Borderline Latin is an exploration of the influence of Latin music in styles, places and rhythms beyond its traditional borders, and of different types of cross-pollination between Latin music and other musical creatures. Each week, we will feature a song or musical style whose rhythm, themes, melodic inflections or influences have earned it the name of Borderline Latin.
In this column we’ve never been afraid to feature the good, the bad and the ugly, as long as there’s something interesting, culturally relevant, or plainly disturbing about it. Yes: the sorts of border crossings we cover here can get a little disturbing at times. But to be honest, I am not sure what to make of this week’s pick. On the one hand, The Doors are a huge band, and a personal favorite. On the other, Manzarek, Densmore and Krieger are cool and all, but three Doors don’t make one Morrison. Anyway, let’s get to it.
After Jim Morrison’s death in 1971, The Doors went on to record two more albums before disintegrating. One of these albums, Full Circle, features what would become one of their last original singles –if not the last one: “The Mosquito.” “The Mosquito” is a rhythmical song that breaks into a funky, jazzy improv section, not before repeating the lyrics a couple of times, which are an expansion of a topic suggested by its catchy opening verse: “no me moleste mosquito.” The abstract lyrical entity uttering these words apparently wants this mosquito to stop bothering him and go home, so he can finish eating his burrito. And that’s about it.
Apparently The Doors were not very proud of their post-Morrison work, because unlike other albums, Full Circle would not be re-issued until 2011 –it is now available on . However, “The Mosquito” stands out as an exception. It was renamed as “No Me Moleste Mosquito” and is even included in The Best of The Doors (2000). To be fair, the band did pay a wonderful homage to flamenco music and to the Iberian Peninsula during the Morrison era, in “Spanish Caravan.” But they only sang in Spanish in the mosquito song.
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Click HERE to read more “Borderline Latin” profiles. For comments and tips, please contact me at: Salvador@remezcla.com, and for more info on my “Borderline” works, visit Borderline Projects.