The classic
La Paloma Habanera which was the source material for Bizet's
Habanera from
Carmen. Born on January 20, 1809 in Lanciego, in the province of Álava. His publisher in Paris urged him to
universalize his name, from Iradier to Yradier. He is known primarily for his habaneras, especially the one titled
La Paloma, written around 1860 after a visit to Cuba.
La Paloma was extremely popular in both Spain and America (especially Mexico), where it was responsible for the great popularity achieved by the habanera. Another of Iradier's compositions is
El Arreglito, an habanera used by Georges Bizet in his opera Carmen. Bizet, thinking it was a folk song, took the melody of
El Arreglito and created what is known today as the
Habanera from Carmen: the song
L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
