the song "To Chimbote" was written and first performed in public by the band, The Rumbaney. However, these versions are not necessarily accurate, and often contradict each other. 

This author believes that the song "To Chimbote" is an anthem of our port city.  Therefore, its origin must be set straight, and recorded in Chimbote's pages with historical accuracy.

Two soccer matches played during the 1971 Perú Cup were the birthplace of the song. José Gálvez Football Club (José Gálvez FBC) took part in both games.

The first match was played on Tuesday, April 13, 1971, at 3:30 p.m. It was the playoff for the regional stage of the Perú Cup between José Gálvez FBC and the Red Devils of Chiclín at the Lolo Fernández Stadium in Lima.

The second game took place on Saturday, May the 8,1971, at 7:00 p.m. The Red Stripe team (José Gálvez FBC) faced Unión Tumán of Chiclayo in the Perú Cup’ Grand Final at the National Stadium of Lima.

The Rumbaney (2)

(Photo:  Courtesy of Daniel Cortez Belupú)

Apart from being the birthplace for “To Chimbote”, both matches had two other things in common. First, Gálvez won by one goal to nil against their rivals in both games. Second, both goals were scored by the same player, Alejandro "Casaretto" Luces. The first match qualified the Chimbotan team for the Perú Cup’s Grand Final, while the second one qualified the team for the top Peruvian professional soccer league.

It was 1971 and Chimbote was going through a great moment. Our port city’s economy, sports and music were enjoying good health. Chimbote was the largest fishing port in the world. Our local volleyball team won the national tournament played in the city of Chincha. In the previous year our port city’s swimming team was national runner-up in Lima, and this year they became the national champion in Chimbote. And now professional soccer had just arrived in Chimbote.

We also had other champions: In music ... The Rumbaney!

Year 1971:  Lucio  Reynalte  Coral 

and  Daniel  Cortez  Belupú  with 
Alejandro  “Casaretto”  Luces  (3)

(Photo:  Courtesy of Daniel Cortez 
Belupú)

In 1970 a famous Salsa Festival Contest took place at the Coliseum Amauta of Lima where tropical music’s crème de la crème were in attendance. The Rumbaney from Chimbote were the winners.

In relation to this event, Guido Monteverde Morzán, famous journalist and concert promoter of the time, wrote in his column "Antipasto Gagá" (of the newspaper Última Hora of Lima): "The singer of The Rumbaney, Lucho Oliva, was much better than the Puerto Rican singers."

Let's now turn back to the match of Tuesday, April 13, 1971, played at the Lolo Fernandez Stadium in Lima. This was a vibrant and dramatic game. The Galvista classification came in the next to the last minute of the match, and the crowd went wild. Among the thousands of Chimbotans present there was a group of six musicians who were celebrating the victory. They were The Rumbaney.

At the moment when "Casaretto" Luces scored the match’s only goal, and the Galvista fans began the celebration, The Rumbaney director, Daniel Cortez Belupú, overcome with emotion, picked up a piece of paper from the ground and immortalized his inspiration by writing the song "To Chimbote”.

The Rumbaney  with  don Alberto  Maraví, 

record label director  at Dinsa,  later owner

of Infopesa (04) (Photo: Courtesy of Daniel 

Cortez Belupú)

That instant was a first step in the process of creating this Chimbotan anthem. The second moment was the glorious night of Saturday, May 8,1971, when the Red Stripe team beat Unión Tumán of Chiclayo at the National Stadium of Lima and qualified for the professional soccer league. On this second occasion, the members of The Rumbaney band were again in the stadium. And that night, Daniel Cortez Belupú added a final line to the song lyrics written 25 days previously. This line was: "... José Gálvez is a champion! "

Two days later, on Monday, May 10th, The Rumbaney were still in Lima, and headed to the offices of record label Infopesa to talk to its owner, don Alberto Maraví Chombo. The idea was to record the single on a 45 disc and have it ready for Wednesday, May 12th, when the people and authorities of Chimbote would triumphantly receive the José Gálvez FBC in Chimbote’s main square.

The Rumbaney (5)

(Photo:  Courtesy of Daniel Cortez Belupú)

Alberto Maraví was not initially very interested in the project.  As he put it, his business was “producing records nationwide, not just for a city." The Rumbaney negotiated with him, and he finally agreed with the condition that the band buy 500 copies.  Both parties accepted and the deal closed with a handshake.

On the same Monday at nine o'clock at night, the six members of the band entered the studio well stocked with bottles of rum in order to add joy to the night. The lead singer, Lucho Oliva, provided the voice, and around four o'clock on Tuesday morning the recording was done ... as was the rum! Four members of the band returned to Chimbote immediately.  They were: Germán Electo Luna, Lucio Reynalte Coral, Enrique Vera, and Lucho Oliva Moreno. Two members remained in Lima: Daniel Cortez Belupú and Erasmo “Chalo” González. 

Later that Tuesday, near midday, Daniel and Chalo showed up at Infopesa to collect the records. The record label’s sound engineer was waiting for them with bad news. When making arrangements to isolate and listen to Lucho Oliva’s voice, he realized that the lead singer had pronounced "football" (soccer) with a "j" instead of an "f". Lucho Oliva, actually, could not properly pronounce the word football. The time was short and a decision had to be made urgently.

