Mr. WANG: This song reflects how so much of the Panamanian music of this era came from places outside of the country but found a new harmonic home in Panama.
Mr. WANG: From there, the song was covered by other artists, but most famously in 1970 by the East L.A. group El Chicano, which transformed Viva Tirado into a brown power anthem, giving it a funkier feel and a stronger rock edge.
In his statement, which was repeated by the state-run Xinhua news agency, Mr. Wang said Mr. Buffett would sing a song and play guitar in the online version of this year's Spring Festival gala.