In 1913,[1] the Victor Military Band recorded the “Sunshine Girl Tango” from The Sunshine Girl for the Victor Talking Machine Co—strictly speaking, the play was of British origin, but it was produced on Broadway in 1913,[2] likely explaining why Victor chose to record it at the time. Numbering among the earliest tangos specifically marketed for a U.S. audience by the Victor Talking Machine Co., “Sunshine Girl Tango” can also be seen as a representation or symptom of a burgeoning U.S. interest in Latin American music, although of course it is important to remember that recordings could lag behind or catalyze new developments in musical tastes, so this particular recording should be seen as part of a process, rather than necessarily a defining moment of it.
Regarding the recording itself, perhaps the most notable features are the instrumentation and arrangement: although it is described as an “Argentine Dance” on the label, the overall sound of the record, aside from the tango rhythm and use of castanets, is emphatically that of a typical U.S. military band of the mid-’teens. Considered on its own merits, the recording may not have any faults; but considered in terms of international musical relations, it could be viewed as cultural appropriation.
[1] Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. “Victor matrix B-12981. Sunshine girl tango / Victor Military Band,” accessed December 15, 2022, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/matrix/detail/200013226/B-12981-Sunshine_girl_tango.
[2] “The Sunshine Girl.” Guide to Musical Theatre. (2022). http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_s/sunshinegirl.htm