The Fiestas
Encyclopedia
The Fiestas were an American Rhythm and Blues musical group from Newark
, New Jersey
.
Organized in 1958, The Fiestas contracted with Old Town Records company in 1959 after the company's owner, Hy Weiss
, overheard the group singing in a bathroom adjacent to his office in Harlem
. Their debut single was 1959's "So Fine", written by Johnny Otis
; the song was a hit in the U.S., reaching #3 on the Black Singles chart and #11 on the Billboard Hot 100
. A series of soul
singles followed from the group, among them "Last Night I Dreamed", "You Could Be My Girlfriend", "Anna", and "Think Smart", but only 1962's "Broken Heart" managed to chart, scoring #18 on the Black Singles chart.
Ending their relationship with Old Town, the group later recorded for the Strand and Vigor labels, releasing music into the mid-1970s.
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.
Organized in 1958, The Fiestas contracted with Old Town Records company in 1959 after the company's owner, Hy Weiss
Hy Weiss
-Biography:Born Hyman Y. Weiss in Romania, he was an immigrant to the United States when young and was brought up in the Bronx, New York. He started in the music industry in 1949, setting up Parody Records with his brother Sam....
, overheard the group singing in a bathroom adjacent to his office in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
. Their debut single was 1959's "So Fine", written by Johnny Otis
Johnny Otis
Johnny Otis is an American singer, musician, talent scout, disc jockey, composer, arranger, recording artist, record producer, vibraphonist, drummer, percussionist, bandleader, and impresario.He is commonly referred to as The Godfather Of Rhythm And Blues.-Personal life:Otis, the son of Alexander...
; the song was a hit in the U.S., reaching #3 on the Black Singles chart and #11 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. A series of soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singles followed from the group, among them "Last Night I Dreamed", "You Could Be My Girlfriend", "Anna", and "Think Smart", but only 1962's "Broken Heart" managed to chart, scoring #18 on the Black Singles chart.
Ending their relationship with Old Town, the group later recorded for the Strand and Vigor labels, releasing music into the mid-1970s.