Cortez was born in Rancul, La Pampa Province, Argentina. He began elementary school at the Alberto Williams conservatory at the age of six. He began composing songs at twelve, including "Un cigarrillo, la lluvia y tú". Later he entered Manuel Ignacio Molina de San Rafael Junior High School in Mendoza province. There he continued his studies of music at the Chopin of San Rafael conservatory.
At seventeen, Cortez became the singer of the Arizona orchestra, where he was known as Chiquito García. At eighteen, he went to study in the Social Sciences and Law School of Buenos Aires and sang in bars to help himself with his studies. Later Cortez began to sing in the orchestra of Mario Cardi and was contracted to sing in the San Francisco jazz orchestra. He traveled all over the country with them and began to use his pseudonym "Alberto Cortez" while singing with the orchestra of Armando Pointier. Cortez dropped out of school and dedicated himself fully to music.
Aged twenty, Cortez travelled to Antwerp, Belgium where he recorded his first album. His record "Sucu Sucu" reached number one. Cortez met Renee Govaerts and later married her. After a difficult start he consolidated himself as one of the more renowned composer-singers of Latin America with hits like "Mi árbol y yo", "Mariana", "Como el primer día", "A partir de mañana" and "Callejero".
Cortez and his wife lived in Madrid,Spain.
He died on April 4, 2019 in Madrid, Spain, at 79 years of age.
Gracias A La Vida
Alberto Cortez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Me dio dos luceros, que cuando los abro
Perfecto distingo lo negro del blanco
Y en el alto cielo su fondo estrellado
Y en las multitudes la mujer que amo
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me ha dado el sonido y el abecedario
Madre, amigo, hermano y luz alumbrando
La ruta del alma de la que yo amo
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me dio el corazón que agita su marco
Cuando miro el fruto del cerebro humano
Cuando miro al bueno tan lejos del malo
Cuando miro al fondo de sus ojos claros
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
Me ha dado la risa y me ha dado el llanto
Así yo distingo dicha de quebranto
Los dos materiales que forman mi canto
El canto de ustedes que es mi mismo canto
El canto de todos que es mi propio canto
Gracias a la vida, gracias a la vida
The lyrics of Alberto Cortéz's song Gracias A La Vida express a deep sense of gratitude for life and its many gifts. The song begins by acknowledging the many blessings that life has bestowed upon the singer, including two bright stars that help him distinguish between darkness and light, and the beauty of the starry sky and the people he loves. The second verse speaks to the gift of hearing, with the singer able to appreciate the sounds of nature and the tender voice of his beloved. The third verse acknowledges the power of language and words, with the singer grateful for the ability to express his love for his mother, friend, brother, and the person he loves.
The fourth verse speaks to the gift of movement, with the singer able to travel and explore the world thanks to his legs. This verse also references the special places that hold meaning to him, including the house, street, and patio of someone he cares for deeply. The fifth verse is perhaps the most abstract, thanking life for the gift of a beating heart that allows the singer to appreciate humanity's achievements, distinguish between good and evil, and connect with others through their eyes. Finally, the song ends with a reflection on the two emotions that make up the singer's life - laughter and tears - and the understanding that they are both essential components of his song, as are the songs of others.
Overall, Gracias A La Vida is a reflective and poignant tribute to the beauty and complexity of life, and a reminder to be grateful for its many gifts.
Line by Line Meaning
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
I am grateful for the life that has given me so much
Me dio dos luceros, que cuando los abro
It has given me two bright eyes, which when I open them
Perfecto distingo lo negro del blanco
I can perfectly distinguish between black and white
Y en el alto cielo su fondo estrellado
And in the high sky, its starry background
Y en las multitudes el hombre que yo amo
And in the crowds, the man I love
Me ha dado el oido que en todo su ancho
It has given me the hearing that, in all its breadth,
Graba noche y día, grillos y canarios
Records night and day, crickets and canaries
Martillos, turbinas, ladridos, chubascos
Hammers, turbines, barks, rainstorms
Y la voz tan tierna de mi bien amado
And the tender voice of my beloved
Me ha dado el sonido y el abecedario
It has given me sound and the alphabet
Con el las palabras que pienso y declaro
With them, the words I think and declare
Madre, amigo, hermano y luz alumbrando
Mother, friend, brother and light illuminating
La ruta del alma del que estoy amando
The path of the soul of the one I love
Me ha dado la marcha de mis pies cansados
It has given me the march of my tired feet
Con ellos anduve ciudades y charcos
With them, I walked through cities and puddles
Playas y desiertos, montañas y llanos
Beaches and deserts, mountains and plains
Y la casa tuya, tu calle y tu patio
And your house, your street and your patio
Me dio el corazón que agita su marco
It gave me the heart that shakes its frame
Cuando miro el fruto del cerebro humano
When I look at the fruit of the human brain
Cuando miro al bueno tan lejos del malo
When I look at the good so far from the bad
Cuando miro al fondo de tus ojos claros
When I look to the depths of your clear eyes
Me ha dado la risa y me ha dado el llanto
It has given me laughter and it has given me tears
Así yo distingo dicha de quebranto
So I can tell happiness from pain
Los dos materiales que forman mi canto
The two materials that make up my song
Y el canto de ustedes que es mi mismo canto
And the song of yours that is my same song
Y el canto de todos que es mi propio canto
And the song of everyone that is my own song
Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto
I am grateful for the life that has given me so much
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Violeta Parra Sandoval
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@florescruz1577
Es verdad, tengo 74 años y agradezco a Dios la vida que me regala, así disfruto de mis hijas, yerno y mis divinos nietos, aunque soy viudo también disfruté de mi esposa bendita sea siempre, gracias si leen esto.
@rosariomoreno1683
La canción más Bonita jamás escrita
@isoldamargaritarivaslinare2894
gracias a Dios por su generoso amor manifiesto a lo largo de mis 76 años.
@luisaeme1846
Asi es, la vida por etapas, y siempre dando gracias, que siga disfrutandola siempre! 💖
@clarajaquez2110
Somos 2! Agradezco al Padre Celestial por los hijos (aun no dan nietos ni nuera ni yerno☺️). Tuve un esposo maravilloso por 30 años que partió hace casi 6 años y me hizo sentir amada y respetada como una reina. A mis 65 recién cumplidos este 25 de abril doy gracias a la vida y continúo agradeciendo por lo pasado, por el presente y por lo porvenir. Porque el juego no se acaba hasta el out 27 como decimos los dominicanos 😂😊😊
@agnesseleniaperezcastro9517
Amén..Dios 🙏 lo bendiga
por siempre. 🙏
@dorasevilla1461
Yo tengo 74 AÑOS y le doy gracias a Dios por la vida, la disfruto alado de mis hijas,nietos ,hermanas,sobrinos ,yernos,cuñados ,toda mi familia y amigas gracias gracias gracias por todo lo que me ha dado .
@elsaramosmontejo6480
Agradezco a Dios por la hermosa vida que a mis 61 años me ha permitido disfrutar y aunque no todo ha sido fácil he vivido en plenitud ✋🙏❤
@erasmoacevedo8146
Todo el crédito al autor
@adilenemartinez5550
Mi mama acababa de fallecer hace 4 meses de Cáncer y nunca voy a olvidar el día que fuimos al doctor y nos dieron la noticia. Estábamos en el carro llorando y mi querida madre que tanto le encantaba la música me dijo que pusiera esta canción y la admiro mucho porque ella todavía dio gracias por todo lo bueno a pesar de todo lo que le pasó