Known as the Cuban Queen of Country Music, Celina Gonzalez was born in Jovellanos, Matanzas, Cuba on 16 March 1929. She met Reutilio Dominguez at the age of sixteen in Santiago de Cuba. He became her singing partner and husband resulting in a collaboration that lasted until Reutilio's death in Guantanamo in 1971. In 1948 they began working with the famous Nico Saquito and gained increasing popularity on radio, film and television. They performed in New York with two of the greatest Cuban artists of all time: Beny Moré and Barbarito Diez. In 1964 the duo stopped performing together and Celina continued as a soloist singing traditional guajira music.
The musical form she prefers is the decima. Most of her songs are written in this style and although, in the past the rhythms in her music were more guaguanco than pure Afro, they are now mostly guaracha. She sings about 'guajiros' and 'puntos' (country people) because she believes that these sectors of society are not fully appreciated. In 1980 she won Egrem's coveted Disco de Plata award for the record entitled Celina. This was the beginning of many more awards to come in the 80's. Santa Bárbara later became one of her biggest hits and is featured on the album of the same name on Egrem available via Tumi Music.
In 1984 she was awarded the Vanguardia Nacional for her artistic work and won a trip to the Soviet Union and Bulgaria with her son. In 1984 she won the award for Best Singer at the 27th International Music Festival in Cali, Colombia and after a successful tour in Europe in 1988 she recorded a session for the BBC. Her biggest award came just two years ago when she received the Golden Picasso medal by UNESCO. Then, the same year, together with her son, Reutilio, she released the highly acclaimed La Rica Cosecha on Tumi Music and performed a sell out concert at the Barbican Hall in London.
Yo soy el Punto Cubano, from the album La Rica Cosecha was a hit in many countries in Europe and also in Japan as well as being a firm favourite with the WMCE (World Music Charts Europe). Her new album Desde La Habana Te Traigo offers an exciting new canvas for her to create her own masterpiece as Orquesta América, the legendary charanga band, embrace her voice with impressive results.
San Lazaro
Celina González Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Babalú Ayé ecua
Que babalú Ayé, mi mo seo
Babalú Ayé, ecua
E, e, egua, Babalú Ayé, ecua
Ecua, Baba, ecua
Babalú Ayé ecua
Babalú Ayé, ecua
Ecua, papá, egua
Babalú Ayé, ecua
Que yo voy a subi′ y uste' va′ a bajar
Con los zapatos de Chango te
Que Changoté mi Changotá
Changoteíto de Obatalá
Y Babalú Ayé
Padre mío, San Lázaro
Ay viejo mío, aé
Padre mío San Lázaro
Ay Santo mío, aé
Padre mío San Lázaro
Ayúdanos en nombre de Dios
Padre mío, San Lázaro
Que yo quiere un serí y un senseribó
Padre mío San Lázaro
Que yo voy a subi' y uste' va′ a bajar
Con los zapatos de Chango te
Que Changoté mi Changotá
Changoteíto de Obatalá
Y Babalú Ayé
Padre mío San Lázaro
Ay viejo mío, aé
Padre mío San Lázaro
Padre mío San Lázaro
Padre mío San Lázaro
Padre mío San Lázaro
Padre mío San Lázaro
Que yo voy a subi′ y uste' va′ a bajar
Con los zapatos de Chango te
Que Changoté mi Changotá
Changoteíto de Obatalá
Y Babalú Ayé
Padre mío San Lázaro
Ay santo mío, aé
Padre mío San Lázaro
Que yo quiere un serí y un senseribó
Padre mío San Lázaro
Pero que sea de corazón
Padre mío San Lázaro
Ayuda a todos de corazón
Padre mío San Lázaro
Que yo voy a subi' y uste′ va' a bajar
Con los zapatos de Chango te
Que Changoté mi Changotá
Changoteíto de Obatalá
Y Babalú Ayé
Padre mío San Lázaro
Ay viejo mío, aé
Padre mío San Lázaro
Ay santo mío, aé
Padre mío San Lázaro
The song "San Lazaro" by Celina González is a prayer to the Cuban Santería deity Babalú Ayé and the Catholic Saint Lazarus. The lyrics start off with repetitive calls to Babalú Ayé, with the singer asking for his protection and blessings. Babalú Ayé is known in Santería as the god of infectious diseases, but also as a protector and a healer. The singer also makes reference to other deities such as Chango and Obatalá before moving on to pray to Saint Lazarus.
The singer calls out to Saint Lazarus as a father figure and asks for his help and blessings. She asks for a "serí" and a "senseribó," which are offerings made to Saint Lazarus in exchange for his intercession. The song goes on to ask for help for everyone with true intentions in their hearts. The use of both Santería and Catholic imagery in the song illustrates the syncretism of religion in Cuba, where Catholic saints and African deities are often worshipped interchangeably.
Line by Line Meaning
Babalú Ayé, mi mo seo
Babalú Ayé, please hear my prayer
Babalú Ayé ecua
Babalú Ayé, I implore you
Que babalú Ayé, mi mo seo
May Babalú Ayé, please hear my prayer
E, e, egua, Babalú Ayé, ecua
Ecua, Baba, I plead to you, Babalú Ayé
Ecua, Baba, ecua
Ecua, Baba, hear my prayer
Babalú Ayé ecua
Babalú Ayé, I implore you
Ecua, viejo, ecua
Ecua, Oh Grandfather, hear my prayer
Babalú Ayé, ecua
Babalú Ayé, please hear me
Ecua, papá, egua
Ecua, father, I plead to you
Babalú Ayé, ecua
Babalú Ayé, I implore you
Que yo voy a subi′ y uste' va′ a bajar
I will ascend and you will descend
Con los zapatos de Chango te
With the shoes of Chango on you
Que Changoté mi Changotá
Let my Chango protect me
Changoteíto de Obatalá
May Obatalá bless me
Y Babalú Ayé
And may Babalú Ayé hear my prayer
Padre mío, San Lázaro
My Father, Saint Lazarus
Ay viejo mío, aé
Oh, my old one
Ay Santo mío, aé
Oh, my Saint
Ayúdanos en nombre de Dios
Help us in the name of God
Que yo quiere un serí y un senseribó
I want a serí and a senseribó
Pero que sea de corazón
But let it be from the heart
Ayuda a todos de corazón
Help everyone from the heart
Writer(s): Sixta Patria Aguilera
Contributed by Owen T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.