In the 1990's Anita formed a hip-hop band Los Gemelos (The Twins) with a fellow rapper Zaturno (later became famous as a member of Tiro de Gracia). In 1997 she gained first major attention after singing in a Los Tetas' hit single "La Medicina". Later she joined DJ Squat, Cenzi and Seo2, and Makiza was formed.
After Makiza went on hiatus in 2001, Anita returned to France and took a break from music until 2004. After coming back to Chile in 2004 she became singing with the funk/acid jazz band Aluzinati, and later in 2005 she reformed Makiza with Seo2 and two new members and released the band's final album to date, Casino Royale.
In 2007 Anita appeared on Julieta Venegas' hit single, "Eres Para Mí" and finally released her solo debut, Kaos. Thanks to the first single, "Despabílate", Anita was nominated for the Latin version of the MTV Video Music Awards 2007 under the categories Best New Artist and Best Urban Artist.
In October 2009, Tijoux released her second solo album, titled 1977 after the year she was born. The album was a return to her rap roots, an homage to the "golden age of hip-hop"; it was largely auto-biographical, exploring mature themes from her own life, from the death of a close friend to having a creative crises, from friendship to bad luck, amongst others. It was simple and straight to the point, as emphasized by her leaving behind a lot of the singing she had been doing of late in other more pop collaborations, and concentrating on rap, both in Spanish and French. After years of sharing the spotlight with her group, collaborating with other artists, and trying to find her way as a solo artist, she has finally arrived in her own right—a raw, direct, and mature MC.
Recorded between May and September 2009, the new album was produced by Hordatoj, Foex and Tee, of the label Potoco Discos, together with Habitación del Pánico. Guests on the record include the saxophonist Agustín Moya with whom she worked with in Aluzinati, Andrés Celis, Solo Di Medina, Bubaseta, Stailok from the group Movimiento Original, DJ Dacel, Quique Neira (formerly from Gondwana), Cómo Asesinar A Felipes, and the Detroit-based MC Invincible, whom she met over MySpace and did a virtual collaboration for the song "Sube".
The album and its first single 1977 were an immediate hit in the underground rap circles of Chile, where she was welcomed back after a bit of a stray. The record was amongst the top 10 of 2009 for the blog [worldhiphopmarket.com], and it was soon picked up by the U.S.-based Latin Alternative label Nacional Records, who released it in April 2010. She was invited to attend the prestigious South By South West Music Festival in Austin, Texas, in March 2010, and from there went on to her first ever North American tour. The song 1977 is featured in FIFA 11 soundtrack, and it also appears in episode five of the fourth season of Breaking Bad.
In 2011 Ana released her new solo album, La Bala. The album deals with many political and social issues in Chile, and the lead single, "Shock", was inspired by the strikes of the Chilean students which took part in 2011.
Oro Negro
Ana Tijoux Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Solo camina con dolor permanente
La muerte mata y mata
Nunca le basta ataca y ataca
A quien pasa por su caminar
Sin importar la forma de pensar
Arrasa con todo dispara su rojo
Y apunta en el ojo en nombre del oro
En nombre de absurdos, se llama guerra
Se llama tontera en nombre de la paz
Vaya locura de que somos capaz
Hijos, niños, familias, gritos
Balas, bombas, conflictos malditos
Con ira con rabia con tanto o con tanta impotencia
Tus manos manchadas
Cuantos hermanos tendrás que matar
La tierra que llora se va a desangrar
Que llegue la vida como un vendaval
Que brote la vida, que brille con fuerza
Que irradie su luz en toda su esencia
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oro negro, oro blanco, oro verde, oro sangre
Oro negro, oro blanco, oro verde, oro sangre
Oro negro, oro blanco, oro verde, oro sangre
Oro negro, oro blanco, oro verde, oro sangre
No paran, disparan, deciden y matan
De traje y corbata con leyes arrasan
Patriarcas y jefes o presidentes
Patrones, y amos y terratenientes
En nombre de Dios, de seguridad
En nombre de calma y de tranquilidad
De cruces de procmas de imperios
Coronas, de credos, petróleo, todo lo devoran
Son terroristas de estado
Criminales sueltos por todo lados
Ahogan la vida desde su oficina
Mandando a sus tropas a la muerte fija
Culpables de hacer la tierra sangrar
Culpables de comunidades matar
Culpables, culpables de niños llorar
Culpables de la vida sepultar
¿Cuantos hermanos tendrás que matar?
¿Cuantas naciones tendrás que ocupar?
La tierra que llora se va a desangrar
Por tu poder que no puedes saciar
Que llegue la vida como un vendaval
Para sembrar floras que quieran cortar
Que brote la vida, que brille con fuerza
Que irradie su luz en toda su esencia
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oro negro, oro blanco, oro verde, oro sangre
Oro negro, oro blanco, oro verde, oro sangre
Oro negro, oro blanco, oro verde, oro sangre
Oro negro, oro blanco, oro verde, oro sangre
Oro negro, oro blanco, oro verde, oro sangre
Oro negro, oro blanco
The lyrics to Ana Tijoux's "Oro Negro" denounce the abuses caused by the exploitation of natural resources, specifically oil. The song speaks to the destructive power of greed and the human toll it takes, both on the environment and on people. The singer in the song faces a relentless and heartless force that does not stop, and instead always attacks and devours. This force disregards human life and any form of morality, in the name of profit and power.
