FROM CROATIA WITH LOVE: PALOMA NEGRA

(Ed.'s Note: We are constantly amazed at the rendition of Mexican compositions by people from other parts of the world. Some of them are quite good. We remember going out to the Narciso Martinez Cultural Center in San Bene where we listened to a Japanese group (Los Gatos Negros?) sing songs written and played by Tony de la Rosa. Although their enunciation was slightly different than the original, it was amazing how close they came to the conjunto sound.

And we are told that a Japanese female (Shirley Kwan?) artist also does a crack-up job with Cucurrucucu Paloma by composer Tomas Mendez.

A friend of ours turned us on the Viktorija Novosel from Croatia and her rendition of the Mexican classic Paloma Negra, also composed by Mendez during a singing contest. Numerous Mexican and Mexican-American singers have interpreted this song, most notably Lola Beltran. Give it a listen. We think you'll be pleasantly surprised.)