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.
Como Una Novia
Ana Belén Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Preparando la ropa con parsimonia
Ojos brillantes
Las manos temblorosas de los amantes.
Como una novia
El orgullo perdido y la memoria
Y en la cintura
Los hombres andan siempre tan ocupados
Que no la ven si pasan junto a su lado
Y las vecinas
Cuando te casas gritan por las esquinas.
Y los juegos sin cama
Y la luna sin miel
Y no hay champán ni flores
En un cuarto de hotel.
Y los juegos sin cama
Y la luna sin miel
Y no hay nadie que escriba
Su nombre en la pared.
Como una novia
Contra el pulso del tiempo y el de la historia
Sabor a miedo
Los labios apretados de los toreros.
Como una novia
Su cuerpo una profunda dedicatoria
Y en la almohada
Ni una gota de sangre recién casada.
Como una novia
Repite día a día la ceremonia
Con la amargura
De vivir en el filo de la locura.
Como una novia
Pasajera olvidada de cualquier novia
Si hay Luna llena
Pececillos de plata por sus caderas.
In "Como una Novia," Ana Belén sings about a woman who prepares herself like a bride, with care and attention to detail. She seems nervous, her eyes shining as though she is in love, but there is no groom waiting for her. The woman has lost her pride and her memory, but stays hopeful as she wears a flower on her waist as a symbol of tenderness. The men around her are too busy to notice her, and the neighbors gossip about her single status, shouting about a wedding that is not happening. The woman seems resigned to her fate, living on the edge of madness as she performs the daily ceremony of preparing herself like a bride.
Line by Line Meaning
Como una novia
Just like a bride
Preparando la ropa con parsimonia
Preparing clothes with calmness
Ojos brillantes
Bright eyes
Las manos temblorosas de los amantes.
Trembling hands of the lovers
El orgullo perdido y la memoria
Lost pride and memory
Y en la cintura
And on the waist
Una flor de la planta de la ternura.
A flower from the plant of tenderness
Los hombres andan siempre tan ocupados
Men always busy
Que no la ven si pasan junto a su lado
They don't see her even if they pass by her side
Y las vecinas
And the neighbors
Cuando te casas gritan por las esquinas.
Scream on the streets when you get married
Y los juegos sin cama
And games without a bed
Y la luna sin miel
And the moon without honey
Y no hay champán ni flores
And there's no champagne or flowers
En un cuarto de hotel.
In a hotel room.
Y no hay nadie que escriba
And there's no one to write
Su nombre en la pared.
Her name on the wall.
Contra el pulso del tiempo y el de la historia
Against the pulse of time and history
Sabor a miedo
Taste of fear
Los labios apretados de los toreros.
Tightened lips of bullfighters.
Su cuerpo una profunda dedicatoria
Her body a deep dedication
Y en la almohada
And on the pillow
Ni una gota de sangre recién casada.
Not a drop of newlywed blood.
Repite día a día la ceremonia
Repeats the ceremony every day
Con la amargura
With bitterness
De vivir en el filo de la locura.
Of living at the edge of madness.
Pasajera olvidada de cualquier novia
Forgotten passenger, just like any bride
Si hay Luna llena
If there's a full moon
Pececillos de plata por sus caderas.
Silver tiny fish on her hips.
Contributed by Aaron W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
jean
on Nana de Sevilla
madre