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.
Chile
Ana Belén Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fija y ardiente en el pecho
De una mujer de ojos negros
Tu rosa quiero
De Antofagasta vengo, voy para Iquique
Tan solo una mirada me ha puesto triste
Triste
Chile, el salitral violento
La pampa de puño seco
Una bandera de fuego
Tu pampa quiero
Anduve caminando sobre el salitre
La muerte me miraba; yo estaba triste
Triste
Chile, tu verde silencio
Tu pie sur en un estrecho
Zapato de espuma y viento
Tu viento quiero
El ovejero ladra, la tropa sigue
La oveja mira al perro con ojos tristes
Tristes
Chile, tu blanco lucero
Tu largo grito de hielo
Tu cueca de polvo pueblo
Tu pueblo quiero
En la cresta de un monte, la luna gime
Agua y nieve le lavan la frente triste
Triste
Chile
The song "Chile" by Spanish singer Ana Belén is an ode to the country of Chile, a land of contrasts and beauty. The lyrics are a series of snapshots of different regions of the country, capturing both the harshness and the splendor of Chilean landscapes. The opening verse sets the tone, referring to Chile as a "rose of iron," strong and unyielding, but also fiery and passionate. The image of the rose is then extended to the eyes of a dark-haired woman, suggesting a connection between the land and its people.
The second verse describes the northern coast, from Antofagasta to Iquique. The singer is saddened by a single glance, perhaps a reminder of the political turmoil that plagued Chile in the 20th century. The following verse invokes the barren desert regions of the country, characterized by a brutal, dry landscape. The singer walks among the salt flats and encounters death, feeling the weight of despair.
The final verses offer glimpses of other facets of Chilean life, from the verdant south to the snowy mountains. The final image of the moon crying on a mountaintop is haunting and poignant, suggesting both the beauty and the sorrow of Chile's natural world. Through these lyrics, Ana Belén captures the spirit of this complex and fascinating country.
Line by Line Meaning
Chile, una rosa de hierro
Chile, a strong and unyielding symbol of beauty
Fija y ardiente en el pecho
Permanently embedded in my heart and passionately embraced
De una mujer de ojos negros
Said by a woman with dark eyes
Tu rosa quiero
I long for your symbol of beauty, Chile
De Antofagasta vengo, voy para Iquique
I am traveling from Antofagasta to Iquique
Tan solo una mirada me ha puesto triste
A single look has made me sad
Chile, el salitral violento
Chile, the violent salt flats
La pampa de puño seco
The arid pampas
Una bandera de fuego
A blazing flag
Tu pampa quiero
I desire your dry landscape, Chile
Anduve caminando sobre el salitre
I walked across the salt flats
La muerte me miraba; yo estaba triste
Death was watching me; I was sad
Chile, tu verde silencio
Chile, your green silence
Tu pie sur en un estrecho
Your southern foot in a narrow place
Zapato de espuma y viento
Shoe made of foam and wind
Tu viento quiero
I desire your wind, Chile
El ovejero ladra, la tropa sigue
The shepherd barks, the flock follows
La oveja mira al perro con ojos tristes
The sheep looks at the dog with sad eyes
Chile, tu blanco lucero
Chile, your white star
Tu largo grito de hielo
Your long cry of ice
Tu cueca de polvo pueblo
Your dusty town dance
Tu pueblo quiero
I desire your people, Chile
En la cresta de un monte, la luna gime
On the crest of a mountain, the moon mourns
Agua y nieve le lavan la frente triste
Water and snow wash its sad face
Chile
Chile
Writer(s): Sergio Pablo Aschero
Contributed by Kennedy D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Patricia Gonzalez
Maravillosa canción nortina - chilena, maravillosa interpretación de Ana Belen.
No la conocía, gracias. 🌻
Miguel Vargas
Es una musicalización de un poema cubano jaja
rockosur
Recuerdo haber escuchado este tema por primera vez en 1988, algunos dias antes del Plebiscito del 5 de Octubre por Radio Rstrella del Mar de Ancud.