In Celebration of the Human Voice - The Essential Musical Instrument

The de Castro Sisters

Female Vintage Trio from Las Vegas , NV

The De Castro sisters grew up in Cuba, though each was born in a different country - Margarita Dolores, known as Peggy, was born in the Dominican Republic, Cherie - the United States, and Babette - in Cuba. They were singing and dancing by the early 40's and used several different variations of names as performers, including The Americanitas, The Marvel Sisters, The Fernando De Castro Sisters, and finally they shortened it to their family name of the De Castro Sisters. Their act included comedy, both intended and unintended, singing, dancing and apparent acting on stage. They were also the voices that sang Zip A Dee Doo Dah in Disney's 1946 film Song Of The South. Did they speed up their voices, or was it really their natural sound? They appeared in the 1947 film Copacabana, and several others including The Helen Morgan Story. Their very first recordings as the De Castro Sisters were from 1952 on the Tico label and included "I Do" and Jumbalato" with Tito Puente.

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Teach Me Tonight

The legendary DeCastro Sisters--Cherie, Olgita and original lead singer Peggy--made one of their last appearances together at the Hollywood Roosevelt Cinegrill in 1997. In this segment, they explain how they came to introduce their biggest hit "Teach Me Tonight" back in 1954. Bette Midler salutes their classic recording on her recent CD, "It's the Girls".

El Cumbanchero

The legendary DeCastro Sisters perform one of their earliest hits, "El Cumbanchero," in this 1952 video.

de Castro Sisters : Teach Me Tonight

Most popular in the 50s, the de Castros began a decade earlier as a Latin act, which they virtually dropped when they were signed by the otherwise hillbilly-oriented Abbott label. Besides 31 (big band accompanied) period hits, "Teach Me" includes a thick photo album with the history of these 3 Cuban rich girls who shared an amazing musical career stretching from the 1940s to the present day (at least as of 1999, when the CD was released), from Miami to Hollywood to New York City. Sneaking off from their gig at Miami's Clover Club to sing (and record) with Tito Puente's band, being invited to Hollywood by Walt Disney to sing background vocals on "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah"-it's an amazing musical story. The title tune was on the flip side of the supposed-to-be hit "It's Love." A Cleveland disc jockey turned it over, played it and got bags of mail. The "suggestive" tune became the Sisters' biggest hit. Novelty and pop tunes like "Boom Boom Boomerang," "Cuckoo In The Clock," "Rockin' and Rollin' In Hawaii," "Cowboys Don't Cry," "Don't Call Me Sweetie," "Old Timer's Tune" the upbeat "Biddle-Dee Bop" and "You Take Of Me (I'll Take Care of You;" torch songs like "No One to Blame But You," "Give Me Time," "If I Ever Fall In Love," "It's Yours," and the country tune "That Little Word Called Love" - we've never heard most of these songs, but we like them. They are as full of energy, spirit and innocence as the 1950s, and the improbable de Castro Sisters!

Songlist: It's Love, Boom Boom Boomerang, To Say You're Mine, The Wedding Song, If I Ever Fall In Love, I'm Bewildered, Teach Me Tonight, Give Me Time, Too Late Now, Cry Baby Blues, Let Your Love Walk In, Cuckoo In The Clock, Cuban Love Song, I Can't Escape From You, Rockin' and Rollin' In Hawaii, No One To Blame But You, Cowboys Don't Cry, It's Yours, I Never Meant To Hurt You, I Hear A Melody, Don't Call Me Sweetie, Flowers On The Hillside, I Know Plenty, Blue And Broken-Hearted, Where Have You Been My Love, That Little Word Called Love, Old Timer's Tune, Biddle-Dee Bop, What A Relief (Hoop Ah Hoop Ah, Bah Dah Dah), You Take Care of Me (I'll Take Care Of You), and more