Edward B. Marks Music Co., New York (cover designer: unknown, composer: Moisés Simons, English lyricists: Marion Sunshine and L. Wolfe Gilbert, arranger: Lawrence Kempton), "The Peanut Vendor (El Manisero)," 1930. Offset print, sheet music.

"The Peanut Vendor (El Manisero)" - The Song That Launched the Rumba Craze (1930)

Historic sheet music for "The Peanut Vendor" (El Manisero), the Cuban song that sparked an international dance craze and became one of the first massive crossover hits of Latin music in the United States. Composed by Cuban musician Moisés Simons and arranged by Lawrence Kempton, this fox-trot tempo adaptation was made famous by Don Azpiazu's Havana Casino Orchestra.

The cover features a photograph of bandleader Vincent Lopez and is decorated with Cuban flags, palm trees, and the designation "Nuevos Ritmos" (New Rhythms). The sheet music contains both the original Spanish lyrics and English adaptations by Marion Sunshine and L. Wolfe Gilbert, making it accessible to American audiences while preserving the song's Cuban character.

"El Manisero" tells the story of a street vendor selling peanuts in Havana, capturing the sounds and rhythms of Cuban street life. When Don Azpiazu's orchestra performed it at New York's Palace Theatre in 1930, it became a sensation, introducing American audiences to authentic Cuban music and dance. The song's success paved the way for other Latin artists and helped establish Cuban music as a major force in American popular culture.

A landmark document in the history of Cuban-American musical exchange and the birth of Latin music's popularity in the United States.