This is the first one of a series of posts I intend to write about songs and music in general that have shaped me.
This is by no means a way of claiming that this is the "best music" (in my opinion, there is no such thing) or that other types of music are not valid. This is just a way to share my musical journey as best as I can remember it. You may hear something you've never heard before and that by itself seems really interesting to me.
I was born In Bogotá, Colombia on the 28 of february more than 30 years ago and I have been singing for as long as I can remember. Many things have changed in my life since I was little, but music has always been one of the few a constants, I feel like it's a part of me.
This is the first song I remember ever singing , it is called Obsesión, it was written by Sergio Amaris , it was first published on an album called "Un nuevo estilo" by "Las estrellas vallenatas ("A new style" by "The vallenato stars") :)
Qué dice tu mirada | What does your gaze say?
que cosa extraña | What strange things
tus ojos tienen | do your eyes have?
Cuando miro tu foto | When I look at your picture
una rara obsesión | a weird obsession
me detiene | stops me
Dios mio tu que eres el | Dear god, you who
creador de todas | created all of
las cosas bellas | the beautiful things
que hay en el mundo | there are in the world
porqué no escuchas | why won't you hear
hoy mis peticiones | my plea?
Hiciste médicos | You made doctors
pa´ todos los males | for all ailments
pero porqué no creaste uno | but why didn't you create one
que pueda curar un mal de amores | that could cure a love illness
Yo quisiera que la tierra | I wish the earth
girara al revés | turned backwards
para hacerme pequeño | so I could become little
y volver a nacer | and be born again..
Y no tener que volver a extrañarte | So I'd never miss you again
ni en tu fotografías mirarte | and stare at your pictures again
ni llevarte fundida en mi pecho | and not having you fused to my chest
como si fueras parte de mí | as if you were part of me
Barranquilla ciudad de cantores | Barranquilla city of singers
de vallenatos y de acordeones | of vallenatos and accordions
ella adorna tus calles, decile | she graces your streets, tell her
que le deseo que sea feliz | that I wish her joy
Que es la última canción que compongo | That this is the last song I write
que no creo volver a enamorarme | that I'll never fall in love again
pero dime como hiciste negra | but tell me what you did baby
pa´ olvidarte de mí | to forget about me
La gente me critica | People criticize me
porque ahora | because I
ya no soy parrandero | no longer go out
Con tu partida negra | With your goodbye baby
siento mas frio | I feel colder
muero en silencio | I die in silence
Cuida bien mis retoños | Take care of my offspring
porque tu sabes | because you know
que yo los quiero | I love them
Dios mio dame | Dear god give me
fuerzas pa´ continuar | strength to carry on
con este canto | with this song.
Recuerdo un mes | I remember
de octubre tu cumpleaños | October, your birthday
te juro que trato | I swear I've tried
y no he podido | but I can't
buscar el remedio para olvidarlo | find a way to forget it
Yo quisiera que la tierra | I wish the earth
girara al revés | turned backwards
para hacerme pequeño | so I could become little
y volver a nacer | and be born again..
Y no tener que volver a extrañarte | So I'd never miss you again
ni en tu fotografías mirarte | and stare at your pictures again
ni llevarte fundida en mi pecho | and not having you fused to my chest
como si fueras parte de mí | as if you were part of me
Barranquilla ciudad de cantores | Barranquilla city of singers
de vallenatos y de acordeones | of vallenatos and accordions
ella adorna tus calles, decile | she graces your streets, tell her
que le deseo que sea feliz | that I wish her joy
Que es la última canción que compongo | That this is the last song I write
que no creo volver a enamorarme | That I'll never fall in love again
pero dime como hiciste negra | but tell me what you did baby
pa´ olvidarte de mí | to forget about me
I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me. -Ralph Waldo Emerson
I once read this great quote by Ralph Emerson, yesterday I found it again and as soon as I read it I came up with the idea for this post :)
That quote rings extremely true, even more so when it comes to music in my life.
This song comes from my country's folklore, from a region up north called the Cesar province, very close to Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, somewhat close the the Atlantic ocean.
This genre is called "Vallenato", one of the many native rythms distilled from mixtures of spanish, indigenous and african people, culture and music.
Next to salsa, Vallenato is the genre I used to sing the most when I was a child. And so I felt this was a worthy starting point :)
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the music.
Thank you very much for reading and listening, I will be making many more of these in the future.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them down below. I'd love to know what your first memory of a song or music was as well! :D
Until my next post!
