Artist page

Moises Simons was a Cuban composer, pianist, and orchestra leader, born in Havana on August 24, 1889, and passing away in Madrid on June 24, 1945. He is best known for composing "El Manisero" (The Peanut Vendor), a significant piece that brought Cuban music into American mainstream consciousness. Simons achieved chart success in the U.S. eight times and once in the U.K. between 1930 and 1975, with "The Peanut Vendor" charting six times. The song first reached #1 in 1930 with Don Azpiazu & His Havana Casino Orchestra. English versions, featuring lyrics by L. Wolfe Gilbert and Marion Sunshine, hit #5 twice in 1931, first by Red Nichols & His Five Pennies and then by The California Ramblers. The sheet music for "The Peanut Vendor" sold over one million copies in 1930 and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. The song has been covered by over one hundred and fifty artists. Simons' other charted song, "Marta (Rambling Rose of the Wildwood)," reached the charts three times, with Arthur Tracy's version hitting #19 in the U.S. in 1932, also featuring English lyrics by Gilbert and Sunshine.