After details about the relationship between Ernesto Pimentel and Alex Brocca were revealed, the song 'Take to forget' became popular on TikTok and inspired many users to create new videos with this song. What few knew is that the author of said cumbia is Manuel Mantilla Paredes, a composer from Trujillo, and that Percy Chapoñay Zárate, one of the prominent voices of Armonía 10, was the first to record it, in 2001.
Part of the lyrics of 'Take to forget' reflects a deep lack of love: “Leave me alone with my pain, today I want to drink because you are not there… I don't want crumbs, I know you don't love me, today I want to drink to forget.”
Manuel Mantilla, who is now 63 years old, is also known for composing other hits, such as 'Traicionera', 'No se puede amar a dos', 'Pagarás (Humo del cigarro)', 'Regresa a mi lado', 'Quinceañera' , 'Serpent', 'Thank you', 'Lágrimas de escarcha' and many more, which consolidate his reputation as a prolific hitmaker in the world of Peruvian cumbia.
In an interview with La República, Manuel Mantilla revealed that he composed 'Take to forget' between 1993 and 1994, during a period in which he frequently traveled between Lima and Trujillo to supply songs to various groups in the north. Like many of his works, this song arose after a breakup, at a time when the northerner thought he had found definitive love after several disappointments.
Composer and producer Manuel Mantilla assured that 'Tomar para vivir' is one of the many songs that he gave to the group of the late Walther Lozada to record. He commented that one of his favorite performers was Percy Chapoñay, who also sang other of his songs, such as 'Pagarás (Humo del cigarro)' and 'Por qué ha lo tú'. “He was the one who best expressed my songs in Armonía 10,” he asserted.
Manuel Mantilla praises Ernesto Pimentel
On the other hand, Mantilla said that he was surprised when he heard 'Take to forget' in the voice of the host of 'El reventonazo'. “When I was in Piura many years ago, they told me that Ernesto Pimentel had traveled to the Armonía 10 studios and had recorded this song. Then, I heard the song and I felt something very special because it was not the voice of Percy Chapoñay, which is a lamenting voice, that demands, that screams and that is more powerful; I heard a soft, sweet and very sad voice from the Chola.”
When asked which version of 'Take to Forget' he likes the most, Mantilla was clear in his response. “I love Percy Chapoñay's interpretation, but I am fascinated by Ernesto Pimentel's. He makes me cry. In the video, he expresses a lot, he doesn't dance, he just does some sad steps. In that song, he conveys what he feels.”
Likewise, Mantilla revealed that he already had a meeting with Pimentel, who will pay tribute to him this Saturday, April 27 on his program. “I told Ernesto: 'This song seems like it was made for you because you sing it to someone you loved and loved, but you didn't want crumbs. Chola, this song is yours'”, is what the composer told him.
Pimentel would also have dedicated emotional words to him. “He told me: 'Manuel, I chose this song because it is the best story I can have in my life. I thank you very much,'” Ernesto said, according to the tropical music producer.
Finally, Manuel Mantilla invited Ernesto Pimentel to continue collaborating. “We are going to record more songs with Chola because he has a beautiful voice and he has something that transmits a lot because he is a great actor,” he concluded.
How was 'Take to Forget' created?
Mantilla, 63, tells how heartbreak and loneliness invaded his life after the end of a significant relationship, which led him to lock himself in his room to capture his pain on paper, accompanied by a few glasses of liquor, without wanting consolation from no one, not even his own mother.
Manuel Mantilla is the creator of other hits, such as 'Traicionera', 'Pagarás (Humo del cigarro)', 'Serpiente', 'No se puede amar a dos' and more. Photos: Facebook/Manuel Mantilla
Additionally, Mantilla shared that 'Tomar Para Olvidar' has a special connection with his mother, Eufemia, who was always eager to listen to his new songs and dance to them with him. Despite her advanced age and reduced mobility, her mother sensed her son's suffering and offered him comfort by telling him that they shared both her joys and sorrows. According to Mantilla, after performing it on guitar, they both ended up crying and her mother predicted the success of the song shortly before she died.
“'Drink to forget' has a direct relationship with my mother, who was at my house and in a little bit of poor health, as if saying goodbye… she had had surgery. My musical creations are closely related to her, because she was the first to hear them. When she was composing 'Take to Forget', she heard the lyrics, called me and told me 'I want you to finish it'. The only thing you had to give it was the romantic touch,” she recalled.
Mantilla admits that it was not easy to finish the song, which in 2024 became popular again thanks to the film 'Chabuca'. “I finished this work with a lot of pain, with a lot of crying, because I imagined the story I had with that girl. When I finished composing, I was mentally exhausted because I stayed up many days. You have to create something that will not only be for you. It's my story, but I have to convey it to the public, because they are the ones who are going to have fun, who are going to cry and who are going to smile for me. It's about these works being sung by thousands and being available so that the singer, when the choir arrives, can put the microphone on the audience,” said the man from Trujillo.
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