Perfidia

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"Perfidia" (Spanish for "perfidy", as in faithless, treacherous or false) is a popular song written by Alberto Domínguez ^[1] (1911–1975), a Mexican composer and arranger born in the state of Chiapas, about love and betrayal. Aside from the original Spanish, other renditions exist, including English and instrumental versions. The English lyrics are by Milton Leeds. The song was published in 1939 and became a hit for Xavier Cugat in 1940. This version was used by director Wong Kar-wai in his films Days of Being Wild, In the Mood for Love, and 2046.

"Perfidia"' has been recorded by many artists, including Julie London, The Four Aces, Charlie Parker, Laurel Aitken, Mel Torme, Olavi Virta, Café Tacuba, Glenn Miller, Nana Mouskouri, King Tubby, Phyllis Dillon, The Shadows, The Ventures, Trini Lopez, Linda Ronstadt (in Spanish), Nat King Cole, Los Tres Caballeros and Javier Solis (in Spanish), Cliff Richard, Lawrence Welk, Luis Miguel, Issac Delgado, mandolinist Dave Apollon, Olivia Molina, Perez Prado, Ibrahim Ferrer, Los Rabanes, and Ben E. King. More than 150 different versions are collected.^[where?]

An English arrangement of "Perfidia" was also the founding song of the Princeton Nassoons, Princeton University's oldest a cappella group.

In popular culture

• The song is played in the film Casablanca when Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart dance in the Paris nightclub, in the flashback sequence of their romance there
• The song is heard in the film The Mask of Dimitrios (1944) but the story is set in 1938 (a year before the song was published).
• It also sets a romantic mood in the film Now, Voyager, with stars Bette Davis and Paul Henreid seen sitting together in a Rio de Janeiro nightclub:

Henreid (as music plays): May I have this dance?

Davis: Oh, I'm afraid I don't know how to dance.

Henreid: Try it ... just this once.

• This song was the episode title and played in the final episode of "Journeyman" (2007) on NBC
• Perfidia is a song in the Off-Broadway musical "Forever Plaid" (1990)
• The song has also been used as the opening theme to the television show George and Martha
• Perfidia was also included on the Dexter Soundtrack
• This song was in the beginning of the movie " ALEXANDRIA..WHY " directed by YOUSSEF CHAHINE produced in 1978
• Perfidia was used in the Benny Hill Show.
• Perfidia, sung by Linda Ronstadt was used in the 1992 movie The Mambo Kings Sound Track.
• The Argentinian rock band La Portuaria plays a version of this song

See also

• Bolero

References