Atahualpa Yupanqui (22 January 1908 - 23 May 1992) was an Argentine singer,… Read Full Bio ↴Atahualpa Yupanqui (22 January 1908 - 23 May 1992) was an Argentine singer, songwriter, guitarist, and writer.

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.

La Alabanza
Atahualpa Yupanqui Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Viejo canto de mis pagos
Viejo corno el salitral
Alabanza chacarera
Te quiero cantar

Amuykayman dice el bombo
Cuando suena allá en maylín
Por ahí anda don gallito

Tocando el violín

En loreto bailo zamba
El escondido en beltrán
Pa' bailar un buen remedio
Hay suncho corral

Ñoqa salavinamanta
De ande llaman el troncal
Alabanza, chacarera
Te quiero cantar

Ashpaj sumaj la alabanza
Bailada en el quebrachal
Mesmo como si dijeran
Vengan a rezar

Zapatea por lo parejo
No lo enojes al tierral
Poquito, cepilla melo
La chacarera

Ya va saliendo la luna
Brillando en el salitral
Engualichando guitarras
Con su claridad

Ñoqa salavinamanta
De ande llaman el troncal

Alabanza, chacarera
Te quiero cantar

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Atahualpa Yupanqui's song La Alabanza are steeped in the traditions of Argentine folk music. The singer speaks of the old songs of his region known as "mis pagos," and a place named "el salitral," which is where these songs would have been sung. The song is an "alabanza chacarera," which is a type of traditional Argentine song and dance that is often associated with rural areas, featuring the use of drums and rustic instruments. The singer expresses his desire to sing this song and honor the traditions of his people.

The song mentions various locations in Argentina where these traditional songs and dances can still be found. For example, the singer mentions Maylín, a small town in the province of Santiago del Estero, where he hears the sound of the "bombo" drum. He also mentions a man named "don gallito" who is playing the violin in the same area. The singer then references the town of Loreto, where he has danced the "zamba" and also mentions another town called Beltrán. The lyrics then discuss a way to cure one's troubles or illnesses by dancing the "suncho corral."

Throughout the song, the singer uses various Quechua phrases such as "Ñoqa salavinamanta," which means "I invite you," and "Ashpaj sumaj," which roughly translates to "beautiful song." The singer encourages the dancers to dance smoothly and not upset the dirt, while also instructing them to play the "chacarera" song with care. Overall, the lyrics to La Alabanza pay homage to the cultural traditions of Argentina's rural areas and the importance of preserving them.

Line by Line Meaning

Viejo canto de mis pagos
This is an old song from my homeland

Viejo corno el salitral
An old horn plays in the salt flats

Alabanza chacarera
A praise song with a typical dance style of the countryside

Te quiero cantar
I want to sing it

Amuykayman dice el bombo
The drum says Amuykayman

Cuando suena allá en maylín
When it sounds over in Maylín

Por ahí anda don gallito
Mr. Rooster is walking around there

Tocando el violín
Playing the violin

En loreto bailo zamba
In Loreto, they dance the Zamba

El escondido en beltrán
The hidden one in Beltrán

Pa' bailar un buen remedio
To dance a good remedy