She sang in public for the first time in a radio contest at the age of ten. She didn't win that year, but won the next year. Her early singing caught the attention of a movie producer who introduced her to the cinema audiences as "Ana Belen" in the movie "Zampo y Yo" when she was thirteen.
Ana didn't want to become a child-star and focused on her studying. It wasn't until she finished drama school that she went back performing in public, being theater her prefered way to do so. She did small incursions in movies till she was offered major parts.
In 1973 she was cast opposite Víctor Manuel in Morbo and he became her husband as well as the composer of the songs included in her first album. In 1982 she released "Ana en Rio", an album with Brazilian music that included the song "Balance" and became an instant hit.
In 1986, took one more step and became one of the first female movie directors in Spain with the movie "Cómo ser mujer y no morir en el intento" which earned her the Gold Medal of Spanish Cinematographic Academy. That year concluded with another major success, a tour with Victor Manuel and many special guests of which they released a live album: "Mucho mas que dos". The success of this tour lead to a new one, "El Gusto es Nuestro" with Miguel Rios, Joan Manuel Serrat y Victor Manuel.
She releases several albums through the 90's that achieve great success like "Veneno para el Corazon" that included Spanish versions of Cole Porter songs among others, "Mirame" full of duets with the most important Spanish voices or "Lorquiana", a double CD with popular songs and poems of Federico García Lorca.
The new century finds her busy with filming and recording songs. Albums "Peces de Ciudad" or "Viva L'Italia" are released as she appears on stage plays and her name is on some of the most acclaimed films of the moment.
In 2006, she is currently touring with her husband Víctor Manuel across Spain with "Una Cancion me Trajo Aqui", a CD+DVD has been released of their very first performance in Segovia.She also has a new album in the works and a new movie pending.
A Pesar De Usted
Ana Belén Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Con la condena eterna del fuego,
Olvídese de que el fin del juego
Está tan claro como usted cree.
No me prometa
La puerta abierta del paraíso
Si a cambio firmo mi compromiso
Porque a pesar del asceta,
De su cruzada, de su careta,
De su jugada siempre velada,
De su condena sobre el infiel...
Porque a pesar de la usanza
Tan arbitraria de su balanza,
De su sectaria vida diaria,
De su sonrisa desde un cartel...
Los tiempos cambian y usted
Lo malo es que no la ve
Ya no hay quien pueda parar lo rueda
No me prohíba
Desde lo alto de su tribuna
Los vientos cambian como la luna
Y usted no sabe lo que yo sé.
No me sugiera
Que si me callo será distinto
Alzar la voz es más que un instinto
Es lo palabra a flor de piel.
Porque a pesor del jerarca,
De su alfabeto de patriarca,
De su decreto torpe y secreto
De cruz y raya desde un cuartel...
Porque a pesar del farsante
De gesto duro, verbo insultante
De su futuro más bien oscuro,
De su tribuna en el redondel...
In Ana Belén's song, "A Pesar De Usted," she stands up against the power of authority and refuses to be silenced or controlled by their oppressive tactics. With lyrics such as "No me persiga con la condena eterna del fuego" (Don't chase me with the eternal condemnation of fire) and "No me prometa la puerta abierta del paraíso si a cambio firmo mi compromiso de ser la piedra de su cincel" (Don't promise me the open door of paradise if in exchange I sign my commitment to be the stone on your chisel), she rejects empty promises of reward or punishment for her actions.
Belén continues to speak out against the hypocrisy and arbitrariness of those in power, stating "Porque a pesar del asceta, de su cruzada, de su careta, de su jugada siempre velada, de su condena sobre el infiel... porque a pesar de la usanza tan arbitraria de su balanza, de su sectaria vida diaria, de su sonrisa desde un cartel" (Because despite the ascetic, their crusade, their mask, their always veiled game, their condemnation of the infidel... because despite the arbitrary use of their scale, their sectarian daily life, their smile from a poster), she sees through their false facade and refuses to bow down to their demands.
Ultimately, Belén asserts the power of change and the inevitable movement of time, with the lyrics "Los tiempos cambian y usted, lo malo es que no la ve, ya no hay quien pueda parar la rueda" (Times change and you, the bad thing is that you don't see it, there is no one who can stop the wheel). She refuses to be silenced, despite the attempts of those in power to control her, and stands up for her beliefs and the power of progress and change.
Line by Line Meaning
No me persiga
Do not chase me
Con la condena eterna del fuego
With the eternal damnation of fire
Olvídese de que el fin del juego
Forget that the end of the game
Está tan claro como usted cree.
Is as clear as you think.
No me prometa
Do not promise me
La puerta abierta del paraíso
The open door to paradise
Si a cambio firmo mi compromiso
If, in exchange, I sign my commitment
De ser la piedra de su cincel.
To be the stone of your chisel.
Porque a pesar del asceta,
Because despite the ascetic
De su cruzada, de su careta,
Of their crusade, of their mask
De su jugada siempre velada,
Of their always veiled move
De su condena sobre el infiel...
Of their condemnation of the infidel...
Porque a pesar de la usanza
Because despite the custom
Tan arbitraria de su balanza,
So arbitrary of their balance
De su sectaria vida diaria,
Of their sectarian daily life
De su sonrisa desde un cartel...
Of their smile from a poster...
Los tiempos cambian y usted
Times change and you
Lo malo es que no la ve
The bad thing is that you don't see it
Ya no hay quien pueda parar lo rueda
There is no one who can stop the wheel anymore
No me prohíba
Do not forbid me
Desde lo alto de su tribuna
From the top of your platform
Los vientos cambian como la luna
The winds change like the moon
Y usted no sabe lo que yo sé.
And you do not know what I know.
No me sugiera
Do not suggest to me
Que si me callo será distinto
That if I remain silent it will be different
Alzar la voz es más que un instinto
Raising my voice is more than an instinct
Es lo palabra a flor de piel.
It is the word on the skin.
Porque a pesor del jerarca,
Because despite the hierarch,
De su alfabeto de patriarca,
Of their patriarchal alphabet,
De su decreto torpe y secreto
Of their clumsy and secret decree
De cruz y raya desde un cuartel...
Of their line in the sand from a barracks...
Porque a pesar del farsante
Because despite the phony
De gesto duro, verbo insultante
Of their harsh gesture, insulting speech
De su futuro más bien oscuro,
Of their rather dark future,
De su tribuna en el redondel...
Of their platform in the bullring...
Contributed by Anna D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
jean
on Nana de Sevilla
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