[Dixielandjazz] Singing Happy Birthday is a No-No - Was Who isBMI

[Bill Gunter]

Hi all,

Scott Anthony writes (regarding the "Happy Birthday" song):

>The ownership of Happy Birthday and the enforcement by ASCAP are probably 
>the reason you no longer hear it being sung by the employees of restaurants 
>when they have a birthday at a table. I wondered why Chevy's, a Mexican 
>restaurant chain out here in California (and probably elsewhere), started 
>singing an equally inane tune for inhabitants of birthday tables.

The "inane tune" the employees in the Mexican restaurant sing is probably 
"Las Mañanitas," a song with a lovely melody which is far superior to "Happy 
Birthday to yooouuuuu." It (Las Mañanitas) is the traditional Mexican 
birthday song.

The words go:

Estas son Las Mañanitas
Que cantaba el Rey David . . . etc.

At my next birthday party I want a mariachi band in attendance to sing that 
song for me.

Respectfully submitted,

Bill "Olé" Gunter
jazzboard at hotmail.com