In 1958 Cole made Cole Español, an album sung entirely in Spanish, with arrangements by Nelson Riddle and Armando Romeu Jr. The orchestra was recorded in Havana, and Cole added his voice in Los Angeles that June.

The songs

“Cachito”, “María Elena”, “Quizás, quizás, quizás”, “Acércate más”, “Noche de ronda”. On “Tú, mi delirio” he left the words to the strings and played the piano instead.

What followed

It was so popular in Latin America and in the United States that two more followed: A Mis Amigos in 1959 and More Cole Español in 1962. The album was inducted into the Latin Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007.