The lyrics reference the wars waged in the pursuit of oil, which are often framed as being for "security" or "peace." However, the result is always death and destruction. The singer also mentions the man-made borders and patriotism used to justify these wars, making a commentary on the idea of nationalism and how it is used to justify violence. The oil industry and those profiting off of it are portrayed as terrorists and criminals who do not hesitate to destroy communities and take lives. In contrast to this destructive force, the lyrics call for the arrival of life as a storm, allowing flowers to grow and thrive, and for the essential qualities of life to shine through.
Overall, "Oro Negro" is a call to action, urging listeners to not turn a blind eye to the damage caused by the oil industry and the governments that support it.
Line by Line Meaning
No mira ni siente nunca se detiene
The destructive force of greed and war never stops.
Solo camina con dolor permanente
It leaves a trail of suffering wherever it goes.
La muerte mata y mata
Death and violence beget more death and violence.
Nunca le basta ataca y ataca
The insatiable desire for power always seeks more destruction.
A quien pasa por su caminar
Nobody is safe from the destruction caused by greed and war.
Sin importar la forma de pensar
It disregards differences in belief or opinion.
Arrasa con todo dispara su rojo
It destroys everything in its path, leaving behind only bloodshed and ruin.
Y apunta en el ojo en nombre del oro
It aims directly for the eyes of its victims, driven by the thirst for wealth and gold.
En nombre de banderas y de fronteras
It justifies its actions in the name of nationalism and borders.
En nombre de absurdos, se llama guerra
It is called war, but its reasons and actions are senseless.
Se llama tontera en nombre de la paz
Its destructive actions are carried out in the name of peace, but bring only more suffering.
Vaya locura de que somos capaz
It is a madness that we are capable of perpetrating against each other.
Hijos, niños, familias, gritos
The innocent and vulnerable are often the ones who suffer the most in times of war.
Balas, bombas, conflictos malditos
The tools of war are devastating and leave lasting scars on communities and nations.
Con ira con rabia con tanto o con tanta impotencia
The anger, frustration, and sense of powerlessness felt by those affected by war is overwhelming.
Tus manos manchadas
The blood of innocent victims stains the hands of those responsible for the violence.
Cuantos hermanos tendrás que matar
How many more people must die before the destructive cycle of war and greed ends?
La tierra que llora se va a desangrar
The consequences of war and destruction will bleed the earth dry.
Que llegue la vida como un vendaval
Hope for the future is compared to a hurricane, sweeping away the remnants of war and destruction.
Que brote la vida, que brille con fuerza
The desire for life and growth to overcome the destruction is strong and powerful.
Que irradie su luz en toda su esencia
The beauty and potential of life should shine forth in all its glory.
Oro negro, oro blanco, oro verde, oro sangre
The greed for wealth and resources, no matter what their color or origin, can lead to senseless violence and destruction.
No paran, disparan, deciden y matan
Those in power continue to make decisions that lead to violence and death.
De traje y corbata con leyes arrasan
The powerful use their formal attire and laws to justify their destructive actions.
Patriarcas y jefes o presidentes
Those in leadership positions often perpetrate violence and are responsible for the destruction of communities.
Patrones, y amos y terratenientes
Those who control resources and land often take advantage of the vulnerable and exploit them for personal gain.
En nombre de Dios, de seguridad
The powerful use religion and the desire for safety to justify their actions.
En nombre de calma y de tranquilidad
They use the search for peace and tranquility to further their own agendas and perpetrate violence.
De cruces de procmas de imperios
The symbols of religion, politics, and imperialism are often used to legitimize destructive actions.
Coronas, de credos, petróleo, todo lo devoran
Those in power consume everything in their path, including resources, land, and the lives of innocent victims.
Son terroristas de estado
Those responsible for perpetrating violence and destruction are sometimes agents of the government.
Criminales sueltos por todo lados
War criminals often go unpunished and continue to perpetrate violence.
Ahogan la vida desde su oficina
Those who make decisions that lead to violence and destruction are often insulated from the consequences of their actions.
Mandando a sus tropas a la muerte fija
They send others, often vulnerable and innocent individuals, to die in their place.
Culpables de hacer la tierra sangrar
Those responsible for war and destruction are guilty of causing the earth to bleed.
Culpables de comunidades matar
They are responsible for the destruction of entire communities and nations.
Culpables, culpables de niños llorar
The innocent victims of war and destruction are often children, who are left to suffer the consequences.
Culpables de la vida sepultar
The perpetrators of violence and destruction are responsible for destroying the potential for new life and growth in the future.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Ana Merino Tijoux, Andres Mujica
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind