Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Horst Wende and his Orchestra


An LP on the Polydor label from the 60's I would guess. Very little on the internet about Horst but he seems to have been a one-man world music machine back then with his Horst Wende Calypso Band, Horst Wende and His Accordion Band and also under the name of Roberto Delgado, doing latin covers throughout the 60's and 70's. This record is full of tunes from the townships of South Africa. I thought maybe he was South African but read elsewhere he was from Germany. Some of the tunes here were big hits by other people at the time- namely "Zambesi" by Eddie Calvert ( and his golden trumpet ) and other songs have been covered by artists who specialise in "exotica" or "lounge" music.

The sleeve notes tell us a bit about each song-

KWELA - This is an arrangement of a typical African melody heard in the cities. "Kwela" is a dance that originated in the native townships.

ALIBAMA - A favourite folk song of the Cape Coloured people that dates back to the time when the American sailing vessel "Alibama" called at Cape Town.


Horst Wende - Kwela

Horst Wende - Alibama


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6 comments:

Gejo said...

Hi! I remember listening to Horst Wende at my parents when I was a child. I pity it's not available on cd. My favourite tracks where the 60s recordings of Sambesi, Skokiaan and Sarie Mareis.
I collect vinyls from charity shops too!

Wastedpapiers said...

Thanks for dropping by fallenstar. Enjoyed looking at your blog too.

Marty Goorts said...

The first time i heard the Delgado sound, i knew it for sure. That's my kind of music. Music with so many feeling and the right rhythm. At that time i was his number one fan. After a little research i found Roberto Delgado in his home town, Hamburg Germany. Where he lives under his through name Horst Wende. What i already knew because, there were lp-albums in Amsterdam with one time RD & the next time HW. But still the same orchestration. Under his own name (HW) he made many accordeon albums with his great accordeon orchestra, what's almost the same as the Delgado orchestra. The only difference are the 8 accordeon players. Horst started his first own band at the age of 16, and had already learned playing the Piano at 6, the Marimba at 8, and the Accordeon at 9 years of age. During the fourties & fifties he played with world famous orchestra's like, Edmondo Ros & Annunzio Mantovani. At the age of 38, he started with his world famous, Roberto Delgado sound. A natural sound with great musicians, good music, great songs also from his own hand. His good sense of humor & his good feeling how to make music swing for everybody & everyone in a spectacular sound with great rhythms under & with his leadership. He also made Freddy Quinn, a local from Hamburg, a big star with sailor songs & evergreens from Dean Martin. Just like his Hamburg, music partner Bert Kaempfert. Who made Frank Sinatra world famous, with Strangers In The Night. But Horst went on with his music in both ways, his Roberto Delgado South America orchestra, & his Horst Wende Accordeon Orchestra. With both orchestra's he was succesfull throughout the world The Delgado orchestra started worldwide with the Caramba stereo albums volume 1 + 2 during the late fifties early sixties. From 1958 till 1970 he made 35 recordings for great music albums like for instance; Blue Hawaii vol. 1 + 2; Dance To Delgado; Show Dancing vol. 1 + 2; Acapulco Holiday; Along Mexican Highways vol. 1 + 2; Nightclub Dancing vol. 1 + 2; Guitar a la Carte vol. 1 + 2; the albums by the name Holiday in: Germany, Israel, Scandinavian. Letkiss; Tanz Im Weissen Rossl, with old Musicals from all over the world, just like the album Dance Through Musical Wonderland. Hits a la Carte, Dancing Rebecca, Delgado Dancing; Show Dancing; Marimba a la Carte; Latino Dancing; Spanish Eyes, Hits a la Carte vol. 1 + 2; Caramba vol. 3; Portrait Of Roberto Delgado. But also with his Accordeon orchestra; Bei Pfeiffer's Isst Ball, Blaue Nacht Am Hafen vol. 1 + 2; In Strictly Dance Temptation; Accordeon a la Carte vol. 1 + 2; Accordeon in Gold; Portrait of Horst Wende. In the seventies he started with his specials like; Fiesta For Dancing vol. 1 + 2 + 3 + 4; Die Bouzouki Klingt vol. 1 + 2; Latin a la Carte; Latin Flutes; Latin Rendes-Vous with Roberto Delgado; Latin Special'72, Vibraphone a la Carte; African Dancing; Calypso a la Carte; This is Reggae; Samba Caramba South America Ole; This is Delgado; The Very Best Of Roberto Delgado; South America Let's Dance; Dance Time With Delgado; 20 South America Hits (just like the CD); South America My Love; Dance Time With Delgado; Fiesta Caramba 2000; The Greatest Orchestra's of the World; Die Balalaika Klingt; Da Capo Di Roberto; Buenos Dias Ole; Tropical Sundance; Blue Tropical; Roberto Meets Kalinka; Jamaica Disco. In the Eighties he started to retired, & was a musical producer of many upcoming stars in Europe with know & then a music piece of his own. In the nineties he started to be deave & stopped with the music. But still playing the Accordeon & Piano like i heard nowhere else in my life. All his record-albums, audio-tapes & in the mean time CD's i have from this GREAT MUSICIAN, over 65. Still gives me the best of life to live for. Thanks Horst / Roberto for all those great recordings with sensitive warm rhythm & music. Marty Goorts

detour said...

hi michael,
i was looking at roberto delgado stuff and stumbled across your blog, and i would very much like to add you to my link list on http://subway-detour.blogspot.com
there are some delgado albums you may enjoy. thanks for these horst wende lps - can't wait to get them! my friend has them on vinyl - we are south african and one can still find much of this stuff in dusty second hand shops around the country.
thanks again,
david.

detour said...

sorry, forgot to tick "email followup..." ;) by the way, skokiaan and swinging safari were bigger than elvis over here...

Wastedpapiers said...

Thanks Marty and David - appreciate your comments. Please feel to add my blog to your links.