He began composing during the 1930s, and met with a certain amount of popularity in his native city. He recorded his first songs in the 1950s with his group Los Tradicionales, formed in 1953, and politically he stood beside Fidel Castro before the 1959 Revolution.
In 1961, he went on tour in several countries with his musicians. His music, as well as his political activity, turned his concerts into a success. He was thenceforth called "the singer of the Cuban Revolution" and other world tours followed. More than an ambassador for Cuban music, he was an ambassador for Cuba.
In 1965, the night after Fidel Castro's speech announcing Che Guevara's departure from the government, Puebla, seized by passion, composed what would become his most celebrated work, Hasta Siempre, Commandante, a true declaration of love for and hope in Che.
On 12 July 1989, he died in Havana after a long illness. His ashes were transferred to the cemetery of his native city five years later. A plaque there reads: yo soy ésto que soy, un simple trovador que canta ("I am what I am, a simple troubadour who sings").
Puebla began by writing love songs, such as Quiero hablar contigo, Qué sé yo and Te vieron con él, which later became successes, and also Cuenta conmigo, Quién se lo iba a imaginar and Hay que decir adiós, popularised by the duo Claro and Mario.
From the beginning of the 1950s, he sang of the difficult living conditions of his people and challenged Batista's dictatorship with such songs as Plan de machete, Este es mi pueblo and Pobre de mi Cuba. His lyrics were serious and direct.
The 1959 Revolution inspired him to write new songs, such as Y en eso llegó Fidel, La Reforma Agraria, Duro con él, Ya ganamos la pelea and Son de la alfabetización.
His most famous song, Hasta siempre, comandante, has been covered and translated by dozens of artists from all over the world, notably in France, by Nathalie Cardone and the collective Motivé-e-s (Zebda).
His body of work comprises over a thousand compositions.
Y en Eso Llego Fidel
Carlos Puebla Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ganando el ciento por ciento
con casas de apartamentos
y echar al pueblo a sufrir
Y seguir de modo cruel
contra el pueblo conspirando
para seguirlo explotando...
Se acabó la diversión,
llegó el Comandante
y mandó a parar
Se acabó la diversión,
llegó el Comandante
y mandó a parar
Aquí pensaban seguir
tragando y tragando tierra
sin sospechar que en la Sierra
se alumbraba el porvenir
Y seguir de modo cruel
la costumbre del delito
hacer de Cuba un garito...
y en eso llegó Fidel
Se acabó la diversión,
llegó el Comandante
y mandó a parar
Se acabó la diversión,
llegó el Comandante
y mandó a parar
Aquí pensaban seguir
diciendo que los ratreros,
forajidos bandoleros
asolaban al país
Y seguir de modo cruel
con la infamia por escudo
difamando a los barbudos...
y en eso legó Fidel
Se acabó la diversión,
llegó el Comandante
y mandó a parar
Se acabó la diversión,
llegó el Comandante
y mandó a parar
Aquí pensaban seguir
jugando a la democracia
y el pueblo que en su desgracia
se acabara de morir
Y seguir de modo cruel
sin cuidarse ni la forma
con el robo como norma...
y en eso llegó Fidel
Se acabó la diversión,
llegó el Comandante
y mandó a parar
Se acabó la diversión,
llegó el Comandante
y mandó a parar
The song "Y En Eso Llego Fidel" by Carlos Puebla describes how the Cuban people were suffering under the rule of the corrupt leaders who had no regard for their welfare. These leaders were focused on increasing their wealth by constructing fancy apartments for themselves at the expense of the people. They continued to conspire against the people to exploit them further until Fidel Castro appeared on the scene.
Fidel's arrival marked the end of their rule and put a stop to their evil actions. The song highlights how these leaders were involved in all sorts of criminal activities as they ran Cuba like a gambling house. They even went ahead to blame the struggles of the people on bandits and robbers who were not to blame. These leaders had no respect for democracy and their only goal was to satisfy their selfish interests. However, with Fidel's arrival, everything changed, and he became the hope for the Cuban people.
With the arrival of Fidel, the people could finally see a bright future ahead. The song portrays Fidel as the savior of the Cuban nation, who put an end to the greed and corruption of the previous leaders. It highlights his contribution to restoring democracy, and how the Cuban people could finally enjoy their freedom without any fear of exploitation.
Line by Line Meaning
Aquí pensaban seguir ganando el ciento por ciento con casas de apartamentos y echar al pueblo a sufrir
They planned to continue raking in their profits with apartment buildings while the people suffered
Y seguir de modo cruel contra el pueblo conspirando para seguirlo explotando... y en eso llegó Fidel
They conspired against the people to continue their exploitation, but then Fidel arrived
Se acabó la diversión, llegó el Comandante y mandó a parar
The fun is over, the Commander arrived and ordered them to stop
Aquí pensaban seguir tragando y tragando tierra sin sospechar que en la Sierra se alumbraba el porvenir
They imagined they would continue swallowing up land, unaware that the future was being illuminated in the Sierra
Y seguir de modo cruel la costumbre del delito hacer de Cuba un garito... y en eso llegó Fidel
They continued their cruel customs of crime, turning Cuba into a den of thieves, until Fidel arrived
Aquí pensaban seguir diciendo que los ratreros, forajidos bandoleros asolaban al país
They wished to keep telling lies about thieves and bandits plaguing the country
Y seguir de modo cruel con la infamia por escudo difamando a los barbudos... y en eso legó Fidel
They continued their cruelty, using infamy as a shield to defame the bearded ones, until Fidel arrived
Aquí pensaban seguir jugando a la democracia y el pueblo que en su desgracia se acabara de morir
They intended to keep playing at democracy, while the people died in misery
Y seguir de modo cruel sin cuidarse ni la forma con el robo como norma... y en eso llegó Fidel
They continued their cruel ways, without any regard for decency, making theft the norm, until Fidel arrived
Se acabó la diversión, llegó el Comandante y mandó a parar
The fun is over, the Commander arrived and ordered them to stop
Writer(s): Carlos Puebla
Contributed by Julian V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.