Anita Darian, an opera singer (and more, as you will find out in a moment) has passed away. She died on February 1, of complications arising from intestinal surgery.
I have to admit, I never heard of Ms. Darian until I read her obituary in today\’s belated New York Times obituary (that\’s not a knock on the Times; her death may not have been made public until now). But I certainly heard her sing.
Ms. Darian had a major career in opera and classical music. She performed at Carnegie Hall and was a regular at New York\’s City Center.
But that is not how I remember her.
In 1961, The Tokens did a version of “Wimoweh”, an African chant which Pete Seeger had adapted to folk music years before and recorded with his iconic group, The Weavers.
The Tokens\’ version was called “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. If you use the link and listen to it, you will hear a female operative voice in the background, soaring high over everyone else. That, folks, was Anita Darian.
And it wasn\’t her only foray into rock \’n roll either. Five years before, she sang back-up on Mickey & Sylvia\’s million-selling hit, “Love Is Strange” .
Personally, I thought Ms. Darian\’s “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” work was so imposing (in a good way) that it almost overshadowed lead singer Jay Siegel\’s even more famous “Wee dee dee ee dee ee ee dee dee, Wee um um a weh” part. (On the other hand, I thought the Pete Seeger/Weavers version blew them both away, but that\’s for another blog.)
In any event, Anita Darian is gone, and we have lost a very talented singer, who graced the stage and, pretty much anonymously, meant a lot to early rock \’n\’ roll as well. May she rest in peace.
Oh, one other thing: apropos of nothing useful, 1961, when the Tokens recorded “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”, is the same year if you turn it upside down. That is the last time this will happen until 6009 – which, I am reasonably certain, few of us will be around to celebrate.
Ok, back to politics, where most things are turned upside down and few are worthy of celebrating.
