over two decades he has sessioned as a coro (chorus) singer on countless New York recordings. His early influences included the great Cuban vocalists Beny Moré and Miguelito Cuní (b. 8 May 1920, Pinar del Río, Cuba, d. 5 March 1984, Havana, Cuba). Santiago started his professional career singing with trios and playing bass and
guitar. After stints with the bands of Chuíto Vélez, Willie Rodríguez and Willie Rosario, his career really took off when he joined Ray Barretto's band. Between 1966-72, Adalberto made seven albums (excluding compilations) with Ray Barretto. In late 1972, Adalberto and four other members of Barretto's band departed to found Tipica 73. He appeared on three of their albums before disagreement over musical direction
led him, and three other band members, to split during the mid-70s to form Los Kimbos. Meanwhile, Santiago sang lead vocals on two critically acclaimed charanga albums, "Fantasia Africana/African Fantasy" and "Our Heritage - Nuestra Herencia", by flautist, composer and producer Lou Pérez. Los Kimbos were reputed to be a tough working band and had a sound reminiscent of both the pre-split Ray Barretto band and Tipica 73. With them, Adalberto recorded 1976's "Los Kimbos" and "The Big Kimbos With Adalberto Santiago" in1977. That year he made his solo debut on "Adalberto", which was produced by Ray Barretto and contained two of his own compositions. Los Kimbos continued under the leadership of timbales player Orestes Vilató and released two further albums- "Hoy y Mañana" (1978) and "Aquacero Ne Me Moja" (1979). Santiago sang lead on one track on "Louie Ramírez y sus Amigos" by Louie Ramírez. In 1979, Adalberto and Ramírez co-produced his solo follow-up, "Adalberto Featuring Popeye El Marino". The same year, he reunited with Ray Barretto on "Rican/Struction". Ray produced Adalberto's next solo album, "Feliz Me Siento", the following year. Sonora Matancera member, Javier Vázquez, produced, arranged, directed and played piano on the rootsy Adalberto Santiago,
which was Adalberto's contribution to the early 80s tipico (typical) salsa revival. In 1982, he teamed up with bandleader/bongo player Roberto Roena for "Super Apollo" 47:50. Santiago co-produced "Calidad" with Papo Lucca, who also played piano, arranged one track and oversaw musical direction. His "Cosas
Del Alma" was an album of lush boleros which included his third recorded version
of the classic 'Alma Con Alma' (previously contained on Barretto's "The Message" and "Gracias"). He returned to harder-edged urban salsa in 1985 on "Mas Sabroso". Adalberto did his own mature version of salsa romántica on the classy Sex Symbol, with production, arrangements, musical direction and piano by the ubiquitous Isidro Infante. In 1990, he again performed 'Alma Con Alma', this time arranged by Infante in a salsa romántica style for Louie Ramírez's second album entitled "Louie Ramírez y sus Amigos". Santiago has written songs for a number of the albums on which he has appeared,
both as bandleader and solo artist, and provided compositions for other artists to
record, such as Joe Cuba. Adalberto has remained true to his Latin roots and a statement he made in 1977 is still relevant in the 90s: 'I want to bring a truly Latin message to the people; this is what I do best and the structure of Latin music is best suited to my singing style'.
La Noche Más Linda Del Mundo
Adalberto Santiago Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Te confesé que no conseguí reemplazarte Y te dejé en tu alcoba después de besarte
Tus besos eran soles, mis manos puñales Tu sonrisa y la mía se dijeron "te quiero"
Y brotaron las frases poco tradicionales En una mujer libre y un hombre soltero
Y esa fue la noche mas linda del mundo Aunque nos durara tan solo un segundo
Mas no me arrepiento porque aquel momento Lo llevo grabado en mi pensamiento
Y esa fue la noche mas linda del mundo Aunque nos durara tan solo un segundo
Que no me arrepiento porque aquel momento Lo llevo grabado en mi pensamiento
Tu lecho en mi memoria, amigos ya viejos El reloj de pared y la puerta de espejos
Nos vieron otra vez a los dos reflejados Cometiendo uno a uno nuestros siete pecados
Me bebí de tu cuerpo la pal y la savia Con una mezcla extraña de amor y de rabia
Primero nos amamos y luego lloramos Y al final por exceso de amor nos separamos
Y esa fue la noche mas linda del mundo Aunque nos durara tan solo un segundo
Mas no me arrepiento porque aquel momento Lo llevo grabado en mi pensamiento
Y esa fue la noche mas linda del mundo Aunque nos durara tan solo un segundo
Que no me arrepiento porque aquel momento Lo llevo grabado en mi pensamiento
