La Gota Fría

La Gota Fría (English: The Cold Drop) is a 1938 Colombian Vallenato song, composed by Emiliano Zuleta.[1] It has been proposed as an unofficial
Colombian anthem. The song emerged from a musical controversy with Lorenzo Morales. Many artists had covered the song include Carlos Vives,
Grupo Niche, Ray Conniff, Gran Pachanga, Los Joao, La Sonora Dinamita, Julio Iglesias, Tulio Zuloaga, and Alfredo Gutiérrez. The title of the song
alludes metaphorically to the weather phenomenon, in which a cold front clashes with warm air, producing heavy storms and torrential rains; the
cold drop is occasionally apparent near the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

Contents
Lyrics and theme
Carlos Vives version
Background and composition
Reception
Music video
Track listings
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
References

Lyrics and theme

The lyrics, based on an actual event, are narrated in the first person and deal with a past impromptu vallenato accordion competition between the
narrator and his rival, Lorenzo Morales in the town of Urumita, gloating that the latter fled in anger the following morning. He explains that he (the
narrator) is a more meticulous music writer, while Morales mostly freestyles. The narrator argues that Morales is an uneducated man and the
competition devolves to mutual swearing and name-calling; he states that he is not above ultimately coming to blows with Morales, but that he is the
better man and doesn't let himself get provoked. When the two are jamming together with the accordion, Morales is increasingly unable to keep up
with the narrator and begins to get nervous, shedding cold sweat just like the title of the song; Morales ultimately makes a mistake and loses.

Carlos Vives version

In 1994, Colombian vallenato performer Carlos Vives covered the song on his album, Clásicos de la Provincia. "La Gota Fría"
The song became a top-ten hit on the on Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart and peaked at number-six. The song
received a Lo Nuestro award for "Tropical Song of the Year". It is recognized as one of Carlos Vives's signature
songs.

Background and composition

Before Clásicos de la Provincia, Vives was not considered a famous Colombian singer on the international stage.
He began his career as a soap opera star in such telenovelas.[2] Then tried his hand in a dual career as both
television star and romantic balladeer. While he gained domestic attention through his first few albums in the late
1980s, his synthpop style did little to differentiate himself from other musical artists of the era. It took a few years
for Vives to find inspiration out of the limelight in Bogotá and back to his roots in Santa Marta.[2]
Single by Carlos Vives
In 1991, when Carlos was approached to play the part of Rafael Escalona in the biographical film Escalona (1991),
it would not only be a star-turning role for the rising actor, but the beginning of Carlos's musical breakthrough. from the album Clásicos de la
Playing the famous musician, Carlos used his own musical talents to reinterpret Escalona's music, embedded in Provincia
the traditional Colombian style of music known as Vallenato.[2] With vallenato being the musical style of Released 1993
Colombia's northern coast, the location of Carlos's Santa Marta birthplace, Vives found success embracing his
hometown roots. While vallenato was a musical style that had slowly lost popularity with Colombia's younger Genre Vallenato
generation, Escalona would inspire Carlos to fuse the vallenato with modern rock, a sound that would break Length 3:33
Carlos not only in his own Colombian homeland, but the entire Latin American music market.[3] Label Polygram

With Carlos's backing band, La Provincia, Carlos took a cue from his successful interpretations of Rafael Songwriter(s) Emiliano Zuleta
Escalona, and decided to delve deeper into the famous artists of Colombia's vallenato past. The result would be Producer(s) Eduardo de Narvae
Carlos's first true breakthrough hit Clásicos de la Provincia, in 1993 (1994 internationally).[3] As the title implies,
Carlos Vives singles chronology
the album consists of Colombia's vallenato standards, not only popular during its time, but in a new rock style,
nearly turning the songs into new compositions. For example, the album opener "La Gota Fria", when compared "No Podrás "La Gota "Alicia
to the original by Emiliano Zuleta, sounds like two distinct songs, if one were to ignore song lyrics.[4] Escapar de Fría" Adorada"
Mi" (1993) (1994)
(1989)
Reception

Upon its release, "La Gota Fría" received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who recognized it as one of the best track from Clásicos de la
Provincia. Carlos Quintana of About.com wrote about the song that "this song took Colombia, and later the world, by storm. The feeling inside of it
represents in a perfect way the festive spirit of Colombian people", and named it as ideal track for any Latin party.[5] Also was placed it among his
personal list of the Best Vallenatos in History, ranking the first place in a top ten.[6] Janet Rosen from Allmusic praised the song because is different
between the other song of the album and expressed "a witty tune that was a major hit for Vives", going on to select the song as one of the best tracks of
the album.[7]

"La Gota Fría" became Vives's first record to attain commercial success. The song peaked at numbers 6 and 14 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs and
Latin Pop Songs component charts. The song won for Tropical Song of the Year at the 1995 Lo Nuestro Awards.[8] In Chile the song was certified
Platinum for selling over 25,000 copies.[9]

