Ana Belén (born Maria del Pilar Cuesta on May 27, 1951 in Madrid, Spain) is… Read Full Bio ↴Ana Belén (born Maria del Pilar Cuesta on May 27, 1951 in Madrid, Spain) is one of the most relevant Spanish personalities in arts and music. With a musical career that spanned over the last 40 years she has also accomplished a great success as an actress, in feature films, television and theatre.

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.

El breve espacio en que no está
Ana Belén Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Todavía quedan restos de humedad
Sus olores llenan ya mi soledad
En la cama su silueta se dibuja cual promesa
De llenar el breve espacio en que no está
Todavía yo no sé si volverá
Nadie sabe, al día siguiente, lo que hará
Rompe todos mis esquemas, no confiesa ni una pena
No me pide nada a cambio de lo que dá

Suele ser violenta y tierna

No habla de uniones eternas
Mas se entrega cual si hubiera sólo un día para amar
No comparte una reunión
Mas le gusta la canción que comprometa su pensar
Todavía no pregunté ¿te quedarás?
Temo mucho a la respuesta de un «jamás
La prefiero compartida antes que vaciar mi vida

No es perfecta
Mas se acerca a lo que yo simplemente soñé

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ana Belén's song El Breve Espacio En Que No Esta are about the lingering presence of a lover who is no longer there physically, but their memories and essence continue to fill the space. The singer is contemplating whether the lover will return or not, and struggles with the unpredictability of their actions. The lover is depicted as both violent and tender, breaking the singer's expectations and not revealing their innermost emotions. However, despite the uncertainty and imperfection of the relationship, the singer finds comfort in the intimacy they share.

The lyrics are filled with contrasts, suggesting the complexity of the relationship. The lover is both violent and tender, unwilling to commit to eternal bonds but fully present in the moment. The singer is afraid to ask whether the lover will stay, preferring to share them with another rather than emptying their life. The lover's favorite songs are those that provoke thought and challenge beliefs, contrasting with their unwillingness to share themselves fully with the singer. Overall, the song is about the bittersweet nature of love and the longing for connection despite the inevitable imperfections of human relationships.

Line by Line Meaning

Todavía quedan restos de humedad
There are still traces of moisture left

Sus olores llenan ya mi soledad
Her scents already fill my loneliness

En la cama su silueta se dibuja cual promesa
Her silhouette in bed is like a promise

De llenar el breve espacio en que no está
To fill the brief space where she's not

Todavía yo no sé si volverá
I still don't know if she'll come back

Nadie sabe, al día siguiente, lo que hará
No one knows what she'll do the next day

Rompe todos mis esquemas, no confiesa ni una pena
She breaks all my schemes, doesn't confess any sorrow

No me pide nada a cambio de lo que dá
She doesn't ask for anything in return for what she gives

Suele ser violenta y tierna
She often is violent and tender

No habla de uniones eternas
She doesn't talk about eternal unions

Mas se entrega cual si hubiera sólo un día para amar
But she gives herself as if there was only one day to love