Born Aug 22, 1961 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he began his professional musical career at the age of 17 playing keyboards in Raíces.
In 1981 he incorporated to one of the main bands of the Argentinean '80s rock scene: Los Abuelos de la Nada. Although the band was led by the brilliant Miguel Abuelo, Calamaro composed most of the band's hits, like "Mil Horas," "Así es el calor," "Sin gamulán" and "Costumbres Argentinas."
In 1984 he made his solo debut with Hotel Calamaro. The album was a bizarre mix of styles and musicians, and didn't gain public or press support.
In 1985 he left Los Abuelos de la Nada and registered his second album Vida Cruel. Inspite of the important musicians and guests, such as Luis Alberto Spinetta and Charly García, the album was a disappointment: both commercially and artistically. But if as a songwriter the luck was out of reach, he had an intense and successful work as a producer of bands like Los Enanitos Verdes, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and Don Cornelio y la zona. He also worked and collaborated with many artists of different styles and genres, a constant attitude through his whole career. The third album Por Mirarte showed Calamaro in a better shape with an established band. Released in 1988 it contains some outstanding songs such as "Con los dientes apretados" and "Me olvidé de los demás," while others like "Cartas sin Marcar" and "Loco por tí" helped the album to get popular.
When Calamaro released in 1989 Nadie Sale Vivo de Aquí, Argentina was living it's worst economical crisis: few albums were released. The album title suggest it all: Nobody comes out alive from here. The LP production was paralyzed, and the few that could make it were almost ignored. That was Calamaro's case. This situation lead the singer to settle in Spain, following a road taken by many Argentinean rockers. Out there in Spain he met Ariel Rot y Javier Infante, former members of Tequila. They formed Los Rodríguez in 1991, a pop-rock band that was very popular in Spain and Latin America: Calamaro's songs began to be popular like in the early '80s: the hit maker was on the road again. Curiously, from Spain, he was conquering Argentina. While being part of the band he didn't release any new solo material, just Grabaciones Encontradas 1 y 2, a couple of CDs that contained unreleased and rare material from the '80s.
After the split of Los Rodríguez, Calamaro returned to his solo career recording Alta Suciedad in 1997, an album produced by Joe Blaney. This album brought him the commercial success that seemed to fail in his previous solo efforts, and sold 300.000 copies just in Argentina. That is certainly a huge amount for the country's small market. No doubts, that album helped him to be placed between the star legends of the national rock scene. Before that album Calamaro was considered an important character, appreciated by other musicians, but not a main one. After he broke up with his spanish girlfriend he released in 1999 the double CD Honestidad Brutal. Recorded when he was 37, it contained 37 songs of despair, love loss, drugs and regret. It was not as successful at the previous album, but showed a new Calamaro: desperate, decadent and often elegant at the same time, with a new and raw lyrical approach. El Salmon followed in spring 2001.
Calamaro's next proyect, El Cantante, was released in 2005. A delicious mixture of tango, rock n'roll and flamenco guitars (mostly played by spanish prodigy El Niño Josele).
After a break, he returned to the stages with a tour full of classics that gave birth to a live album called El Regreso on 2005, recorded with members of Bersuit Vergarabat as a backing band. This album was very well received for the charts as well as for the critics, wich lead him to different awards. One year later, on 2006, Andres published a new album from the roots of tango with the collaboration of guitarrists Niño Josele and Juanjo Dominguez. On 2007 El palacio de las flores was published, although it was recorded on 2006. The album had the collaboration and musical influence of argentine composer Lito Nebbia and was also recorded on his studio. This was the return to a classic Calamaro album with new songs and hits.
Contigo Aprendí
Andrés Calamaro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
que existen nuevas y mejores emociones.
Contigo aprendí
a conocer un mundo nuevo de ilusiones.
Aprendí
que la semana tiene más de siete días
hacer mayores mis contadas alegrías
Contigo aprendí
a ver la luz del otro lado de la luna.
Contigo aprendí
que tu presencia no la cambio por ninguna.
Descubrí
que puede un beso ser más dulce y más profundo,
que puedo irme mañana mismo de este mundo
las cosas buenas ya contigo las viví.
Y también aprendí
que yo nací el día en que te conocí.
Andrés Calamaro's song "Contigo aprendí" tells the story of a person who has learned new and better emotions through a relationship. The basic premise of the song is that the singer has learned much about himself and the world around him because of his relationship with his partner. He has discovered that there are more than seven days in a week, and he is able to find joy in the world because of his connection to his partner. The singer is grateful for the happiness and love that he has experienced with his partner and believes that his life has been made fuller as a result.
One of the interesting things about "Contigo aprendí" is that it was originally written by Mexican singer Armando Manzanero. Calamaro's version became very popular in Argentina and other Latin American countries, and it is now considered a classic of the Latin music genre. The lyrics are simple but emotionally resonant, and Calamaro's smooth vocals give the song a dreamy, romantic feel. The song has been covered by many other artists over the years, including Julio Iglesias and Luis Miguel.
Another interesting aspect of "Contigo aprendí" is the way that it uses language to convey emotion. The lyrics are simple and straightforward, but they also have a poetic quality that makes them feel more significant. The repetition of the phrase "contigo aprendí" throughout the song emphasizes the importance of the singer's relationship to his partner. The use of metaphors, such as "the other side of the moon," adds to the dreamlike atmosphere of the song, and the final line ("I was born the day I met you") is a powerful declaration of the transformative power of love.
In conclusion, "Contigo aprendí" is a beautiful song about the transformative power of love. The singer has learned important lessons about himself and the world because of his relationship with his partner, and he is grateful for the joy and happiness that they have experienced together. The song's emotional resonance and poetic language have made it a classic of the Latin music genre and a favorite of audiences around the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Contigo aprendí que existen nuevas y mejores emociones.
I learned from you that there are new and better emotions.
Contigo aprendí a conocer un mundo nuevo de ilusiones.
I learned from you how to discover a new world of illusions.
Aprendí que la semana tiene más de siete días hacer mayores mis contadas alegrías y a ser dichoso yo contigo lo aprendí.
I learned that the week has more than seven days to increase my few joys, and I learned to be happy with you.
Contigo aprendí a ver la luz del otro lado de la luna.
I learned from you to see the light on the other side of the moon.
Contigo aprendí que tu presencia no la cambio por ninguna.
I learned from you that I wouldn't trade your presence for anything.
Descubrí que puede un beso ser más dulce y más profundo, que puedo irme mañana mismo de este mundo las cosas buenas ya contigo las viví.
I discovered that a kiss can be sweeter and deeper, and that I have already experienced good things with you, even if I were to leave this world tomorrow.
Y también aprendí que yo nací el día en que te conocí.
And I also learned that I was born the day I met you.
Contributed by Sydney G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.