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.
La Libertad
Andrés Calamaro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
no sabemos muy bien que es ni donde esta
oÃmos hablar de la hermana mas hermosa
que se busca why no se puede encontrar
La conocen los que la perdieron
los que la vieron de cerca, irse muy lejos
why los que la volvieron a encontrar
la libertad
Algunos faloperos,
algunos con problemas de dinero,
porque se despiertan soñándola,
algunos que nacieron en el tiempo equivocado,...
la libertad
Todos los marginales del fin del mundo,
esclavos de alguna necesidad,
los que sueñan despiertos,
los que no pueden dormir,...
la libertad
Algunos tristemente enamorados
pagando todavÃa el precio del amor
algunos que no pueden esperar,
why no aguantan más la necesidad
Algunos cautivos de eso,
que no saben donde mirar,
tengo algunos hermanos why una hermana muy hermosa,...
la libertad
Igual que Norberto, me pregunto muchas veces,
donde esta? why no dejo de pensar,
será solamente una palabra, la hermana hermosa
la libertad.
Andrés Calamaro's song "La Libertad" talks about the universal human desire for Liberty, the concept of which seems to be as elusive as it is beautiful. According to Calamaro, everyone is searching for Liberty, but no one knows exactly what it is or where to find it. It's an ideal that we hear about often but can't seem to experience ourselves. The song also mentions those who have known Liberty intimately and have lost it; they are the only ones who truly understand the emptiness it leaves behind.
Calamaro gives numerous examples of people who desperately seek Liberty. He sings about drug addicts and those with financial struggles who dream of Liberty, those who are born at the wrong time, marginalized people who are enslaved to their needs, and those who can't sleep because of their desire for it. Even those who are hopelessly in love and paying the price for it, or those who have reached a breaking point with their needs, are searching for Liberty.
Moreover, Calamaro provides insights on how one can find Liberty, which he uses as a metaphor for a person, a sister, a relative, someone who he knows is out there but hasn't seen in a while. He acknowledges that it's a personal search, and through his lyrics, tries to inspire people to keep looking for it. Overall, the song portrays Liberty as the ultimate goal that humans strive to achieve, but it’s one that's difficult to obtain, and one that we have to look for constantly.
Line by Line Meaning
Creo que todos buscamos lo mismo
We all look for the same thing, but we don't know what or where it is.
no sabemos muy bien que es ni donde esta
We are unsure of the nature and location of this thing.
oímos hablar de la hermana mas hermosa
We have heard talk of the most beautiful sister.
que se busca why no se puede encontrar
It is sought but cannot be found.
La conocen los que la perdieron
Those who have lost it know it.
los que la vieron de cerca, irse muy lejos
Those who have seen it up close know how it escapes us.
why los que la volvieron a encontrar
Those who have rediscovered it know its value.
la conocen los presos,...
Even prisoners, among others, know it.
la libertad
This thing is freedom.
Algunos faloperos,
Some drug users,
algunos con problemas de dinero,
Some who struggle financially,
porque se despiertan soñándola,
Because they wake up dreaming of it,
algunos que nacieron en el tiempo equivocado,...
Some who were born in the wrong era...
la libertad
All these people also seek freedom.
Todos los marginales del fin del mundo,
All the marginalized people from the ends of the Earth,
esclavos de alguna necesidad,
Slaves to some pressing need,
los que sueñan despiertos,
Those who daydream,
los que no pueden dormir,...
Those who can't sleep...
la libertad
All of them also search for freedom.
Algunos tristemente enamorados
Some who are sadly in love,
pagando todavía el precio del amor
Still paying the price of love,
algunos que no pueden esperar,
Some who cannot wait,
why no aguantan más la necesidad
And can no longer bear the need.
Algunos cautivos de eso,
Some held captive by it,
que no saben donde mirar,
Who don't know where to turn,
tengo algunos hermanos why una hermana muy hermosa,...
I have some brothers and one very beautiful sister,
la libertad
And we all, including my loved ones, desire freedom.
Igual que Norberto, me pregunto muchas veces,
Like Norberto, I often wonder,
donde esta? why no dejo de pensar,
Where is it? And I can't stop thinking about it.
será solamente una palabra, la hermana hermosa
Perhaps it is nothing more than a word, the beautiful sister.
la libertad.
But it is, in fact, freedom.
Lyrics © SADAIC LATIN COPYRIGHTS, INC., SOCIEDAD GENERAL DE AUTORES DE ESPANA S G A E
Written by: ANDRES CALAMARO MASEL, AUGUSTO ELPIDIO HERRERA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind