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.
Feliz cumpleaños
Andrés Calamaro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pero no nos peleamos
Claro que fuiste fría conmigo,
Tú triunfo es olvidarte y reírte un poco de mi.
Hoy es tú cumpleaños,
Feliz cumpleaños y yo...
No existo más...
Creo que tuviste suerte,
Que te sonó para perdonarme...
No sé que habrá en el fondo de tú sonrisa,
Pero creo que no es para mi.
No sé que habrá en el fondo de tú sonrisa,
Pero no es para mi...
Pero creo que no es para mi.
The lyrics of Andrés Calamaro's song "Feliz cumpleaños" depict the bittersweet feelings of someone who is wishing their ex-partner a happy birthday. The first verse reveals that the two have spoken, but also highlights that there is tension between them as the ex-partner was cold towards the singer. The line "Tu triunfo es olvidarte y reírte un poco de mi" (Your triumph is to forget about me and laugh a little at my expense) suggests that the ex-partner has moved on from the relationship and is finding some joy in seeing the singer still hung up on them.
The chorus "Hoy es tú cumpleaños, Feliz cumpleaños y yo... No existo más..." (Today is your birthday, Happy birthday and I...don't exist anymore...) conveys the sense that the singer feels insignificant and irrelevant to the ex-partner's life now. The verse "Creo que tuviste suerte, Que te sonó para perdonarme..." (I think you were lucky that you found it in yourself to forgive me...) reveals that there had been some conflict in their relationship, and the singer seems to acknowledge that they made mistakes. However, the line "Pero creo que no es para mi" (But I don't think it's for me) shows that the singer still doesn't feel they have a place in the ex-partner's life anymore.
Overall, the lyrics of "Feliz cumpleaños" suggest a complex mix of emotions that come with trying to move on after a relationship has ended. The singer appears to have accepted that the relationship is over, but still feels some sadness and longing towards the ex-partner, who seems to have moved on from the relationship and found happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
Hoy nos hablamos,
Today we spoke,
Pero no nos peleamos
But we didn't fight
Claro que fuiste fría conmigo,
Of course, you were cold with me,
Tú triunfo es olvidarte y reírte un poco de mi.
Your triumph is forgetting me and laughing a little at me.
Hoy es tú cumpleaños,
Today is your birthday,
Feliz cumpleaños y yo...
Happy birthday and me...
No existo más...
I don't exist anymore...
Creo que tuviste suerte,
I think you were lucky,
Que te sonó para perdonarme...
That it sounded good to forgive me...
No sé que habrá en el fondo de tú sonrisa,
I don't know what's at the bottom of your smile,
Pero creo que no es para mi.
But I think it's not for me.
No sé que habrá en el fondo de tú sonrisa,
I don't know what's at the bottom of your smile,
Pero no es para mi...
But it's not for me...
Pero creo que no es para mi.
But I think it's not for me.
Contributed by Carter A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.