Yupanqui was born Héctor Roberto Chavero Haram in Pergamino (Buenos Aires Province), in the Argentine pampas, about 200 kilometers away from Buenos Aires. His family moved to Tucumán when he was ten. In a bow to two legendary Incan kings, he adopted the stage name Atahualpa Yupanqui, which became famous the world over.
In his early years, Yupanqui travelled extensively through the northwest of Argentina and the Altiplano studying the indigenous culture. He also became radicalized and joined the Communist Party of Argentina. In 1931, he took part in the failed uprising of the Kennedy brothers and was forced to seek refuge in Uruguay. He returned to Argentina in 1934.
In 1935, Yupanqui paid his first visit to Buenos Aires; his compositions were growing in popularity, and he was invited to perform on the radio. Shortly thereafter, he made the acquaintance of pianist Antonieta Paula Pepin Fitzpatrick, nicknamed "Nenette", who became his lifelong companion and musical collaborator under the pseudonym "Pablo Del Cerro".
Because of his Communist Party affiliation (which lasted until 1952), his work suffered from censorship during Juan Perón's presidency; he was detained and incarcerated several times. He left for Europe in 1949. Édith Piaf invited him to perform in Paris in June of that year. He subsequently toured extensively throughout Europe.
In 1952, Yupanqui returned to Buenos Aires. He broke with the Communist Party, which made it easier for him to book radio performances.
Recognition of Yupanqui's ethnographic work became widespread during the 1960s, and nueva canción artists such as Mercedes Sosa recorded his compositions and made him popular among the younger musicians, who referred to him as Don Ata.
Yupanqui alternated between houses in Buenos Aires and Cerro Colorado, Córdoba province. During 1963-1964, he toured Colombia, Japan, Morocco, Egypt, Israel, and Italy. In 1967, he toured Spain, and settled in Paris. He returned regularly to Argentina, but these visits became less frequent when the military dictatorship of Jorge Videla came to power in 1976.
Yupanqui died in Nimes, France in 1992 at the age of 84; he was buried in the Cerro Colorado Cementery.
Amalaya El Cielo
Atahualpa Yupanqui Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
En cualquier chinita de este rancherío!
En cualquier chinita, si es mala lo mismo,
Que las hace buenas el llanto del hijo.
Morenito oscuro, raza pura d'indio.
Sangre de mi juersa. Carne de cariño.
Pa quererlo mucho. Pa' entregarle tuito.
Que pa' una pueblera yo lo hei florecido.
Queriéndola, tanto, nunca me ha querido.
Y hasta aquí perdiendo su rastro hei venido.
Se han cansa'o los vientos de acarrear suspiros.
Se han cansa'o mis ojos de domar caminos.
Y pa' que mis alas cobijen un nido,
Y pa' que descansen estos ojos míos,
¡Amalaya el cielo me trujiera un hijo,
En cualquier chinita de este rancherío!
The lyrics of Atahualpa Yupanqui's song "Amalaya el Cielo" tells the story of a mother longing for a son. She expresses her desire that the heavens bring her a child to love and protect, even if the child is from any little girl in her village. She doesn't care if the girl is good or bad because the tears of a child can make bad people good. The mother describes the child she wishes to have as a pure-blooded indigenous boy (morenito oscuro, race pure d'indio) who will become the flesh of her love. She wants to love him deeply and give him all her tenderness and love, which she has cultivated for a long time as a simple village woman.
The song then shifts to the mother's relationship with a woman who did not return her love. She has followed her trail and has gone through much hardship, but has still not found her. The mother's eyes have grown weary from searching, and the winds have grown tired of carrying her sighs. She longs for her own nest to rest and wants the heavens to bring her a child who will become everything to her.
Line by Line Meaning
¡Amalaya el cielo me trujiera un hijo
Oh, if only the heavens would bring me a son
En cualquier chinita de este rancherío!
From any little girl in this village!
En cualquier chinita, si es mala lo mismo,
It doesn't matter if she's bad,
Que las hace buenas el llanto del hijo.
because a son's tears will make her good.
Morenito oscuro, raza pura d'indio.
Dark-skinned, of pure indigenous heritage.
Sangre de mi juersa. Carne de cariño.
My blood, my love embodied in flesh.
Pa quererlo mucho. Pa' entregarle tuito.
To love him deeply. To give him everything.
Tuita esta ternura, tuito este cariño
All of this tenderness, all of this love
Que pa' una pueblera yo lo hei florecido.
That I have grown for some village girl.
Queriéndola, tanto, nunca me ha querido.
Loving her so much, she has never loved me back.
Y hasta aquí perdiendo su rastro hei venido.
And I have come here, losing her trail.
Se han cansa'o los vientos de acarrear suspiros.
The winds are tired of carrying my sighs.
Se han cansa'o mis ojos de domar caminos.
My eyes are tired of taming roads.
Y pa' que mis alas cobijen un nido,
And so my wings may shelter a nest,
Y pa' que descansen estos ojos míos,
And so my eyes may rest,
¡Amalaya el cielo me trujiera un hijo,
Oh, if only the heavens would bring me a son,
En cualquier chinita de este rancherío!
From any little girl in this village!
Writer(s): Jose R Luna
Contributed by Mateo F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.