The Mystery of the Sotomayor Mambo

Breaking World News on Onda Carolina...

I just spoke by phone with Kaare Kolve [follow this link to read the full interview], saxophonist of the band Mambo Compañeros in Trondheim, Norway and solved The Mystery of the Sotomayor Mambo. (Sonia Sotomayor says she loved Nancy Drew as a girl, and so did I.)

Kaare (pronounced akin to "kawr-uh") was nice as pie, and surprised to get my call, his FIRST interview with the US press about "Sotomayor," a tune he wrote in 1998.

That's right, 1998. When Cuban high-jumper Javier Sotomayor visited Norway. That sure makes sense out of some of the lyrics I didn't understand, and what seemed like a vacuna of information about Judge Sotomayor!

"Bienvenido a Noruega" = Welcome to Norway: Javier was there making an appearance on a Norwegian TV program when the band premiered this song for him on live television.

"El Rey del Salto Alto" = King of the High Jump: Words that end the song, I couldn't make sense of it, thinking maybe that was the nickname of the sonero?

But of course.



Kaare was packing up to go to a Mambo Compañeros rehearsal, and he says that although the band had no knowledge of the use of their song in a viral publicity campaign* stateside, he's delighted that it's being played to celebrate Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court.

Developing...more of my exclusive interview soon!



*The NiLP sent out an Action Alert containing a free download of "The Mambo Companions' new song" [sic], which has been forwardly widely on the Internet, posted on sites soliciting donations as well as video hosts such as Myspace and YouTube without the band's knowledge.

To show your support for musicians AND Judge Sonia Sotomayor, legitimately download the mp3 "Sotomayor," from Mambo Compañeros' 2004 album Viva Salsa, for .99 cents at Amazon.