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.
Yo So el Punto Cubano
Celina González Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que en La Manigua vivía
Cuando el mambí se batía
Con el machete en la mano
Con el machete en la mano
Tengo un poder soberano
Que me lo dio la sábana
Brindándole mi saludo
A la palma, al escudo
Y a mi bandera cubana
Y a mi bandera cubana
Por eso canto a las flores
Y a la mañana que inspira
Ay le canto a Cuba querida
La tierra de mis amores
Le canto a Cuba querida
La tierra de mis amores
Soy la linda melodía
Que en el campestre retiro
Siempre le llevo al guajiro
La esperanza y la alegría
La esperanza y la alegría
En noche de romería
Inspiro a los trovadores
Cantantes y bailadores
Gozan con el zapateo
Y se olvidan de Morfeo
Para tributarme honores
Para tributarme honores
Por eso canto a las flores
Y a la mañana que inspira
Ay le canto a Cuba querida
La tierra de mis amores
Le canto a Cuba querida
La tierra de mis amores
Acerca ese guajil
Y así son los guatecas en Cuba compai
Hasta que salga el sol
Ahora me encuentro en La Habana
Entre orquestas y he gustado
De cha-cha-chá disfrazado
Pongo una nota cubana
Pongo una nota cubana
Aquí como en la sabana
Mi música fraternal
Viene del cañaveral
Representando al mambí
A la tierra de Martí
Y a la enseña nacional
Y a la enseña nacional
Por eso canto a las flores
Y a la mañana que inspira
Le canto a Cuba querida
La tierra de mis amores
Ay le canto a Cuba querida
La tierra de mis amores
The song "Yo Soy El Punto Cubano" by Celina Gonzalez is about a man who identifies himself as "the Cuban point" or "the Cuban melody." He is proud of his power and authority, which was given to him by the "sábana" or "sheet" that represents his heritage and cultural identity. He was born in La Manigua, a rural area in Cuba, and was witness to the fights of the rebel army or "mambis" against Spanish oppressors. He sings about how he greeted the morning and paid tribute to his land and flag, which demonstrates his deep love and attachment to his motherland.
His music provides hope and happiness to rural residents, especially during the night-time village festivals where dancers and singers join in traditional celebrations. The melody also inspires artists and musicians, bringing them a sense of pride and honor for their country. Lastly, in the city of Havana, the singer continues to spread his joyous music as a representative of his own culture, with the same spirit of rebellion and patriotism that his ancestors displayed.
Overall, the song speaks to the deep cultural pride and love for Cuba that those within the country share.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo soy el punto cubano
I am the traditional Cuban folk music known as punto cubano
Que en La Manigua vivía
That used to reside in La Manigua
Cuando el mambí se batía
When the Cuban independence fighter (mambí) fought
Con el machete en la mano
With the machete in hand
Tengo un poder soberano
I have a sovereign power
Que me lo dio la sábana
That was bestowed upon me by the traditional Cuban peasant clothing known as sábana
De cantarle a la mañana
To sing to the morning
Brindándole mi saludo
Offering my greetings
A la palma, al escudo
To the palm tree, to the shield
Y a mi bandera cubana
And to my Cuban flag
Por eso canto a las flores
That's why I sing to the flowers
Y a la mañana que inspira
And to the inspiring morning
Ay le canto a Cuba querida
Ah, I sing to beloved Cuba
La tierra de mis amores
The land of my loves
Soy la linda melodía
I am the beautiful melody
Que en el campestre retiro
That, in the countryside retreat
Siempre le llevo al guajiro
I always bring to the peasant
La esperanza y la alegría
Hope and joy
En noche de romería
On the night of the pilgrimage
Inspiro a los trovadores
I inspire the troubadours
Cantantes y bailadores
Singers and dancers
Gozan con el zapateo
They enjoy the stomping
Y se olvidan de Morfeo
And forget about sleep
Para tributarme honores
To pay tribute to me
Acerca ese guajil
Bring that peasant here
Y así son los guatecas en Cuba compai
And that's how the parties are in Cuba, my friend
Hasta que salga el sol
Until the sun comes up
Ahora me encuentro en La Habana
Now I find myself in Havana
Entre orquestas y he gustado
Among orchestras, and I've been enjoyed
De cha-cha-chá disfrazado
In costume, doing the cha-cha-chá
Pongo una nota cubana
I play a Cuban note
Aquí como en la sabana
Here, as in the savanna
Mi música fraternal
My fraternal music
Viene del cañaveral
Comes from the sugarcane plantation
Representando al mambí
Representing the mambí
A la tierra de Martí
To the land of Martí
Y a la enseña nacional
And to the national banner
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group
Written by: Pascual Reutilio Dominguez Terrero, Celina Gonzalez Zamaro
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@groeiro7028
YO SOY el punto cubano
Que en la manigua vivia
Cuando el mambi se batia con el mache-te en la mano
Tengo un poder soberano que me lo dio la Sabana
De cantarle a la mañana
Brindándole mi saludo
A la palma al escudo y mi bandera cubana
Por eso canto a las flores y a la mañana que inspira
Soy la linda melodía
La esperanza y la 😂
Pongo la nota cubana
@edelalfonso3624
Nuestra cuba 🇨🇺 bella no es una isla , no es un trozo de tierra, Mi cuba 🇨🇺 querida es mi madre , es la madre de todos los cubanos es nuestra patria, la patria de Marti , de los Mambises hombres valientes ❤️🇨🇺🇨🇺🇨🇺❤️ viva cuba libre por siempre
@mercedesdebesa5761
Gracias soy cubana y tienen razón la jamás los cubanos olvidaremos esa artista y sus canciones.
@michaelmolina7682
Para mi un mexicano la música cubana no tiene rival. Amo la música cubana tanto como la de mi tierra. Que viva cuba si señor!
@edelalfonso3624
Gracias hermano, me llenan de orgullo tus palabras VIVA MEXICO 🇲🇽 LINDO Y QUERIDO , Y MI CUBA 🇨🇺 AMADA POR SIEMPRE AMIGOS Y UNIDOS POR SU HISTORIA Y VALOR
@carlosatehortua5421
Que belleza de voz y esa musica tan bella sos un orgullo de latino America...saludos a la musica cubana y a su gente.......menos a fidel y su pandilla!
@lordcelticfrost8686
Imposible oír esta obra de arte solo una vez....
@jorgegarzon875
Tambien los colombianos llevamos en el corazon la musica cubana y en especial a Celina Paz en su tumba y un pedestal eterno en al mundo por su excelente voz
@danilosolano5104
Honor a quien honor merece y pienso que a ella deberían de darle un Grammy con mucho honor porque lo merece
@olindafierro721
Linda música cubana que vivirá por siempre , sus canciones son un himno a la vida sencilla de su gente.
@ramsesramosmiranda6280
Le canto a Cuba querida, la tierra de mis amores. Que grande Celina, qué bella mi Cuba. Siempre en mi corazón. Espero poder pronto estar por mi tierra con mi familia y amigos.