Song: Little Paco the Chocolate Maker (Paquito el chocolatero)
A key part of any Spanish fiesta worth its salt is when all the guests get together to dance the very well known steps of “Little Paco the Chocolate Maker.”
This song is a quintessential part of any Spanish celebration. It’s never missing at village festivals and you can even hear it at weddings (and, if it’s not played, there’s always someone who asks the bride and groom to play it).
It seems like “Little Paco” has always existed, but the truth is, the paso doble (literally “double step”) that names it is more recent than it seems. It was composed in 1937 by Gustavo Pascual Falcó, from Concentaina (Alicante). At the beginning, it was composed for Moorish and Christian celebrations; but its popularity has grown, and it is now the most played Spanish song out there. That being said, few people know that it has lyrics and that they are the following (translated from the Spanish):
Paquito "El Chocolatero" Se pone el vestido de fiesta Por la calle van desfilando Por la calle van desfilando Después (mañana) se irá | Little Paco "the chocolate maker" He wears his party suit They march down the street They march down the street Later (tomorrow) he’ll go |
After learning this little story you’re probably asking yourself, “who was Little Paco?” Well, it’s said that he was Gustavo Pascual Falcó’s brother-in-law, whose name was Francisco Pérez Molina, a chocolate seller in a small store, for whom fiestas, more than a tradition, were a religion.
Now that you know who “Little Paco” was you’re probably asking yourself, “why is the dance for this song that made him immortal, so strange?” Well, it’s said that a member of the pirate troupe that acted in the Moorish and Christian fiestas of Villena (Alicante) created the style to make fun of his own limp.
How about that? Keep this information in mind, because it is very likely that you now know more about this topic than Spaniards themselves.