Study In Melody & World Music; El Choclo "El Choclo" (translation: "The Corn Cob") is a Tango composed by Argentine musician Ángel Villoldo in 1893. Not the most romantic of titles "El Choclo" refers to either the owner of a nightclub's nickname or actually to corn which is featured in a famous Argentinian dish served t said nightclub. Although it has been a band arranger's favorite and musician's standard tune for well over 100 years, "El Choclo” remains one of the most popular Tangos in Argentina. Originally written as a strict Tango with the actual Habanero rhythm as a constant in the bass, "El Choclo" has been recorded countless time by several famous, iconic figures in the music business such as Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, Billy Eckstine and Julio Iglesias to name a few, not including of course the countless Argentinean and Tango records available. As a natural result of popularization, the original Tango (Habanero) feel is often replaced with a more syncopated and modern Latin rhythm. The tune also several dramatic sets of lyrics in both Spanish and English and is known by an alternate title: “Kiss Of Fire”! Kiss Of Fire I touch your lips and all at once the sparks go flying Those devil lips that know so well the art of lying And though I see the danger, sll the flame grows higher I know I must surrender to your kiss of fire Just like a torch, you set the soul within me burning I must go on, I'm on this road of no returning And though it burns me and it turns me into ashes My whole world crashes without your kiss of fire I can't resist you, what good is there in trying? What good is there denying you're all that I desire? Since first I kissed you my heart was yours completely If I'm a slave, then it's a slave I want to be Don't pity me, don't pity me Give me your lips, the lips you only let me borrow Love me tonight and let the devil take tomorrow I know that I must have your kiss although it dooms me Though it consumes me, your kiss of fire I can't resist you, what good is there in trying? What good is there denying you're all that I desire? Since first I kissed you my heart was yours completely If I'm a slave, then it's a slave I want to be Don't pity me, don't pity me Give me your lips, the lips you only let me borrow Love me tonight and let the devil take tomorrow I know that I must have your kiss although it dooms me Though it consumes me……. the kiss of fire!!! Aaah Burn me!!! Source Material Our version is of course in A minor, with the melody relying heavily of the A minor chord shape and of course clever 16th note triplets based on an A minor scale. G# Note The G# note appearing in the song, but not appearing in the A natural minor scale, has two possible explanations. First, and quite logical to me, is that the G# note located in the first measure of line 2 and in the third measure of line 4, represent a shift to the E 7 arpeggio, the chord tones. The second explanation is that the G# note is also resident in the A harmonic minor scale, since the G# is the one note that is not in the A natural minor, and only G# notes, not G natural notes, appear this melody it could be said this melody is written using the A harmonic minor scale. The Other Accidentals: The C#, D# & F# Notes The C# note appearing in bar 3 of the third line reflects the use of the A7 chord (not in the key) in the harmony so the melody shifts to chord tones. The D# and the the F# note appearing in the B section of the melody are chromatic approach notes or embellishments. A A m E7 ‘ ‘ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 2 ≈ . œ œ 3 ≈ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ≈ &4 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 œ œ œ E 7 A m ‘ ‘ œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ 3 ≈ œ œ œ œ œ ≈ & œ œ œ œ œ 3 œ œ œ A m A 7 D m ‘ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ≈ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ≈ œ & œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 œ œ 2. D m A m E 7 3 A m A m œ œ#œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ ≈ . œ ≈ & 3 œ Fine œ œ œ B G7 C G7 C œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ ≈ œ #œ œ & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ. E7 A m F7 E7 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. ≈ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ Œ & œ #œ œ D.C. al Fine A A m E7 2 2 4 2 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 œ œ 2 œ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ≈ . œ œ œ œ 3 ≈ œ œ œ œ œœ ≈ & 4 œ3 œ œ4 œ œ3 œ 3 œ3 œ œ4 5 5 6 6 8 6 5 5 5 5 5 T 5 5 5 5 7 7 5 5 7 5 4 A . 7 7 B 7 7 8 . 8 7 7 7 7 8 7 m E 3 A 2 4 2 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 3 œ œ 1 1311 œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 ≈ œ œœœœ ≈ 3 4 & œ43œ œ œ# œ 3 œ œ œ 7 7 4 4 6 6 8 6 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 7 7 5 4 5 4 6 6 7 8 7 7 7 7 8 A m A 7 Dm 1 2 2 3 2 1 1 1 1 4 2 421 2 1 2 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœœœ 3 œ œ3 œ œ œ 3 ≈ œ# œ 3 ≈ œ œ & œ4 œ3 œ 5 5 6 6 8 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 8 6 8 6 5 6 5 5 6 6 7 7 7 7 8 7 7 2. m m 7 D A 3 11 E m 3 2 3 A A m 4 3 4 2 2 3 111 21 1 4 21 3 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ2 œ2 œ4 œ2 2 œ1 œ œ œ œ ≈ . œ ≈ & 3 œ# Fine œœœ 6 5 5 8 7 8 7 7 5 5 4 4 5 4 5 4 4 4 7 5 7 7 7 7 7 9 7 6 9 7 . 7 7 7 8 . B G 7 C G 7 C 4 14 1 1 3 4 3 11 2 2 2 2 3 1 2 1 4 2 1 3 3 3 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ# œ & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ# œ œ. ≈ 6 6 6 8 6 5 6 5 5 5 8 4 7 5 4 5 4 8 7 9 7 5 4 7 5 8 E7 A m F7 E7 3 1 3 1 1 3 1 1 31 1 1 3 4 D.C. al Fine œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ. ≈ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ# œ Œ & 1 œ3 œ# 2 œ3 1 5 5 7 7 7 7 5 4 7 5 5 7 5 4 4 5 7 8 7 6 7.