Music video

The music video for "La Gota Fría" was shot in the Romelio Martínez Stadium in Barranquilla, and Pescaíto (a popular neighborhood of his native
Santa Marta), the two locations are in Colombia. On December 7, 1993, Vives offered a concert in Barranquilla. The event was very special because the
music video for "La Gota Fría" was going to be filmed. They had many film cameras, dollies and clapperboards (with the participation of group of
video from RCN TV). At the 4:00 am the next day, La Provincia and Carlos Vives, left Barranquilla because they needed to shoot some scenes of the
music video in Santa Marta. The video of the song starts with Carlos singing live with La Provincia, during the video show scenes of the band
members playing their instruments. There are other scenes that show the public and other that shows Carlos Vives playing football at the beach, a
drop falling in the water, a cactus and other images.[10]
Track listings

12" maxi-single[11]

1. "La Gota Fría"

CD Maxi Single[12]
An image of Carlos Vives in the
1. "La Gota Fría" music video for "La Gota Fría".

2. "Alicia Adorada"
3. "Matilde Lina"
4. "Honda Herida"

Charts

Weekly charts Year-end charts

Peak Peak
Chart (1994) Chart (1994)
position position

US Hot Latin Songs (Billboard)[13] 6 US Latin Songs (Billboard)[15] 36

US Latin Pop Airplay (Billboard)[14] 14

Certifications

Country Provider Certification Sales

Chile IFPI Platinum[9] 25,000

References
1. "Emiliano Zuleta" (https://www.theguardian.com/news/2005/nov/14/gu
ardianobituaries.colombia). theguardian.com. 2005-11-14. Retrieved
2013-09-20.
2. "Carlos Vives Biography" (http://www.carlosvives.com/index.php?opti
on=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=104&lang=en). Sony
Music Entertainment. carlosvives.com (http://www.carlosvives.com/in
dex.php?lang=en). Retrieved July 12, 2013. External link in
|publisher= (help)
3. "Biografía de Carlos Vives" (http://www.candelaestereo.com/musica/a
rtistas-favoritos/9-carlos-vives/271-biografia-carlos-vives.html).
Candela Stereo (in Spanish). Retrieved July 12, 2013.
4. "Carlos Vives: Ya está listo el último trabajo musical de Carlos Vives y
la cosa pinta de alto turmequé" (http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/doc
umento/MAM-173434). El Tiempo (in Spanish). Casa Editorial El
Tiempo S.A. July 19, 1993. Retrieved July 13, 2013.
5. Quintana, Carlos. "Carlos Vives – 'Clásicos De La Provincia' CD
Review" (http://latinmusic.about.com/od/carlos_vives/fr/Carlos-Vives-
Clasicos-De-La-Provincia-Album-Review.htm). About.com. Retrieved
July 12, 2013.
6. Quintana, Carlos. "Best Vallenatos in History" (http://latinmusic.about.
com/od/colombian/tp/Best-Vallenatos-In-History.htm). About.com.
Retrieved July 12, 2013.
7. Rosen, Jane. "Clásico de la Provincia" (http://www.allmusic.com/albu
m/clasicos-de-la-provincia-mw0000109533). Allmusic. Rovi
Corporation. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
8. Lo Nuestro 1995 - Historia de Premio lo Nuestro (http://www.univisio
n.com/content/content.jhtml?cid=490957) Archived (https://web.archiv
e.org/web/20110805232615/http://www.univision.com/content/conten
t.jhtml?cid=490957) 2011-08-05 at the Wayback Machine Univision
9. Fernandez, Carmen Alicia (December 28, 1994). "Al son de bolero y
vallenato" (http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-26946
8). El Tiempo (in Spanish). Casa Editorial El Tiempo S.A. Retrieved
July 12, 2013.
10. Silva Guzmán, Mauricio (December 10, 1993). "Vives: de local y de
visitante" (http://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-
272406). El Tiempo (in Spanish). Casa Editorial El Tiempo S.A.
Retrieved July 13, 2013.
11. "Carlos Vives - LA Gota Fría (vinyl)" (http://www.discogs.com/Carlos-
Vives-La-Gota-Fria/release/4670030). Discogs. Zink Media. Retrieved
July 12, 2013.
12. "Carlos Vives - La Gota Fría (CD Maxi Single)" (http://www.discogs.co
m/Carlos-Vives-La-Gota-Fria/release/421735). Discogs. Zink Media.
Retrieved July 12, 2013.
13. "Carlos Vives Chart History (Hot Latin Songs)" (https://www.billboard.
com/music/Carlos-Vives/chart-history/HTL). Billboard. Retrieved April
28, 2011.
14. "Carlos Vives Chart History (Latin Pop Songs)" (https://www.billboard.
com/music/Carlos-Vives/chart-history/LPO). Billboard. Retrieved April
28, 2011.
15. "The Year in Music" (https://books.google.com/books?id=ZAgEAAAA
MBAJ&q=carlos+vives). Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 106
(52): YE-82. December 26, 1994. Retrieved July 12, 2013.

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