LA NOCHE MÁS LINDA DEL MUNDO, LA HE PASADO YO CONTIGO
QUE NOCHE, QUE NOCHE NUNCA LA OLVIDO
Te confesé que no, no Conseguí reemplazarte
Porque al fin me he dado cuenta Que nunca podré olvidarte
LA NOCHE MÁS LINDA DEL MUNDO, LA HE PASADO YO CONTIGO
QUE NOCHE, QUE NOCHE NUNCA LA OLVIDO
Tus besos eran soles Mis manos puñales
Y brotaron las frases Poco tradicionales esa noche
LA NOCHE MÁS LINDA DEL MUNDO, LA HE PASADO YO CONTIGO
QUE NOCHE, QUE NOCHE NUNCA LA OLVIDO
LA NOCHE MÁS LINDA DEL MUNDO, LA HE PASADO YO CONTIGO
QUE NOCHE, QUE NOCHE NUNCA LA OLVIDO
La puerta de espejos Nos vio reflejados
Cometiendo uno a uno Nuestros siete, siete, siete, siete pecados
LA NOCHE MÁS LINDA DEL MUNDO, LA HE PASADO YO CONTIGO
QUE NOCHE, QUE NOCHE NUNCA LA OLVIDO
La última noche que pasé contigo La llevo guardada como fiel testigo
Aquellos momentos en que fuiste mía Ay, que divinos
LA NOCHE MÁS LINDA DEL MUNDO, LA HE PASADO YO CONTIGO
QUE NOCHE, QUE NOCHE NUNCA LA OLVIDO
In Adalberto Santiago's La Noche Más Linda del Mundo, the singer reminisces about a beautiful but fleeting night spent with a former lover. He arrives at her house trembling with fear and begs for forgiveness that he never grants. He confesses that he was never able to replace her and leaves her in her bedroom after kissing her. Despite the pain and heartache that ultimately follows, the singer declares that this night was the most beautiful of his life, even if it only lasted a second, and he does not regret it because he carries the memory of that moment with him always.
The singer describes the intense emotions that he and his lover experienced during this one night - her kisses felt like the sun, but his hands felt like knives. They exchanged unconventional phrases that were indicative of their free-spiritedness, and together they committed the seven deadly sins. The memories of this night remain etched vividly in his mind - the bed in his memory, the old friends, the clock on the wall and the mirrored door. The night ends with tears, but also with the recognition that the depth of their love was too intense for them to be together.
Line by Line Meaning
Y yo llegue a tu casa temblando de miedo
I arrived at your house trembling with fear
Y te pedí el perdón que yo nunca concedo
And I asked you for forgiveness that I never grant
Te confesé que no conseguí reemplazarte
I confessed that I couldn't replace you
Y te dejé en tu alcoba después de besarte
And I left you in your bedroom after kissing you
Tus besos eran soles, mis manos puñales
Your kisses were suns, my hands were daggers
Tu sonrisa y la mía se dijeron "te quiero"
Your smile and mine said "I love you"
Y brotaron las frases poco tradicionales
And the unconventional phrases sprouted
En una mujer libre y un hombre soltero
In a free woman and a single man
Y esa fue la noche mas linda del mundo
And that was the most beautiful night in the world
Aunque nos durara tan solo un segundo
Even though it lasted only a second
Mas no me arrepiento porque aquel momento
But I don't regret it because that moment
Lo llevo grabado en mi pensamiento
I keep it engraved in my mind
Tu lecho en mi memoria, amigos ya viejos
Your bed in my memory, old friends already
El reloj de pared y la puerta de espejos
The wall clock and the mirror door
Nos vieron otra vez a los dos reflejados
They saw us reflected again
Cometiendo uno a uno nuestros siete pecados
Committing our seven sins one by one
Me bebí de tu cuerpo la pal y la savia
I drank from your body the pulp and the sap
Con una mezcla extraña de amor y de rabia
With a strange mix of love and anger
Primero nos amamos y luego lloramos
First we loved each other and then we cried
Y al final por exceso de amor nos separamos
And in the end, because of excess love, we separated
LA NOCHE MÁS LINDA DEL MUNDO, LA HE PASADO YO CONTIGO
I have spent the most beautiful night in the world with you
QUE NOCHE, QUE NOCHE NUNCA LA OLVIDO
What a night, what a night I will never forget
Porque al fin me he dado cuenta
Because in the end I have realized
Que nunca podré olvidarte
That I will never be able to forget you
La puerta de espejos
The mirror door
Nos vio reflejados
Saw us reflected
Cometiendo uno a uno
Committing one by one
Nuestros siete, siete, siete, siete pecados
Our seven, seven, seven, seven sins
La última noche que pasé contigo
The last night I spent with you
La llevo guardada como fiel testigo
I keep it stored as a faithful witness
Aquellos momentos en que fuiste mía
Those moments when you were mine
Ay, que divinos
Oh, how divine
Contributed by Peyton R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.