Author Topic: The most heard unknown song in the world (Chapolin Polka mystery)  (Read 5170 times)

Bronic

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On a small update note an early usage of this track was spotted on a off-air recording on the same SBT network probably in 1987 or older (SBT was founded in 1981):



Curiously this clip is announcing a Speedy Gonzales cartoon, another fictional Mexican character. If this was intentional choice it may indicate that the source has a Mexican or Latin American theme. Or the tune was repurposed from the Speedy Gonzales association to the Chespirito's shows on the network.

The research sadly still has no strong lead, we know nothing beyond the usage of the track. Everything is just guessing work.

By now I have a huge collection of library music and this tune isn't there. Also I cannot find examples of other vintage library music used in Brazilian TV. No Italian, French, German labels or obscure releases were ever used by TV stations here.

The library music connection to SBT network comes from some tunes from KPM, Bruton and Valentino used in programming specially children's and comedy. I believe that this is indeed a library track it made its way to Brazil first through American distribution then unofficially imported.


Sirigaitao

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I made a montage of the Chapolin soundtrack, maybe it can help with the research in some way. I've already talked to the sound designer at SBT, but he can't share the soundtrack, and SBT doesn't have the name of it registered, although they might have the record from which this music was extracted.

LibraryMusicLover9500

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Thanks for giving your thoughts, MusicMuzak!

But it's fair more convoluted than that:

The track in question was never part of the original series neither the Brazilian dub itself. The SBT network used this unknown track for the opening and promos for Bolaņos shows and the Chapulin's opening since 1993. In the 1980s and early 90s SBT used music from various external sources for their programming which includes commercial recordings.

The instrumentation used in the track is also a riddle for the fans. At first the intro sounds like a polymoog synth, but fans at the forum are arguing that if you listen carefully it may be a clarinet under heavy processing like a wah-wah pedal and even sped up in recording. I quite agree with this theory and I believe it to be the work of a single clarinetist, but this type of experimental processing is very unlike the straightforward music arrangements of library music.

The 9-year old thread on the fan forum is reaching nearly 200 pages, and there is a lot of buzz on social media but NOTHING was found about the origins of the track to this day. Unlike other mysterious tracks of the Internet it is still is an instantly recognizable tune that was broadcasted daily on the second biggest Brazilian network for almost 30 years for millions of people.
Some people on reddit told me it was a soprano saxophone, but with some formant filter and LFO.

redwave

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Re: For 30 years nobody can identify this track (Brazilian Chapulin opening)
« Reply #33 on: January 25, 2024, 08:20:18 PM »
It sounds quite Eastern European in style and it might be worth exploring the Arcadia Production Music releases.