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.
Milonga Del Trovador
Andrés Calamaro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
En mezcla gaucha de indio con español
De piel y voz morochas vi en mi guitarra
Que al mundo van las coplas, y me fui yo
Con un rumor de nido volaban tras de mí
Aquellos pañuelitos en la estación
Pero soy peregrino y a mi nostalgia
Vamos a la distancia, sí
Que soy el trovador
Si la distancia llama
Yo jamás veré ponerse el sol
Vamos a la distancia ya
Y si no llego, amor
Vos le darás mi alma
De argentino y de cantor
Mi casa es donde canto porque aprendí a escuchar
La voz de Dios que afina en cualquier lugar
Ecos que hay en las plazas y en las cocinas
Al borde de una cuna y atrás del mar
Si en esta andanza un día me espera la vejez
Ya mi niñez le hará la segunda voz
Y al fin con dos gargantas, a mi agonía
Le cantaré en la oreja del corazón
Vamos a la distancia, sí
Que soy el trovador
Si la distancia llama
Yo jamás veré ponerse el sol
Vamos a la distancia ya
Y si no llego, amor
Vos le darás mi alma
De argentino y de cantor
In these lyrics of Milonga Del Trovador, Andrés Calamaro talks about his origin as a mixed breed from South America, a blend of indigenous and Spanish influences. He describes himself as a troubadour, a pilgrim whose guitar and voice narrate stories that travel beyond borders, beyond the fluttering handkerchiefs at the station that bid him farewell. He is a traveler, a seeker, an itinerant musician who has learned to listen carefully to the sounds of his environment, to the echoes in the plazas, in the kitchens, behind the sea, and near the cradle. He believes that his true home is wherever he sings because he has learned to tune into the voice of God in any place.
The song exudes a sense of longing, nostalgia, and a willingness to wander. The lyrics suggest that the distance will never dim his love for singing or stop him from being a troubadour, a messenger of stories through his music. Even if he grows old, he wants to continue singing until death. It is a song that speaks about the joy of being alive, the beauty of the journey, and the adventure of the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
Soy de una tierra hermosa de América del Sur
I come from a beautiful land in South America.
En mezcla gaucha de indio con español
A blend of Indigenous and Spanish cultures runs through me.
De piel y voz morochas vi en mi guitarra
My guitar shows the brown voice and skin that I possess.
Que al mundo van las coplas, y me fui yo
Through my songs, I spread out into the world.
Con un rumor de nido volaban tras de mí
Like little birds, handkerchiefs fly after me.
Aquellos pañuelitos en la estación
Those handkerchiefs were waved at me as I left the station.
Pero soy peregrino y a mi nostalgia
As a wanderer, my nostalgia will always follow me.
Le canto así en la oreja del corazón
I sing to my heart's ear this way.
Vamos a la distancia, sí
Let's go on a journey, yes.
Que soy el trovador
Because I'm a troubadour.
Si la distancia llama
If distance calls.
Yo jamás veré ponerse el sol
I will never see the sun set.
Vamos a la distancia ya
Let's go on this journey now.
Y si no llego, amor
And if I don't arrive, my love.
Vos le darás mi alma
You will give my soul.
De argentino y de cantor
Of an Argentine and a singer.
Mi casa es donde canto porque aprendí a escuchar
My house is where I sing because I've learned to listen.
La voz de Dios que afina en cualquier lugar
God's voice can be heard anywhere, and it's in tune with mine.
Ecos que hay en las plazas y en las cocinas
Echoes can be found in the squares and in the kitchens.
Al borde de una cuna y atrás del mar
By the cradle's edge and behind the sea.
Si en esta andanza un día me espera la vejez
If one day, on this journey, I age.
Ya mi niñez le hará la segunda voz
My childhood will add its voice to mine.
Y al fin con dos gargantas, a mi agonía
And finally, with two voices, I will sing to my agony.
Le cantaré en la oreja del corazón
I will sing to my heart's ear this way.
Lyrics © SADAIC LATIN COPYRIGHTS, INC.
Written by: ASTOR PIAZZOLLA, HORACIO FERRER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind