He was gifted with an innate musicality and fluid tenor voice which he colored and phrased with great expressivity. Moré was a master all the genres of Cuban music, including son montuno, mambo, guaracha, guajira, cha cha cha, afro, canción, guaguancó, and bolero.
The eldest of eighteen children, Moré was born in Santa Isabel de las Lajas in the former province of Las Villas in central Cuba. In 1936, at age seventeen, he left Las Lajas for Havana. His first breakthrough was winning a radio competition. He then joined Trío Matamoros (later known as Conjunto Matamoros, with which he remained several years, making a number of recordings.
In 1945 Moré went with Conjunto Matamoros to Mexico, where he performed in two of the most famous cabarets of the age, the Montparnasse and the Río Rosa. He made several recordings. Conjunto Matamoros returned to Havana, while Moré remained in Mexico, where he made several recordings for RCA Victor, together with the orchestra of Mariano Mercerón: "Me voy pal pueblo" y "Desdichado". He also recorded with Perez Prado: "Bonito y sabroso", "Mucho corazón", "Pachito el che", and "Ensalada de mambo". He also recorded "Dolor carabalí", which Moré considered his best composition recorded with Pérez Prado, and one he never wanted to re-record.
At the end of 1950, Moré returned to Cuba. He was a star in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Brazil and Puerto Rico, but virtually unknown on the island. His first Cuban recording was "Bonito y Sabroso". Moré eventually decided to start his own orchestra, which he called Banda Gigante. In the years 1954 and 1955, Moré's group became immensely popular. In 1956 and 1957, it toured Venezuela, Jamaica, Haiti, Colombia, Panama, Mexico and the United States, where the group played at the Oscar ceremonies.
In the aftermath of the Cuban Revolution, many of Moré's colleagues, such as singer Celia Cruz, left for the US where they earned large amounts of money performing and recording. However, Moré preferred to remain in Cuba. He died in 1963 at age 43 of cirrhosis. An estimated 100,000 fans attended his funeral.
Mata Siguaraya
Benny More Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que sin permiso no se pue tumbar
No se pue tumbaee
Porque son morichas
Esa mata nace en el monte
Esa mata tiene poder
Esa mata es siguaraya
En mi cuba nace una mata
Que sin permiso no se pue tumbar
No se pue tumbaeee
Porque son morichas
Esa mata nace en el monte
Esa mata tiene poder
Esa mata eees siguaraya
Siguaraya vera vera
Con permiso yo va a tumbar
Siguaraya vera vera
Con permiso yo va a tumbar
The lyrics to Benny Moré's song Mata Siguaraya celebrate a powerful and revered tree that grows in the mountains of Cuba. The opening lines declare that the tree cannot be cut down without permission, as it is deeply respected by the people who live there: "En mi cuba nace una mata / Que sin permiso no se pue tumbar / No se pue tumbaee / Porque son morichas." The repetition of the phrase "no se pue tumbaee" emphasizes the importance of seeking permission and respecting the natural world.
The song continues to describe the tree's power and significance: "Esa mata tiene poder / Esa mata es siguaraya." The repeated phrase "esa mata" underscores the reverence and awe that the tree inspires. The chorus features the phrase "siguaraya vera vera," which can be translated as "powerful siguaraya" or "true siguaraya." The final lines of the chorus suggest that the singer will seek permission to cut the tree down: "Con permiso yo va a tumbar." This line implies both that the singer acknowledges the authority of those who protect the tree and that they understand the consequences of not doing so.
Overall, the lyrics to Mata Siguaraya demonstrate the deep respect that many Cubans feel for the natural world around them. The song celebrates a single tree, but implicitly acknowledges that all of nature deserves reverence and care. In this way, the song reflects both the cultural values of Cuba and the wider human need to find meaning and connection in the natural world.
Line by Line Meaning
En mi cuba nace una mata
In Cuba, there is a special plant that is native to the land.
Que sin permiso no se pue tumbar
This plant cannot be cut down or destroyed without permission.
No se pue tumbaee
It is impossible to bring this plant down without permission.
Porque son morichas
This is because they have a great amount of vitality and strength.
Esa mata nace en el monte
This plant grows in the mountains of Cuba.
Esa mata tiene poder
This plant possesses a certain power that makes it special.
Esa mata es siguaraya
This plant is known as siguaraya and is highly respected.
Siguaraya vera vera
Siguaraya, a sacred plant with special abilities.
Con permiso yo va a tumbar
With permission, it can be cut down or destroyed.
Siguaraya vera vera
Siguaraya, a sacred plant with special abilities.
Con permiso yo va a tumbar
With permission, it can be cut down or destroyed.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@humbertocastellano305
A mis 16 años en 1947, ahora tengo 88, tuve la oportunidad de deleitarme con los ritmos afro-cubanos del inmortal del cancionero antillano de la época, como lo fue BENI MORE, el "Bárbaro del Ritmo". Mi eterno agradecimiento a este tremendo cantante de la Cuba de ayer.
@carlosmassoud5197
Es usted un tesoro viviente si conoció a Benny More
@leandrohernandez9936
Tal vez no recuerde haberla escuchado por la radio ya que en 1947,yo tenía 9 añitos pero si recuerdo haberla escuchado en labios de mis mayores y no deja de llenarme de nostalgia y alegría.
@jaimeelzurdoythm7070
Beny estaba adelantado al tiempo !!
@ramoneduardogironcardona6303
Que dicha que pueda revivir su joventud, gran artista
@josesergiopastranamartinez3365
Yyt tt
@josecabrera-qo3ti
Cuando Oscar de Leon estuvo en Cuba en el ano 1983 y canto esta cancion,toda Cuba quedo rendida a los pies del artista,pero todos sabiamos que no era superior a la version del Benny.lo hicimos por el respeto del artista que vino a recordarnos que la musica cubana era el tesoro mas grande que teniamos.al menos yo que soy fan de Oscar,se lo agradecere siempre.Fueron dias de magia en mi pais.
@hatueyelgrande5483
Tienes razon, tuvo que venir un extranjero a recordarnos el valor de nuestra música y que la teniamos olvidada por la MALDITA politica.
@georgemartell1226
Efectivamente yo tenía 18 años y primera ves que escuché esa canción pero por El León que pena que no venga a Cuba a cantarla de nuevo me encantaría soy CUBANA y me encantaría escucharla de nuevo con ese ritmo que tiene él que me hierve la sangré
@rodolfoviloria6211
Nosotros en Venezuela y mi generación conocimos al Gran Benny Moré gracias a Oscar D Leon. Claro que la versión original es bellamente Clásica. La virtud de Oscar fue brindarle al mundo ese Clásico cubano, exhaltar a Benny Moré y exhaltar a Cuba...
Y los radicales batisteros de Miami lo vetaron...
La versión de Oscar es para nuestra generación de 1980... y hacer un homenaje al Genio Benny Moré..
🇨🇺 🇻🇪