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"La Colegiala" ("the collegian", or "girl student" inSpanish) is a Latin iconic song composed in 1975 by Walter León Aguilar, leader of the Peruviancumbia ensemble Los Ilusionistas, and made hugely popular in the early 1980s by the Colombian singerRodolfo Aicardi, crediting it toRodolfo y su Tipica RA7.
Walter León Aguilar, leader of thecumbia music band Los Ilusionistas, composed the song inspired by a young girl who was passing by while León Aguilar was riding a public bus. He called his friend, singer Carlos Ramirez Centeno, to sing and record the song for the first time in 1977. The song was a hit in Peru, mainly in the rural areas of its capital cityLima.
The song was popularized in France and continental Europe in 1980 through the usage of theRodolfo y su Tipica RA7 version for aNescafé advertisement broadcast on French television.[1] A longer version of the Nescafé ad was used in movie theatres. The ad concept had been tried initially in Ecuador by the ad agency Publicis, later spreading in other Latin American countries before making it to Europe.
Soon, the Rodolfo y su Tipica version was released as a single by RCA, with the B-side containing "La Subienda", composed bySenon Palacio and interpreted byGabriel Romero. Nescafé sales hugely increased as a result.
"La Colegiala" was later remade and remixed in various versions and languages. Notable versions include remakes by La Sonora Dinamita (1982),Gary Low (1984,GermanItalo disco version promoted in German-speaking markets, in theBenelux and in Italy; also reached number one in Spain), Alex Bueno (1990), Café Latino (1992), Caló (1995), and another version in 2007, Caló featuring Margarita La Diosa de la Cumbia.
Further versions were made by theGipsy Kings,Jean-Claude Borelly (France),Fausto Papetti (Italy),Sandra Reemer (the Netherlands), Miguelo (Chile), Pastor López (Venezuela), and Parchis (Spain).
In 2017,The Boy Next Door revived it in a remix. The release was credited to The Boy Next Door and Fresh Coast featuring Jody Bernal.
Richard Gotainer adapted it in theFrench language titled "Les frappés du café", Serge Nelson as "Les frappés du café (La Colegiala Remix)", and in 2004 Crooked Stilo retitled it as "Mis Colegialas". İdo Tatlıses released it in theTurkish language as "Sen".King África released it as "Africana", with additional changes in lyrics and music. In 2010,Belle Perez released it with notable changes inSpanish language lyrics.
The Indian filmUllaasam's soundtrack contains the song "Cho Larey" which is based on "La Colegiala".[2]