The Rumbaney at  Pacific Cinema Theater  

of Chimbote (6) (Photo: Courtesy of Daniel 

Cortez Belupú)

Daniel Cortez Belupú decided to have Chalo González sing the song. Chalo not only delivered the song wonderfully, but added an unexpected and distinctive personal touch. Having resolved the setback, both musicians returned to Chimbote on the same Tuesday.

At dawn on Wednesday the members of The Rumbaney were waiting in Chimbote on the second block of Elías Aguirre Street for the arrival of the “Chinchaysuyo” coach that would bring the parcel with the 500 records from Lima. It was around five in the morning and Chimbote was waking up in a jubilant mood. In a few hours a huge party would begin in our port city.  Chimbote would host a great parade that would end up in the main square with a massive concert to receive our local team, Jose Gálvez FBC. 

The Rumbaney at Vivero Forestal  of Chimbote (7)

(Photo:  Courtesy of Daniel Cortez Belupú)

With the dusk came a night to remember forever.  The authorities, the soccer team idols, and the people of Chimbote got together and shared a night of indescribable popular joy. The first 500 copies of the recording were passing from hand to hand among the luckiest members of the audience. 

And as a backdrop to a party that was bursting with joy, The Rumbaney performed live for the first time ever the song "To Chimbote"...on a day like today, exactly forty years ago!

New Hampshire, USA

May 12, 2011

The Rumbaney on “America TV”, Channel 4, in Lima (8)

(Photo:  Courtesy of Daniel Cortez Belupú)

All fingers point to the great songwriter Luis Álvarez 
Mesías (9) (Photo: Courtesy of Daniel Cortez Belupú)

The Rumbaney receive their Gold Disc for the song “El 
Poncho” (10) (Photo: Courtesy of Daniel Cortez Belupú)

The Rumbaney's promotional poster (11)

(Photo:  Courtesy of Daniel Cortez Belupú)

 

The Rumbaney at the Paul Harris Coliseum in Chimbote (12)

The Rumbaney (13)

Daniel Cortez Belepú (14)

(Photo:  Courtesy of Daniel Cortez Belupú)

Daniel Cortez Belupú, a life 
dedicated  to  music  (15)

DETAILS OF PHOTOS

PHOTO 1:  The Rumbaney:  Daniel Cortez Belupú, Lucio Reynalte Coral, Walter Rios Torres, Edilberto “Picota” Zambrano, Germán Electo Luna, Joel Estrada Delgado, Erasmo “Chalo” González Silva, and Luis Oliva Moreno.

PHOTO 2:  The Rumbaney coming back from one of their tours. Lucio Reynalte Coral, Daniel Cortez Belupú, Erasmo “Chalo” González Silva, Enrique Vera, Luis Oliva Moreno, and Germán Electo Luna.

PHOTO 3:  1971:  The night The Rumbaney perform the song “To Chimbote” live for the first time at a concert in the Main Square.  Two of its members (Lucio Reynalte Coral and Daniel Cortez Belupú) pose with the Galvista striker, Alejandro "Casaretto" Luces.  The stage was located in front of Chavín Cinema.

It is important to mention that before this night there was a concert for the qualification to the Perú Cup Grand Final after beating The Red Devils of Chiclín.  The stage that night was in front of the the Town Hall in the Main Square.

PHOTO 4:  The Rumbaney with don Alberto Maraví Chomba, record label director at Dinsa, later owner of Iinfopesa who, in 1971 for 500 soles (Peruvian currency), agreed  to produce the first 500 copies of the 45 rpm disc of the song “To Chimbote”.

PHOTO 5:  The Rumbaney pose at a gala in Lima.

PHOTO 6:  The Rumbaney in concert  in what was then the Pacific Cinema Theater of Chimbote (Sixth block of Manuel Ruiz Street).

PHOTO 7:  The Rumbaney in a photo session in the Vivero Forestal of Chimbote.

PHOTO 8:  The Rumbaney in an exclusive presentation on “America TV”, Channel 4, in Lima.

PHOTO 9:  Los Rumbaney pointing to the songwriter Luis Álvarez Mesías, writer of the song "Maracuyá" (“Passion fruit”) and other hit songs.

PHOTO 10:  The Rumbaney receive their Gold Disc for the song “El Poncho” at the record company INFOPESA in Lima.

PHOTO 11:  The Rumbaney’s promotional poster from that period.

PHOTO 12:  The Rumbaney performing the song “To Chimbote” at the Paul Harris Coliseum.

PHOTO 13:  The Rumbaney, 1972.

PHOTO 14:  Daniel Cortez Belupú, leader of The Rumbaneys, poses with one of the awards received by his band.

PHOTO 15:  Daniel Cortez Belupú, a life dedicated to Chimbote and music.

“TO CHIMBOTE” - THE RUMBANEY

"To: Chimbote"

Performed by The Rumbaney of Chimbote

Music and Lyrics by Daniel Cortez Belupú

To Chimbote, beautiful land

I sing for you today 

World's first fishing port 

And your unsurpassed bay

Land of beautiful women 

And your tropical culture

Where stars are born

For the national art

In music, the Rumbaney

In volleyball, the local team 

In soccer, José Gálvez...

José Gálvez is champion!

CHORUS

I sing to Chimbote

Because you are supreme

We sing for you

Beautiful tropical land

“El Importante Daniel" (“Important Daniel”) - THE RUMBANEY

("Important Daniel", a song written by Luis Álvarez Mesías with Daniel Cortez Belupú’s arrangements, was the Side "B" of the single "To Chimbote")

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